Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Āhāva

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Āhāva literally means ‘calling’.

Derived from the root ‘hve’ (‘to call’), āhāva is the technical name of a formula of summons pronounced loudly by the hotṛ (chief of the priests representing the Rgveda) in a Soma sacrifice before starting the śastra (laudatory recitation). It is usually in the form of śom 3*[1] sāvom or śoṃsāvo 3[1] (a corrupt form of śarṃsāva).

Soma juice is extracted (savana) three times during the day :

  • Morning - prātasavana
  • Noon - mādhyandinasavana
  • Evening - tṛtīyasavana

During all these three savanas āhāva is done 4 times in the first, 5 times in the second and again 4 times in the third.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 The numeral 3 indicates that the syllable is to be chanted for 3 unites of time, called a 'pluta' as against 1 unit of time ('hrasva') or 2 units of time (dīrgha').
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore