You have seen the picture of Prahlāda Mahārāja standing on the table—of course, there was no tables in those days—and speaking to his class-friends about devotional service. The friends of Prahlāda Mahārāja, they objected, that "We are now children. Let us play now. We shall see about God consciousness when we are old enough, or at the time of death we shall see to it." Prahlāda Mahārāja said,
- kaumāra ācaret prājño
- dharmān bhāgavatān iha
- durlabhaṁ mānuṣaṁ janma
- tad apy adhruvam arthadam
- (SB 7.6.1)
Prahlāda Mahārāja said, "My dear friends, Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be learned from the very beginning of life, kaumāra." The learning should be beginning between five years old to ten years old, between this time. This Bhāgavata-dharma especially, first thing is, the children from the very beginning of their life should be given instruction on religious principles of life. What are the religious principles? Religious principle means to understand what is God. That is religious principle. It doesn't matter whether you are Christian or Hindu or Muslim or any... There are many hundreds and thousands patterns of religious system, but according to our Bhāgavata school, we accept that religion as first class which teaches how to love God. That is religion. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje (SB 1.2.6). That system of religion is first class wherein the followers are given lessons how to love God.