BG - 11

Verse

सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।

I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.

The focus of previous class was remembrance. The focus of this class will be knowledge.

Katha

Bhajan

Hari Hari Biphale

https://kksongs.org/songs/h/harihari04a.html

Teaching - Juniors

BG 15.15 — JÑĀNAM (Knowledge)

Duration: 45-50 minutes Theme: Krishna Gives Us the Power to KNOW Things Key Message: Without Krishna, we couldn't know anything — not our mother's face, not our food, not our own name!

OPENING: THE "MYSTERY BOX" GAME (8 minutes)

Setup: Bring a box with familiar objects inside (apple, ball, toy car, etc.)

Round 1 — Normal:

Pull out an apple. "What is this?"

Kids shout: "APPLE!"

"How do you know? Did someone tell you right now? No! You just... KNEW!"

Round 2 — The Twist:

"Now imagine... you wake up tomorrow, you look at an apple, but your brain doesn't KNOW it's an apple anymore. It's just a round red thing. You don't know if you can eat it. You don't know what to do with it."

"Scary, right?"

Round 3 — Mother's Photo:

Pull out a photo of a mother and child (or use a generic family photo)

"What if you woke up and saw your Amma's face... but you didn't KNOW it was your Amma? She's just... some lady. You feel nothing."

Let them react. This will land emotionally.

Bridge: "So WHO gives us the power to KNOW things? Let's find out!"

KATHA: THE BABY WHO JUST KNEW (10 minutes)

Tell this story dramatically:

"There was a mother who just had a baby. The baby was only 2 weeks old. The baby had never been to school. Never read a book. Never watched a YouTube video. Never had a teacher.

But you know what? When the mother came close... the baby's eyes would follow her. When the mother spoke... the baby would turn toward her voice. When the mother held the baby... the baby would become calm.

The grandmother asked: 'How does the baby know you? You never taught the baby your name. You never showed the baby your photo!'

And the mother smiled and said: 'Krishna gave my baby the knowledge. From inside the baby's heart, Krishna told the baby — THIS is your mother. KNOW her. LOVE her.'"

Ask the children:

"Did anyone teach you who your Amma is? Or did you just... KNOW?"

"Did anyone teach you how to drink milk when you were a baby? Or did you just... KNOW?"

Reveal the verse:

"In Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says: 'I sit in everyone's heart. From Me comes KNOWLEDGE.'"

SCIENTIFIC WONDER: ANIMALS WHO JUST KNOW (7 minutes)

Use pictures or short video clips if available:

1. Spider Webs

Show picture of a perfect geometric web

"Did the spider go to engineering college? Did its mother teach it? NO! The baby spider just KNOWS how to make this perfect design. Krishna gave it this knowledge."

2. Baby Sea Turtles

"Baby turtles hatch from eggs on the beach at NIGHT. They've never seen the ocean. Their mother is not there — she left months ago! But the moment they hatch... they know EXACTLY which direction to crawl. Toward the ocean. FIRST TRY. Who told them? Krishna!"

3. Birds Building Nests

"A bird builds a perfect nest — but no one taught it. Its parents didn't give lessons. It just KNOWS. Krishna's knowledge from inside the heart!"

Activity — Quick Poll:

"Raise your hand if you think a spider went to web-building school!" (Kids laugh, say no)

"Raise your hand if you think Krishna gave the spider this knowledge!" (Hands up)

THE SCARY PART: WHEN KNOWLEDGE STOPS (7 minutes)

Explain simply:

"Sometimes, in some people, this gift of 'knowing' gets broken. Let me tell you what happens..."

1. Face Blindness (Prosopagnosia) — Simplified:

"There are some people who can see perfectly fine. Their eyes work. But when they look at their mother's face... they don't KNOW it's their mother. They see a face, but they can't recognize WHO it is.

Imagine going home and looking at your Amma and thinking: 'Who is this lady?' That's what happens to these people. They even look in a mirror and don't know it's THEM!"

2. Object Blindness (Agnosia) — Simplified:

"Some people look at an apple and don't KNOW it's an apple. They can see it's red and round. But what IS it? They don't know. Is it food? A ball? A toy? They have no idea."

Ask:

"Could you eat lunch if you didn't KNOW what was food and what was not food?"

"Could you go home if you didn't KNOW which person was your Amma?"

"This is why Krishna's gift of knowledge is SO important. Without it... life STOPS."

