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.

Pariṇāmavāda

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Pariṇāmavāda literally means ‘the theory of change of state’.

Pariṇāmavāda as per Brahmasutras[edit]

According to the Brahmasutras,[1] this world has its origin in Brahman. It is sustained by It and is dissolved back into It. Evolution of this world from Brahman is explained by the different schools of Vedānta in different ways.

Pariṇāmavāda as per Advaita Vedānta[edit]

Advaita Vedānta of Saṅkara[2] considers this world as a ‘vivarta,’ a mere appearance, Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta of Rāmānuja[3] accepts ‘pariṇaria’ or change for Brahman. This change may be a change of form like that of clay being shaped into a pot or of state, like milk becoming curds. Rāmānuja accepts the latter and hence his view is known as ‘pariṇāmavāda,’ or ‘Brahmapariṇāmavāda’.


References[edit]

  1. Brahmasutras 1.1.2
  2. He lived in A. D. 788-820.
  3. He lived in A. D. 1017-1137.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore