From the beginning of life means . . . actually, our life begins at the age of five years. According to Cāṇakya Paṇḍita's Nīti, it is said that the boys, the children, should be given complete freedom to do anything he likes up to five years; not more than that. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi: "Up to five years a child should be given all freedom," never mind however miscreant he may be.
But from five years to fifteen years—that means a period of ten years—tāḍayet. Lālayet pañca-varṣāṇi tāḍayet daśa-varṣāṇi: "You should give all freedom to your child for five years, and then, next ten years, you should be very strict, very strict, so that the child may be very much afraid. And as soon as he attains sixteen years of age, then you should treat him like friend, not, I mean to say, so strictly." These are the moral instruction by Cāṇakya Paṇḍita.
So Prahlāda Mahārāja advises the bhāgavata-dharma. Bhāgavata. What is the bhāgavata-dharma? Bhāgavatān dharmān ācared yata arthadam etaj janma devadi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Now, why this life is given so much importance, this human life? There are many other lives, lower and higher.
In the higher planets there are demigods. They are far more improved, they are more intelligent, they are more happy than this planet. You must know that the higher planets, the comforts of life is thousand times more. As you go in higher planetary system, the standard of life, the conveniences, are thousand times greater than in this planet.
Therefore the commentator, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī, is that, "Why not bhāgavata-dharma, cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in the life of demigods? Why in this human form of life?" So the answer is that devadi-janma, devadi-janmani mahā-viṣaya āviśat. Devadi-janmani. Devadi . . . in the lives of demigod, they are puffed up with so much material enjoyments that there is very little chance to become Kṛṣṇa conscious.
Just like in India still, in this fallen condition of India, whenever there is Bhāgavata recitation, thousands of people still will assemble, because the benefit is that they are little poverty-stricken than the Western people. So Jīva Gosvāmī says that a person who is too much puffed up with material facilities, it is very difficult for him to come into Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
In the Bhāgavata it is stated, Kṛṣṇa . . . I mean to say, question and answer between Mahārāja Parīkṣit and Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Mahārāja Parīkṣit inquired his spiritual master, Śukadeva Gosvāmī, that "Generally we find that those who are Vaiṣṇava, or Kṛṣṇa conscious persons, they are poorer, whereas we see those who are worshiper of Lord Śiva, they are very rich."