Krishna-bhakti is eternally present in every heart and naturally awakens through hearing and association with pure devotees.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.3.15 — June 1, 1972, Los Angeles 720601SB-LOS ANGELES [46:09 Minutes] SB-02.03.15_720601SB-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: [prema-dhvani] Thank you very much.
Devotees: All glories to Śrī Guru and Gauranga. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [devotees offer obeisances] Pradyumna: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya.
Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Page 145. [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] sa vai bhāgavato rājā pāṇḍaveyo mahā-rathaḥ bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade [SB 2.3.15] Prabhupāda: [devotees chant, with Prabhupāda correcting pronunciation] Anyone? That's all right.
Word meaning? Pradyumna: saḥ—he; vai—certainly; bhāgavataḥ—great devotee of the Lord; rājā—Mahārāja Parīkṣit; pāṇḍaveyaḥ—grandson of the Pāṇḍavas; mahā-rathaḥ—a great fighter; bāla—while a child; krīḍanakaiḥ—with play dolls; krīḍan—playing; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; krīḍām—activities; yaḥ—who; ādade—accepted. [06:34] Translation: "Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the grandson of the Pāṇḍavas, was from his very childhood a great devotee of the Lord. Even while playing with dolls, he used to worship Lord Kṛṣṇa by imitating the worship of the family Deity." Prabhupāda: Hm.
Kṛṣṇa-krīḍām. Bāla-krīḍanakaiḥ krīḍan kṛṣṇa-krīḍāṁ ya ādade. This is the facility of taking birth in a Vaiṣṇava family. Children, simply by playing with Kṛṣṇa, they become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Some way or other, if somebody comes in contact with Kṛṣṇa, then his life becomes successful. So this kṛṣṇa-yoga, bhakti-yoga, can be practiced even by a child without interfering with his natural propensities. A child naturally wants to play, so he can play with Kṛṣṇa Deity. We had the opportunity of doing that. My father was worshiping Kṛṣṇa Deity.
So I wanted to imitate him, and he gave me small Deity. That still, that Deity is still worshiped. My sister and myself, whatever we were eating, we were offering exactly the same arcana. And father used to encourage.