INTERACTIVE GAME: "KNOW IT OR NOT" (8 minutes)

Setup: Two teams. Show pictures. One team has "Krishna's Knowledge ON" — they can answer what it is. Other team has "Knowledge OFF" — they have to describe without naming.

Example Round:

Show picture of a banana

Team A (Knowledge ON): "BANANA!"

Team B (Knowledge OFF): "It's... yellow... curved... I don't know what to do with it..."

Point: Every time Team A shouts the answer, say: "Yes! Krishna gave you that knowledge!"

This makes the concept experiential and fun.

CRAFT ACTIVITY: "KRISHNA'S KNOWLEDGE LAMP" (10 minutes)

Concept: Krishna sits in the heart like a lamp. His light helps us "see" and KNOW things.

Materials:

Paper heart cutout (large)

Small yellow/orange flame cutout

Drawing of Krishna (small, for center)

Smaller cutouts or stickers representing: mother's face, food, book, sun, etc.

Instructions:

Paste Krishna in the center of the heart

Paste the flame behind/around Krishna (He is the light of knowledge)

Around the edges, paste the things "Krishna helps me KNOW": mother, food, danger, language, etc.

Write or have teacher write: "मत्तः ज्ञानम्" (mattaḥ jñānam — "From Me, knowledge")

While crafting, discuss:

"What's one thing you KNOW that no one taught you?"

"What would happen if you forgot how to know your mother's face?"

CLOSING: GRATITUDE MOMENT (3 minutes)

Have children close their eyes.

"Think of your Amma's face. You KNOW her, right? You know her voice. You know her smell. You know her touch.

Now say inside your heart: 'Thank you Krishna for letting me KNOW my Amma.'

Think of your favorite food. You KNOW it's yummy. You KNOW it's food.

Say: 'Thank you Krishna for letting me KNOW what to eat.'

Open your eyes. Remember — everything you KNOW is a gift from Krishna sitting in your heart!"

TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE:

"This week, notice ONE thing you 'just know' without anyone teaching you. Come back and share next Sunday!"

Teaching - Seniors

Duration: 50-55 minutes Theme: The Epistemology of Knowledge — Where Does "Knowing" Come From? Key Message: The capacity to know — to process perception into understanding — is Krishna's gift. Without it, existence becomes impossible.

OPENING CHALLENGE: THE KNOWLEDGE PARADOX (8 minutes)

Pose this question:

"You walk into a room. You see a chair. Instantly, you KNOW:

It's a chair

You can sit on it

It will hold your weight

It's not dangerous

But HOW do you know? Light hits your eyes. Your retina sends electrical signals to your brain. Your brain receives... what? Electrical impulses. Just electricity.

How does electricity become KNOWING?

Your brain has never touched the chair. It's sitting in darkness inside your skull. It only receives electrical signals. Yet somehow... you KNOW there's a chair.

WHO or WHAT converts electrical signals into knowledge?"

Let them discuss. This is the hard problem of consciousness that science cannot answer.

Bridge: "Bhagavad Gita 15.15 gives us the answer. Krishna says: 'I am seated in everyone's heart. From Me comes jñānam — knowledge.' The capacity to KNOW is His gift."

SCIENTIFIC DEEP DIVE: WHEN KNOWLEDGE FAILS (15 minutes)

Present actual medical conditions:

1. PROSOPAGNOSIA (Face Blindness)

Patients can see perfectly — 20/20 vision

They can describe a face: "Two eyes, nose, mouth, brown hair"

But they CANNOT recognize WHO the face belongs to

They don't recognize their mother, spouse, children, or their own reflection

Famous case: Oliver Sacks (neurologist who had this condition) couldn't recognize his own face in the mirror

Discussion: "The eyes work. The brain receives the image. But the KNOWLEDGE of 'who this is' is gone. What's missing?"

2. VISUAL AGNOSIA

Patients can see objects clearly

They can draw an object by copying it

But they cannot KNOW what the object is

Classic case: A patient was shown a glove. He said: "A continuous surface with five outpouchings." He had no idea it was a glove until he put his hand in it.

Ask: "His vision was perfect. His brain received the image. But knowledge of 'what it is' was absent. Where does that knowledge come from?"

3. AUDITORY AGNOSIA

Patients hear sounds perfectly

But they cannot KNOW what the sounds mean

Words become meaningless noise

They hear their mother say "I love you" but it's just... sounds

4. SEMANTIC DEMENTIA

Gradual loss of conceptual knowledge

Patients forget what objects ARE and what they're FOR

A patient might pick up a fork and try to comb their hair with it — they've lost the KNOWLEDGE of what a fork is for

Key Point:

"In all these cases, the sensory organs work fine. The brain receives signals. But the KNOWING is gone. This proves that knowledge is not merely mechanical processing. Something ELSE is required. Krishna calls Himself that 'something else' — seated in the heart, giving jñānam."

