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.

Nityānuvāda

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Nityānuvāda literally means ‘a permanent reiterating statement’.

Anuvāda as per Purvamimānsā System[edit]

The Purvamimānsā system of philosophy deals with the various modes of interpreting and understanding the Vedic statements. One of them is Arthavāda. One of the three aspects of arthavāda is anuvāda. When a statement reiterates something which has already been known otherwise it is called ‘anuvāda’.[1][2] For instance, the statement<blockqoute>‘agnir himasya bheṣajam,’ ‘Fire is the antidote for cold’[3] contains a truth already known through direct experience.

Nityānuvāda Definition[edit]

A subsidiary aspect of anuvāda is nityānuvāda. When a Vedic text apparently prohibits something which can never happen, it is called ‘nityānuvāda’. For example:

‘The Vedic altar should not be piled on bare earth, nor in the sky, nor in heaven.’

In this sentence, the piling of the Vedic altar in the way described is never done. The latter two options can never happen. Hence it is called ‘nityānuvāda’. This word occurs in the Āpastamba Dharmasutras[4] and in the Purvamimānsāsutras of Jaimini.[5][6]


References[edit]

  1. Anu means following.
  2. Vāda means stating or statement.
  3. Taittiriya Samhitā 7.4.18.2
  4. Āpastamba Dharmasutras 2.6.14.3
  5. Purvamimānsāsutras 2.4.26
  6. Purvamimānsāsutras 9.4.36
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore