I can escape the king's law by doing something which is abominable but I cannot escape God's law. That is not possible. Therefore, although he is thinking that "Now I am cheating this person," or "I am stealing and getting some profit," that is not good for him. Just like a man is killing some man, another man. So that is not good for him, because as soon as he will be arrested he'll be hanged. So they think that "I am cheating the state, I am cheating God, and I can go on gratifying my senses by all these activities," but that is stated in the śāstra as garhitā. Garhitā means "it is not beneficial for you."
Na sādhu mānye yato ātmano 'yam. In another place it is said, "These kinds of activities, vikarma, is not good ultimately." Na sādhu mānye yato ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ (SB 5.5.4). Although ātmā, the self, is different from this body—that is the first lesson in spiritual life—still, this body, although temporary, but as soon as you accept this material body you will have to suffer according to the body. If you get a dog's body you suffer according to that. If you get a man's body . . . suffering will be there, more or less, as soon as you get this material body.
Therefore Ṛṣabhadeva said, na sādhu mānye: "You are acting abominable. It is not good, because you are already suffering in this body." Otherwise why you are stealing? You are in want of money. You are suffering. Therefore necessity has now law. Therefore you are accepting. Even you know that stealing is bad, still, you are accepting it, because that is a suffering. So for some of your activities in the past life you are now suffering, and if you go on, continuing committing this nonsense, then you will again . . . you will have to again accept a body and you'll suffer. Therefore garhitāṁ.
There are so many things to know, but these things are not discussed nowadays. Very cheap thing: "You can do whatever you like. You simply meditate and become God. That's all." So much cheating is going on everywhere, all over the world. So-called yogīs, they go, "Oh, you meditate. You are . . . And as soon as you realize, you are God, within six months." No.
Therefore in this age the only method . . . it is a concession to the fallen people of this world, this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. They'll not be able to follow all the regulative principles; therefore they must commit all kinds of abominable activities. Under the circumstances the śāstra or God has given a concession that you simply chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and gradually you will be elevated to the highest position of spiritual life. Other things you cannot follow. You are already fallen. So you take to this process of chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense.
And in order to save yourself from the offenses, a little austerity, that you cannot have illicit sex life. Why should you have illicit sex life? Everyone's need is sex life. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam (Hitopadeśa). These are the bodily needs. So śāstra has sanctioned, "All right. You can live peacefully by married life and have sex life for children, good children." That is allowed. But why should you have illicit sex life? What is this? Irresponsible life. "I shall not take responsibility of family life, and I shall go on as so-called bachelor and have illicit life." But that is not good. That is garhitāṁ. Na sādhu mānye: "This is not good." This is the advice of Vedic literature.