JOIN USThe late Sathya Sai Baba was fond of recounting the story of Sri Krishna allegedly stealing butter. The Srimad Bhagavatam, for example, records the fact that Sri Krishna would stealthily eat the butter that was stored in the houses of the gopis.
According to Sathya Sai Baba, there is a deep significance contained in this behaviour and it is not often easily understood: “Did he go about stealing butter because He had no butter at home? It is not butter He coveted; it is the cream of virtue kept in the heart (pot) that he wanted. That cream is the genuine atma, secured after vigorous churning.
And was it really stealing that he indulged in? He is ‘Hari’, He who robs, He who appropriates. He sees all, but is Himself unseen. As soon as He enters, you awake and your inner consciousness is alerted.”
“You offer Him the fragrance of your virtue, the courage of your heart, the wisdom of your experience. That is the kind of thief He is! Cultivate Love towards Him! Likes and dislikes are more the product of habit and training. The senses drag you away from Him; but do not yield; they will lie low soon. Sincere yearning born of steady determination - this alone can help you.” The same is true of the three armlets worn by Lord Krishna. Sri Sathya Sai beautifully explains that three vows are recounted in the sacred Bhagavad Gita.
The first vow is celebrated in the Gita: “For the protection of the good and the punishment of the bad, for the establishment of the moral order, I shall concretise Myself age after age.”
The second vow relates to protecting His devotees: “Whoever is wholly immersed in My contemplation, with no other thought, I shall be ever with him and I shall bear the burden of his welfare.”
The third vow is connected to absolute devotion: “Surrender unto Me, giving up all other duties and obligations; I shall liberate you from all sins; do not grieve.”
Similarly, the outer appurtenances of the Lord also have deep symbolic meaning. According to Sri Sathya Sai Baba, the Kasturi dot on His forehead represents the inner of eye of transcendental wisdom. The kowstubha gem on His chest indicates the untarnished bliss of the Lord. He is the living personification of Bliss. The pearl on His nose ring is success stemming from one-pointed concentration of His glory. Finally, the flute in His hand reminds us to become a hollow reed, with no trace of the material pith of greed by emptying ourselves of all obstructing desires. It is only then that the Lord’s breath flows through us by making sweet music that awakes the soul.