This tendency to steal appears to be a quality of the ape, which we tend to get. Therefore the picture of Apes is shown in the game of life.

One tries to steal someone else's glory as His. This state is an obstacle for the development of attitude of surrender called anubhava virodhi. These are the obstructions for surrender. The ape/monkey (actually called konda mucchu) means thief. It is terribly intelligent. The other type with a red face is not as much intelligent. Konda mucchu is intelligent

It is not covetousness. This is the same problem that comes at the stage of prappanna. We have prapanna prabhu and before that prabhu. The problems of mucchu are linked to that.

You start thinking that you are the Master. It is a very common thing that is happening. There will be someone in the office. He behaves as if he is the one. He will be taking all decisions. Actually it is a reflected glory that makes him talk like that, do like that.

A house thief is approximately one aspect of the story. This fellow stays in the house and then he steals. In the above case he steals the glory of the Master but he is the loser. In the example of the house thief, the thief is not the loser, whereas in the condition of the prabhu gati, we must also point out that the person who steals, is the loser.

Instead of giving credit to the Master for the work, one tries to steal from him for oneself, or allocating the capacity to ourselves which really belongs to him.

To start enjoying as if one is the Master and that experience, the anubhava itself becomes a virodhi. An example would be like this. We are working for the Master. We start thinking that it is ours. The feeling that it is I who is doing it comes. We say that it is the Master alone who is doing it. What happens is an abdication of responsibility.

The tendency to use for one's own enjoyment the objects that ought to be dedicated to the service of the Lord

There are two exceptions here. One is the classic example of Sabari. She enjoys the fruit before giving it to the Lord and the justification given is her love for him makes her taste it first and then only give it to him. It must be said then that in such circumstances anubhava virodhatva does not come. If your dedication to Master is of such a great degree then it is not necessary. Otherwise for you and me we should not taste the fruit before giving it to the Master.

Suppose we offer prasad on any occasion to thank our Master. We cannot say that we will taste it to see if it has come out well or not. It is not permissible. There is an exception there.When we go to a temple, we take fruits along with us. Do we check whether the fruit is good or not by tasting it? Or do we take it as it is by purchasing from the shop? We don't taste it, correct? While cooking at home (not prasad) they might taste the food. They will take liberties with you. If it is prasad that is being made, they will not taste it. They will not allow you to touch it. There will be an area earmarked for it. They would have kept some jaggery or sugar for it. If you go and touch it, they will admonish you. Some may think that it is not enjoyment, but you take it for enjoyment only. When you take it, you start enjoying. You have already tasted it, you have no business to give. We cannot give something to the lord after tasting it.

The second example is that of Andal. She first puts garland for herself and then gives it for God. She has no business. On this only there is a big fight. Upon going to the temple the priest scolds and is told that it is no fault of her and then God himself answers. That is the story.

These are exceptional cases. The anubhava virodhatva can be applied there. Since their surrender, layavastha with the master is so much, they could do that.

There is one more case like that. Govinda is asked to make bed for Ramanuja. He makes the bed and then sleeps on it first. Someone sees it and asks as to why he did it. Govinda says that it is meant for Ramanuja, so we have to see if it is correct or not, otherwise he will not give. This is a less known episode, the two others are well known episodes. We can try to apply anubhava virodhatva there also but their laya with the masters is such that you can't do that.

This is a human consciousness, not only monkey's. Parigraha (stealing), kleptomania, all these come under this category. Unless you get out of this, you will not get settled in the inferior type of super consciousness. If you want aparigraha to come, then parigraha must go. Aparigraha is the negative word, from parigraha to aparigraha. Parigraha means taking what is someone else'. Parigraha is stealing. There are different stories attached to this. Ravana's story is there, the story of Vali is there, Indra's story relating to Ahalya is there. In the case of the story of Indra and Ahalya, it is a case of stealing daily. The punishment he gets is that he will have his entire body with eyes. That is his curse. That is why he is called sahasraaksha (one with thousand eyes)