Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 4.12.23
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesDevotional Training Can Begin in Childhood
“Nanda and Sunanda, the two confidential associates of Lord Viṣṇu, said: Dear King, let there be all good fortune unto you. Please attentively hear what we shall say. When you were only five years old, you underwent severe austerities, and you thereby greatly satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead.”
What the purport teaches
- Nanda and Sunanda asked Dhruva Mahārāja to listen attentively. They recalled how his austerities at only five years old had greatly satisfied the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- What was possible for Dhruva Mahārāja is possible for anyone. Children can be trained from the age of five and make their lives successful through Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
- Śrīla Prabhupāda calls for educational institutions that train children to become devotees of the Lord. Such devotional education can change the face of the world.
Try this today
Write down one simple way to make learning about Kṛṣṇa welcoming for a young child.
Ask yourself
How does Dhruva Mahārāja’s example affect my view of children’s capacity for devotional life?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.