How Do We Help Children Stuck On The Mythology Angle

“But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.40)

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अज्ञश् चाश्रद्दधानश् च
संशयात्मा विनश्यति
नायं लोको ऽस्ति न परो
न सुखं संशयात्मनः

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca
saṁśayātmā vinaśyati
nāyaṁ loko ‘sti na paro
na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

“Ashamed to admit it, but sometimes those thumbnails catch my attention and I feel compelled to click. I stumbled upon one of those online videos showing a small child reciting verses from Bhagavad-gita. They were describing the larger Mahabharata epic, as well. For sure, the parents should be proud. After all, the children are known to be what is called chanchala. This is a Sanskrit word describing someone who is restless or constantly moving about. To hear and learn Bhagavad-gita requires attention and focus. There should be dhyana, which is meditation. For a child to show such an inclination is extraordinary; what to say about one who retains the information and can express themselves clearly to others.

“Of course, leave it to me to find the negatives. Later on, the child in this video admits that they do not fully believe everything they hear. For centuries this has been the bump in the road, so to speak. How to have faith in someone who lifted a mountain as a child, who swallowed a forest fire, and who displayed the cosmic manifestation on command to a struggling bow-warrior? How to believe in a monkey-like figure who can leap across an ocean, a single military man capable of defeating fourteen-thousand fighters at once, and amazing items produced out of churning an ocean using a mountain peak?

“I get it why adults would have a difficult time, but if even young children are doubting, does that not indicate a larger problem? How do we get these kids to believe? I would rather they not be inclined towards the mythology angle, since that is nonsense to me. I will never accept that esteemed figures like Valmiki, Vyasa, and Narada spent their time working on fiction. It would be a giant waste of time, when there is already so much occurring in the natural world to fill any void for spellbinding content. No, Hari-katha is indeed real and true. But how do we get future generations to buy in, without necessarily forcing it upon them?”

भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

It depends on who is teaching them. If it is someone like Hiranyakashipu, the leader of the Daityas, then of course the understanding will be incorrect. If it is someone who is inimical to Divinity, who is against worship of a singular Almighty being, who frowns upon dedicating an entire lifetime towards yajna, which is sacrifice, then the tendency will be to go in the direction of illusion. That is the fuel of the engine of karma to begin with. Rebirth takes place for only as long as material desire, kama, remains. That material desire is against bhakti, which is desire for the satisfaction of the highest being of all.

ऋषिः कारुणिकस् तस्याः
प्रादाद् उभयम् ईश्वरः
धर्मस्य तत्त्वं ज्ञानं च
माम् अप्य् उद्दिश्य निर्मलम्

ṛṣiḥ kāruṇikas tasyāḥ
prādād ubhayam īśvaraḥ
dharmasya tattvaṁ jñānaṁ ca
mām apy uddiśya nirmalam

“Narada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him service. Because he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a transcendental position, he gave instructions on religion and transcendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material contamination.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.7.15)

If someone like Narada Muni is teaching the children, there is every chance to overcome any and all obstacles of doubt. Prahlada Maharaja heard from Narada. Prahlada heard while in the womb. He could not render service. He could not inquire submissively. Still, there was enough potency to the interaction to overcome the subsequent interference from the inimical father. As powerful as Hiranyakashipu was, he could not take down Prahlada.

तद् विद्धि प्रणिपातेन
परिप्रश्नेन सेवया
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं
ज्ञानिनस् तत्त्व-दर्शिनः

tad viddhi praṇipātena
paripraśnena sevayā
upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ
jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

If the child, or even adult, has a difficult time believing in what they view as mythology, then have them explain something already in front of them. The premise from the doubter is that if these depictions from shastra were to come to life, to repeat in front of the eyes at the present moment in time, then there would no longer be doubts. Well, there is already so much available right now.

For instance, how does a tiny seed produce a giant tree? The doubter should seriously think about it. The seed is nothing on its own. There is no magic chip embedded inside. There is no external fuel source. The seed produces something to provide shelter, to provide nourishment, and to even provide energy. How does that happen? Why does another seed, which looks similar in appearance, produce something entirely different? Where is the indication of distinction? Where is the programming? The results will appear on schedule, too. The transformation is so fixed within nature that Shri Rama uses the trees and the resultant flowers as a way to describe how the doer of sinful deeds eventually gets what is coming to them.

अवश्यं लभते जन्तुः फलं पापस्य कर्मणः
घोरं पर्यागते काले द्रुमाः पुष्पमिवार्तवम्

avaśyaṃ labhate jantuḥ phalaṃ pāpasya karmaṇaḥ
ghoraṃ paryāgate kāle drumāḥ puṣpamivārtavam

“Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

Arjuna appeared on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Arjuna had doubts. Arjuna approached Krishna. Arjuna later asked to see the virat-rupa. Krishna obliged. Arjuna described what he saw. That interaction was documented in Bhagavad-gita, which appears inside of Mahabharata. Whether one year passes or one thousand years, the event does not change.

मन्यसे यदि तच् छक्यं
मया द्रष्टुम् इति प्रभो
योगेश्वर ततो मे त्वं
दर्शयात्मानम् अव्ययम्

manyase yadi tac chakyaṁ
mayā draṣṭum iti prabho
yogeśvara tato me tvaṁ
darśayātmānam avyayam

“If You think that I am able to behold Your cosmic form, O my Lord, O master of all mystic power, then kindly show me that universal self.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.4)

Any skeptic can find an alternate explanation. They can find an excuse to turn away, to think that Krishna is just some ordinary man or a fictional character depicted in an ancient Sanskrit text. That choice is always there. For the one who has heard from the proper source, who then carefully deliberates on their own, there is everything to gain.

In Closing:

To charter proper course,
Just consider the source.

If Hiranyakashipu teaching,
Then worst destination reaching.

Whereas Narada kindly to bless,
So Prahlada never to guess.

That Vishnu true with authority commanding,
Even within that strong pillar standing.