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.

Jñānamudrā

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Jñānamudrā literally means ‘pose of knowledge and wisdom’.

Mudrās are the poses of hands which indicate or signify some idea or teaching. They are generally shown in the icons of gods, goddesses, sages and great persons. Jñānamudrā is generally exhibited in the right hand of images of divinities like Dakṣiṇāmurti and Subrahmaṇya. It is also depicted by the ācāryas like Śaṅkara and Madhva.

In this mudrā, the top of the fore finger is rested on the top of the thumb. The other three fingers are shown either straight or slightly bent. It suggests the absorption of the jīva in Brahman or God. Sometimes, the right hand, in this pose, is kept on the heart and the left hand with the palm facing upwards is placed on the left thigh.


References[edit]

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