THE THREE TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE (10 minutes)

Present this framework:

Type	Description	Example	Could This Be "Programmed"?
INNATE KNOWLEDGE	Never learned, just known	Newborn recognizes mother; birds build nests; turtles find ocean	No explanation in material science
RECOGNITION KNOWLEDGE	Converting perception into meaning	Seeing face → knowing "mother"; hearing sounds → knowing "words"	Brain damage proves this isn't automatic
LEARNING KNOWLEDGE	Capacity to understand new information	"Aha!" moments; suddenly grasping calculus; scientific insights	Same teacher, different students, different understanding — why?

Focus on INNATE KNOWLEDGE — Scientific Mysteries:

Newborn facial recognition:
- Within hours of birth, infants prefer their mother's face over strangers
- They've never "learned" her face — they were inside the womb!
- Studies show they recognize mother's voice even sooner (heard in womb)
- WHO installed this recognition software?

Monarch butterfly migration:
- Butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico — 3,000 miles
- But no single butterfly makes the full journey — it takes 4 GENERATIONS
- The 4th generation butterfly has never been to Mexico, never met anyone who has
- Yet it knows EXACTLY where to go
- This knowledge cannot be "learned" — it's transmitted across generations that never meet

Spider web engineering:
- Orb weaver spiders construct geometrically precise webs
- The web follows mathematical principles (logarithmic spirals)
- Baby spiders, building their first web, build it perfectly
- No trial and error. No training. Just... knowledge.

Ask: "Materialist science says knowledge comes from learning and experience. But these examples show knowledge appearing WITHOUT learning or experience. Where does it come from?"

DEBATE/DISCUSSION: TWO WORLDVIEWS (12 minutes)

Present two positions:

POSITION A — Materialist View:

Knowledge is just brain computation

We "learn" through neural pattern formation

Instinct is "genetic memory" encoded in DNA

Consciousness is an emergent property of complexity

Nothing beyond matter is needed to explain knowing

POSITION B — Bhagavad Gita View:

The brain is hardware; knowledge requires a conscious knower

Electrical signals don't automatically become "knowing" — something must INTERPRET them

Innate knowledge (instincts) proves knowledge exists beyond learning

Krishna, seated in the heart (as Paramatma), is the source of the capacity to know

He illuminates consciousness, making knowing possible

Discussion Questions:

"If knowledge is just brain computation, why can't computers truly 'know' anything? They process information but don't UNDERSTAND it."

"Patients with agnosia prove that perception ≠ knowledge. The brain receives data, but knowing doesn't happen. What's the missing element?"

"How does a newborn 'know' its mother? There's no time to learn. There's no teaching. Yet knowledge is present. How?"

"If instinct is just 'genetic programming,' WHO wrote the program? DNA is a chemical. Chemicals don't have knowledge. Where did the information come from originally?"

Guide toward synthesis:

"The Gita's position isn't anti-science. It EXPLAINS what science observes but cannot explain: the existence of the KNOWER. Science can map every neuron, track every electrical signal — but it cannot explain how signals become knowing. Krishna says: 'I am in the heart. From Me comes jñānam.' He is the light by which we know."

THOUGHT EXPERIMENT: ONE DAY WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE (5 minutes)

Walk through this scenario:

"Imagine tomorrow you wake up and Krishna's gift of jñānam is withdrawn. Your senses work fine. Your brain is intact. But you cannot KNOW.

You open your eyes. You see shapes and colors. But you don't KNOW what anything is.

Someone speaks to you. You hear sounds. But they mean nothing.

You see a person next to you. You don't KNOW who they are. Your mother? A stranger? A threat? You have no idea.

You feel hungry. But you don't KNOW what food is. You don't KNOW that eating solves hunger.

You see fire. You don't KNOW it burns. You reach toward it..."

Ask: "How long would you survive? How would life function at all?"

Conclusion: "This is why Krishna's gift of jñānam is as essential as air. Without knowledge, existence collapses within hours."

ACTIVITY: "SOURCE THE KNOWLEDGE" CHALLENGE (8 minutes)

Give the group a list. For each item, they must trace: WHERE did this knowledge originally come from?

