Begin Krishna consciousness from childhood, for human life is rare and fleeting—do not postpone until death approaches.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Paṇḍāl Lecture — November 12, 1971, Delhi 711112LE-DELHI [53:43 Minutes] Lecture_711112LE-DELHI Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani prayers] Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are speaking here for the last one week, so it is very encouraging that we are reviving the dormant Kṛṣṇa consciousness of our brothers and sisters in India. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to be learned from the very childhood. So far personally we are concerned, my father taught me this Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very childhood. My father was a great Vaiṣṇava, and I had the opportunity of taking birth in that family.
So he gave me lessons of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning of my life. He gave me mṛdaṅga. He engaged a teacher for learning mṛdaṅga playing. Sometimes my mother was irritated.
But somehow or other, I got the inspiration from my father worshiping a small Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa Deity. So Prahlāda Mahārāja says, kaumāra ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha [SB 7.6.1]. Actually the students, the children, should be given chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the duty of the state, that is the duty of the parents, that is the duty of the guru, that is the duty of kinsmen. That is the instruction given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: gurur na sa syāt sva-jano na sa syāt pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt... na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum [SB 5.5.18] This human form of life, as Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma.
Durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1]. This human form of life is obtained after many, many millions and millions of births, evolutionary process. We have already discussed this point. So that is the Vedic civilization, that a human being should be given chance to understand this bhāgavata-dharma, Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness means bhāgavata-dharma. So Prahlāda Mahārāja recommends, kaumāram ācaret prājño dharmān bhāgavatān iha: from the childhood. It is not that it is reserved for our old-age occupation. Sometimes we think like that, that "At the present moment we are young. Let us enjoy life.
And at the old age, when you are old enough, preparing for death, at that time we may try to understand what is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or bhāgavata-dharma." But Prahlāda Mahārāja says no. The children should be taught from the age, as we send our children to school in minor age, similarly we should send our children to understand this bhāgavata-dharma. I am very pleased, I have seen practically in this Delhi that the Muslim children are given instruction of Koran from very early age. Actually, this should be done for everyone. I am very pleased.
Not I am pleased—I may please or not—but that is the way of life. A human child should be given instruction about Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, and that was our Vedic system, brahmacārī. Brahmacārī should go to the house of the teacher or spiritual master at the age of five years old, and he should remain there for twenty years to understand the value of life. And the brahmacārī would accept any kind of menial work for satisfying the spiritual master. It is stated that nīcayeva: just like menial servant.