The story of the Brahman and the thief narrated by Swami in Sri Sathya Sai Anandadaayi, encapsulates the essence of faith and surrender as vital prerequisites for divine grace. It illustrates how the thief, initially full of evil intentions, receives a spiritual transformation through faith, whereas the Brahman, who narrated stories of Lord Krishna all his life, struggles to see him. The tale emphasizes the profound quote of Swami, “The Lord resides in your heart. You can experience Him there only when you remove all the evil qualities in you and develop divine virtues.”

The Transformation of the Thief: A Leap of Faith

When the thief hears about Krishna’s ornaments, he initially sees it as an opportunity for worldly gain. But as he listens intently to the descriptions of Krishna, a seed of faith is sown. When he finally encounters the divine figure of Krishna, he experiences an inexplicable sense of joy and devotion, essentially surrendering his evil intentions.

Sathya Sai Baba once said, “Krishna is the Indweller. He is the essence and the purpose of life.” Just as the thief was touched by the grace of Krishna and experienced a transformation, every individual has the chance to recognize the divinity within themselves, if only they open up to the faith.

The Brahman’s Predicament: Knowledge Without Faith

The Brahman in the story represents individuals who engage in religious rituals and discourses without the inner yearning for a divine connection. Despite his knowledge of the scriptures and the glory of Krishna, he is unable to see the divine form that the thief sees effortlessly. This underscores the fact that knowledge without faith is like a body without a soul.

Sai Baba reminds us, “There are many who can speak and sing about the Lord, but very few who can get immersed in that sweetness and experience the divine.”

The Importance of Complete Surrender

In the story, Krishna himself says, “I manifest only for those who surrender to Me.” Surrender here isn’t a defeatist concept but a relinquishing of ego and full submission to divine will. It is surrender that eradicates the thief’s past karma, setting him on a new spiritual path.

Bhagawan says, “Surrender to the Lord sincerely, not partially, and watch the Grace flow incessantly.”

The Unseen Bag of Ornaments

The bag of ornaments that the thief finds after his divine encounter is an allegory for the spiritual wealth one gains through true devotion. These are the ornaments of wisdom, love, and inner peace that we acquire when we place full faith in the divine.

“Devotion to the Lord is itself a glory, an ornament, as well as the end of all wisdom,” said Sai Baba.

Concluding Thoughts

The story vividly demonstrates that faith and surrender are the keys to experiencing the full grace of Lord Krishna. In a world where many engage in superficial religious practices without internalizing the essence, this story serves as a reminder that faith isn’t just a part of devotion—it is the soul of it.

As Sathya Sai Baba so aptly puts it, “Real devotion is the awakening of the divine love that is dormant in every human heart. When you have such true devotion, God will automatically manifest before you.”

Thus, the story of the Brahman and the thief is more than a tale—it’s a roadmap for all who seek to drown in the ocean of divine grace. All it takes is sincere faith and complete surrender.

Om Sai Ram!

p.s. the original story of the ‘Priest and the Thief’ is in the book: Sri Sathya Sai Anandadaayi

Here is the full story as narrated by Bhagawan:

THE PRIEST AND THE THIEF:

A Brahman, whose profession was singing the glories of the Lord, was once reciting Bhagavatha in the house of a patron. A thief broke into the house where the recital was going on and hid himself in the attic. Perforce, he had to listen to Bhagavatha.

The singer was describing the 0rnaments worn by Krishna. He described the various ornaments Yasodha put on Krishna before sending Him out with the cows. The thief thought that he should kill that lad, Krishna and rob all the ornaments at one stroke instead of struggling every day with petty stealing. He waited till the Brahmin finished the story and left the place.

The thief wanted to know where this boy was. He, therefore, followed the Brahmin and waylaid him. The Brahmin was frightened and feared that he would lose even the small amount collected as dakshina and told the thief, “I do not have anything with me”. The thief told, “I do not want any material from you. I want only some information. You were telling that one lady Yasodha adorned a boy Krishna with ornaments before she sent him for grazing the cows. I want to know where I can find him.” The Brahmin was in a fix. Cleverly he told the thief, “There is a book in my house where I keep all these particulars. Come with me.”

He took the thief to his house, and looked in some book and told, “In Brindavana, on the banks of Yamuna, in a green meadow, two boys will come in the morning. One dark like the cloud with a flute, and the other fair clad in white silk. The dark one will have all the ornaments I had described.” The thief believed the story and set out to Brindavana immediately. He located the place, climbed up a tree and waited for the boys. The sun rose. Faint melody of the flute wafted along the morning breeze. The enchanting music could then be heard closer and the thief spotted two boys coming.

He got down from the tree and went near them. The moment he saw them, he forgot himself for a moment, folded his hands and shed tears of joy. He wondered which wretched mother had sent these radiant boys, vigrahas chiseled to perfection, loaded with ornaments to the riverbank. Since the thief had carefully listened to the story of Krishna as told by the Brahmin, he noticed that Krishna was not wearing one particular piece of ornament described by the Brahmin. He even wanted to adorn Krishna with the missing ornament, which he wanted to get even by stealing, and enjoy the sight to his heart’s content. Just as the clouds cover the bright sun, wicked thoughts developed in his mind again. He approached the boys to kill them.

Shouting, “Stop,” he held Krishna’s hand. The moment he touched Krishna all his previous karma was wiped clean and he inquired lovingly, “Who are you?” Krishna told him, “Leave My hands. I am frightened by your looks.” The thief told Krishna, “It is my evil mind which is reflected in my face. If you are frightened I shall go away.” Krishna then told the thief, “Have you forgotten the purpose for which you have come? Here, take my ornaments.” Confused the thief said, “Will not your mother scold you, if you gift away all your ornaments to me?” Krishna smiled and said, “Do not worry about that. I have plenty of them. I am a bigger thief than you. But there is a difference between you and me – however much I steal, the owners do not complain. I am lovingly called “Chitha Chora”. Though you are not aware of it, you have a previous ornament in your possession, the “Chitha”. I shall steal it now and take the same with Me.” So saying both the boys vanished.

The thief found to his surprise a bag full of ornaments on his shoulder. He brought it to the Brahmin’s house and told him what had happened. The Brahmin was frightened, took the thief inside and opened the bag. To his utter amazement he saw all the ornaments described as being worn by Krishna in the Bhagavatha, in the thief’s bag. Shedding tears of joy, the Brahmin asked the thief to take him to the place where he saw the dark boy.

The thief obliged and both of them waited in the same place where the thief accosted the boy the previous day. Suddenly the thief exclaimed, “Look, here they come!” However, the Brahmin could not see any one. Stricken with remorse, he said, “Swami, when You give Darshan to a thief, why not me? If you do not give Darshan to me, I shall end my life.”

Krishna then told him, “You are reading Bhagavatha just as another story. The thief on the other hand, believed what you had told him. I manifest only for those who surrender to Me.”

Sincere belief takes one nearer to God.