Knowledge	Surface Source	Deeper Source	Ultimate Source
How to tie shoelaces	Parents taught me	Parents learned from their parents	But WHO knew it first? Who gave the first knowledge?
Law of gravity	Newton "discovered" it	He observed nature	The law EXISTED before Newton — who put it there?
Bird knows migration route	"Instinct"	Encoded in genes	Who encoded it? Chemicals don't have knowledge
You know your mother's face	Brain recognition	Neural patterns	How do electrical signals become "knowing"?

Point: Every knowledge chain leads to a first source. Either:

Knowledge emerged from non-knowledge (impossible — you can't get something from nothing)

OR knowledge has an eternal, conscious source: Krishna

CLOSING: PERSONAL REFLECTION (5 minutes)

"Think about the most important knowledge you have — not facts from textbooks, but knowledge that shapes your life:

The knowledge that allows you to recognize people you love

The knowledge that tells you right from wrong

The knowledge that helps you understand language and meaning

The sudden 'aha!' moments when something finally makes sense

Where did all this come from?

Krishna says: 'I am in your heart. From Me comes remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness.'

Next time you suddenly UNDERSTAND something — a concept clicks, a face registers, a meaning becomes clear — pause and acknowledge: 'Thank you Krishna for jñānam.'"

TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE:

"Research one of the neurological conditions we discussed (prosopagnosia, agnosia, aphasia). Write a one-page reflection: What does this condition teach us about the nature of knowledge? Share your findings next week."

Teaching - Parents

Duration: 45-50 minutes Theme: Recognizing Krishna's Hand in Our Children's Knowledge Key Message: Every moment your child "knows" something — recognizes you, learns a skill, has an insight — you're witnessing Krishna's gift in action.

OPENING: YOUR CHILD'S FIRST RECOGNITION (10 minutes)

Start with Vijay's daughter's experience:

"A mother recently said about her newborn: 'My child recognizes me now.'

Let's pause on this miracle we take for granted.

The baby has never been taught. No one showed the baby flashcards: 'This is your mother.' No one trained the baby. Yet... the baby KNOWS.

Baby knows mother's face

Baby knows mother's voice

Baby knows mother's smell

Baby knows mother's touch

Four types of recognition — all present without any teaching. WHO gave this knowledge?"

Discussion:

"Do you remember when your child first recognized you? What was that moment like?"

"What other things did your child 'just know' without being taught?"

Common answers:

Knew how to suckle

Knew to cry when hungry

Knew to feel safe with parents

Knew to fear strangers (around 8 months)

Knew how to smile in response to faces

Point: "This is Krishna's jñānam — knowledge given from within the heart. Your baby arrived with this software pre-installed. By whom?"

THE SCIENCE: WHEN KNOWLEDGE FAILS (12 minutes)

Present medical realities:

"To understand how precious knowledge is, let's see what happens when it fails."

1. Prosopagnosia (Face Blindness):

Affects approximately 2% of the population to some degree

Patients cannot recognize faces — including their own children, spouse, or reflection

Vision is perfect; the KNOWING is absent

One mother with prosopagnosia described the pain of not being able to recognize her own children at school pickup — she had to rely on their clothing and context

For parents: "Imagine picking up your child from school and looking at a crowd of children... and not KNOWING which one is yours. Not because of poor eyesight — you can see every face clearly. But the knowledge of 'this is MY child' is gone."

2. Semantic Dementia:

Progressive loss of conceptual knowledge

Patients forget what objects ARE and what they're FOR

A grandfather with this condition forgot what "grandchild" meant — the word became meaningless

He could see his grandchildren but didn't KNOW what relationship they had to him

3. Agnosia in Children:

Some children are born with visual processing disorders

They can see, but they struggle to KNOW what they see

Learning becomes extremely difficult — every object must be figured out through other senses

Discussion:

"These conditions show us that seeing ≠ knowing. The brain receives information, but understanding requires something more."

"What do you think that 'something more' is?"

FRAMEWORK: THREE WAYS KRISHNA GIVES JÑĀNAM TO YOUR CHILD (10 minutes)

1. INNATE KNOWLEDGE — Born with it

Examples in your child:

Recognized you (parents) without being taught

Knew how to suckle, breathe, cry

Basic sense of self-preservation

Emotional responses (fear, comfort, joy)

Vedic understanding: This is jñānam Krishna gives in the heart before birth. The soul enters with certain knowledge intact.

