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.

Gāyatrijapa

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Gāyatrijapa is the most important part of the Sandhyā ritual. Its primary steps are:

  1. Karanyāsa
  2. Aṅganyāsa
  3. Dhyāna
  4. Japa

‘Nyāsa’ means ‘to keep or to place’. It is aimed at filling the fingers of the hand and other limbs like the head and heart with the divine power of the deities. Dhyāna is meditation on the deity as per the detailed description given in the hymn called as ‘dhyānaśloka’ while repeating it. The goddess Gāyatrī within the orb of the sun is the deity. After dhyāna, comes japa or repetition of the Gāyatrīmantra. While doing japa, dhyāna on the form of the goddess should be continued. It is better to repeat the mantra 1008 times or at least 108 times per sitting.


References[edit]

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

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