Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
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.

Bahvṛcopanisad

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Contents of the Bahvṛcopanisad[edit]

This is one of the minor Upaniṣads of recent origin (13th cent. A. D.) and is sectarian in character. It belongs to the Ṛgvedic tradition and deals with the Goddess Śakti. The entire Upaniṣad is short and written in prose, except for quotations. It deals with the first existence of beings and attributes of the Goddess Śakti.

Creation of Beings[edit]

In the beginning, the Devī or the Goddess alone existed. She created the Cosmic Egg. Many beings on the Earth were born from that egg. They are :

  1. Brahmā
  2. Viṣṇu
  3. Rudra
  4. Māruts - Wind-gods
  5. Gandharvas - Celestial minstrels
  6. Apsaras - Nymphs

Efficacy of Goddess Śakti[edit]

Śakti is the Supreme Power. She is the various arts and sciences like :

  1. The Sāmbhavī-vidyā - The science of Śambhu or God
  2. The Kādi-vidyā
  3. The Hādi-vidyā
  4. The Sādi-vidyā - Sciences related to the Divine Mother

She is Om and abides in the realm of words as their import. She is Mahātripurasundarī pervading the three bodies - the gross, the subtle and the causal as pure consciousness. She alone is the Ātman. Nothing exists apart from her. She is the contemplation of mahākavyas.

Different names of Goddess Śakti[edit]

She is called by various names. Some of them have been mentioned below :

  1. Bālā
  2. Ambikā
  3. Bagalā
  4. Mātaṅgī
  5. Bhuvaneśvari
  6. Cāmuṇḍā
  7. Vārāhi
  8. Aśvārudhā
  9. Pratyañgirā
  10. Dhumāvati
  11. Sāvitrī
  12. Sarasvatī

References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Vishal J Mehta

Explore Other Articles

Retrieved from "https://hindupedia.com/index.php?title=Bahvṛcopanisad&oldid=133773"