2. RECOGNITION KNOWLEDGE — Ability to "know" what they perceive

Every time your child:

Sees a dog and KNOWS it's a dog (not just fur and legs)

Hears words and KNOWS they have meaning

Sees your face and KNOWS it's you

Recognizes danger and KNOWS to avoid it

Point: "Perception alone isn't knowledge. Your child sees millions of photons hitting their retina. How do those become 'I see Mommy'? Krishna provides the light of knowing."

3. LEARNING KNOWLEDGE — "Aha!" moments

As parents, you've witnessed:

Your child suddenly "getting" something they struggled with

The moment reading "clicked" and letters became words

Understanding a concept that was confusing before

Creative insights that surprise you — "Where did they get that idea?"

Question: "Same classroom, same teacher, same lesson — but children understand differently and at different times. Why? If knowledge were purely mechanical input/output, all children would learn identically. The difference is Krishna's grace in the heart — giving clarity when the child is ready."

PRACTICAL PARENTING APPLICATIONS (10 minutes)

1. Respond to "aha!" moments with gratitude:

When your child suddenly understands something, instead of just "Good job!", try:

"Isn't it wonderful that Krishna helped you understand that?"

"That's Krishna giving you knowledge from your heart!"

Make them aware that their intelligence is a gift, not just their own achievement

2. When your child struggles to understand:

Avoid pure frustration. Remember:

Knowledge comes from Krishna; it can't be forced

Your job is to present information; Krishna gives understanding

Pray for your child's clarity: "Krishna, please help [name] understand this"

Reduce pressure — understanding will come when Krishna grants it

3. Point out innate knowledge in daily life:

When baby siblings recognize each other: "Look, the baby knows his sister! Krishna gave him that knowledge."

When your child is naturally kind: "You just KNEW that was the right thing to do. That's Krishna guiding you."

When they have intuitions: "Your heart told you something. That's Krishna speaking from within."

4. Discuss the neurological conditions age-appropriately:

For older children: "Did you know there are people who can see faces but can't recognize who they are? Isn't it amazing that your brain just KNOWS faces? That's a gift from Krishna."

This builds gratitude and awareness

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (8 minutes)

Break into small groups or discuss together:

"Think of a time your child 'just knew' something without being taught. What was it? How did it make you feel?"

"Have you witnessed an 'aha!' moment in your child — when something suddenly clicked? What was happening?"

"How might parenting change if we truly internalized that Krishna gives our children their knowledge? Would we be less anxious about their learning pace? Less comparative with other children?"

"How can we cultivate gratitude in our children for their capacity to know and understand?"

CLOSING REFLECTION (5 minutes)

"Tonight, when you see your child, pause for a moment.

Look at their face. They recognize you. They KNOW you're their parent. They feel love, safety, connection — all forms of knowledge.

That knowing is Krishna's gift. He sits in your child's heart. From Him comes their capacity to know you, to learn, to understand the world.

When they recognized you for the first time as an infant — that was Krishna introducing you to each other.

When they learn something new — that's Krishna illuminating their understanding.

When they 'just know' something without explanation — that's Krishna's voice in their heart.

Our children are walking evidence of BG 15.15: 'I am in the heart. From Me comes knowledge.'

May we never take this miracle for granted."

TAKE-HOME PRACTICE:

This week: Notice one moment when your child "just knows" something. Acknowledge Krishna's role in your heart — silently or aloud.

Gratitude practice: Before bed, ask your child: "What's one new thing you understood today?" Then together, thank Krishna for the gift of knowledge.

Optional reading: Research prosopagnosia or agnosia. Let the reality of lost knowledge deepen your gratitude for the knowledge you and your children have.

SUMMARY: ALL THREE TRACKS

Track	Key Hook	Activities	Scientific Angle
Juniors	Baby recognizing mother; animals who "just know"	Mystery Box game, Know It or Not game, Knowledge Lamp craft	Simple explanation of face blindness
Seniors	The hard problem: How do electrical signals become knowing?	Debate, Source the Knowledge challenge, thought experiment	Deep dive into prosopagnosia, agnosia, semantic dementia
Parents	Your newborn recognized you without being taught — who gave that knowledge?	Discussion, parenting applications, reflection	Medical realities of lost knowledge; gratitude practice

Core Message Across All Tracks:

"Krishna is seated in the heart. From Him comes jñānam — the capacity to KNOW. Without this gift, life comes to a complete standstill. We could not know our mother, our food, our language, or ourselves. Every moment of knowing is His mercy."