78 Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

permission. You may not know exactly who is the proprie-
tor, but you know, “It must belong to someone.” That is
knowledge. Sometimes we see on the road so many valuable
things left there—government property for repairing roads
or some electrical work. A man may think, “Oh, for-
tunately these things are lying here, so I may take them.” Is
it not stealing?

BOB: It is stealing.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Yes. He does not know that this is all
government property. He takes it away. That is stealing.
And when he is caught, he is arrested, and he is punished.
So, similarly, whatever you are collecting —suppose you are
drinking a glass of water from the river. Is the river your
property?

BOB: No.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Then? It is stealing. You have not
created the river. You do not know who is the proprietor.
Therefore it is not your property. So, even if you drink a
glass of water without knowing to whom it belongs, you are
a thief. So you may think, “I am honest,” but actually you
are a thief. You must remember Krsna. “Oh, Krsna, it is
Your creation, so kindly allow me to drink.” This is
honesty. Therefore a devotee always thinks of Krsna. In all
activities: “Oh, it is Krsna’s.”” This is honesty. So
without Krsna consciousness, everyone is a rascal, is a thief,
is a rogue, is a robber. These qualifications. Therefore our
conclusion is that anyone who does not understand Krsna
has no good qualifications. Neither is he honest, nor has he
knowledge. Therefore he is a third-class man. Is that cor-
rect? What do you think, Giriraja?

GIRIRAYJA [a disciple]: Yes.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: This is not dogmatism. This is a fact.
