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.

Ramayana Agaval (Tamil)

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

Ramayana Agaval-Sundara Kandam

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

(I came across this in an old book. This is a saummarised form of Sundara Kandam in the form of a Tamil poem style called Agaval which is a blank poetry. I am sure that reading this would give the effect of reading Sundara kandam of Ramayana.)


Devi Darisanam
1.Malai methu yeriya maruthi yethire,
Alai choozh Ilangai ani nagar nokki,
Vaal visai thezhundhu, vaan vazhi kondu,
Kaal visai thegi, kadali mainakam,
Varuvurai koori, Surasai vaazhtha,
Tharai yennum chayai vizhuppol.
Vaai vazhi pukundhu neel kudal pidungi,
Yezhundhu, then disai ilangayir paainthu.
Mayangi iravu ezhundhu, mathil arugu yeithi,
Thadutha vilangini thannuyir vaangi,
Ut pugundhu, nagaram yengum ulaavi,
Veerar thuyil idam yevi yiravanan,
Charida nokki than chinam avithu,
Mandodhari thuyil kandu mayangi
Andhov iraviyaandayal yendru ayal ,
NIndra asoka vanatht chendru,
Chirayidai deviyai nokki,
Nirai magizhvodu pozhil irundhanan ninaithe.

Seeing of the Goddess

Hanuman who climbed on to the mountain,
Facing the Sri Lanka surrounded by waves of the sea,
Lifted his tail , got up and through the path of the sky,
Travelled , with Mainaka , the sea mountain greeting him,
With Surasa greeting him With Thara ,
Which is a shadow pulling him ,
Entered through the mouth, uprooted the long liver,
Got up., entered the Lanka which was in the south,
Slept , got up at night, reached near the boundary wall,
Killed the Lankini who tried to stop him,
Entered the city, roamed all round the town,
Reached the place where heroes sleep,
Saw Ravana who was sleeping, controlled his anger,
Was attracted by the sleeping Mandodhari,
But concluded that she is not the Goddess ,
And entered the near by Asoka vana ,
Saw the goddess with a very thin hip,
Became fully happy and sat there in hiding.

Asoka vanam azhithal

Ninaithangu anuman nedu marathiruppa,
Thunaintha kadhalil thuyilaa tharakkan,
Vandhu janaki malar adi veezhndhu,
Nondu pugalanonaal cheeralum,
Meendu poyapin, midaintha varakkiyar,
Neenda thuyil kola , neerizhai varunthi,
EEnduyir viduven yendru ayal poga,
Kanda anumanum karuthodu yenni,
Yiraman thoothuvan ingu vandhen , ini,
Virravum thuyaram viduthi neeyingu,
Kai adayalavum katturai palavum ,
Meyyura unarthiyathu undu yena vilmbi,
Irai magan aazhi yeethalum vaangi,
POrai yinu vanthu pugazhndhu mei thalirnthu ,
Nirai thara vaazhthi, urai pala nigazthi ,
Than viral aazhiyodu thani mozhi pala thara,
Vaangi vandhu yeguthal therippan,
OOngiya pozhil azhindu ulavinan peyarnthe.

Destroying Asoka Vana
Thoughtfully when Hanuman was sitting on a tall tree,
The Asura caught in very great passion and love,
Came and fell at the flower like feet of Janaki,
Talked to her in pain, shouted at her to scare her,
And after he returned , those Rakshasis who became unfriendly,
Entered in to a long sleep and that great lady getting sad,
Deciding to take her life away was going somewhere else ,
And seeing that Hanuman entered in to great thought,
And told her that I , who am the emissary of Rama has come here,
And so leave out all your sorrow and showed,
Her the symbol of hand of Rama and told her many truths,
About several incidents and took from her , the brooch to show the son of God,
And was praised by her who was weak , in a great manner,
And he also wished her well and talked to her of many things,
Gave her the ring of Rama and also told her of many private news,
And took leave of her promising to come back,
And from there wandered here and there after destroying that growing garden.

Ravananai kanuthal
Ongu pozhil azhitha veengu thol anuman,
Naduvil irunthathor sudar mani mandapam,
Verodum pidungi veesa vilangai,
OOr orungu azhiya ulayum kalai,
Cholai kavalar thondralukku uraippa,
Adutha kinkarar neer pidithu konargena,
Padayodu vantha palarayum kondru,
Kadai neel thorana kambam thiruppa,
Maamam piragadathan mainthan vemazhal ,
Poliyar sambu mali nerungi ,
Aaviyai viduthalum arakkan mainthan ,
Koviya lakkan meva vavanai,
Tharai pada varaithu kandu cherukki ,
Mega nadhan vembor purinthu ,
Soka meythiyum pasam veesi,
Pinithu kodu poi peyaraa vendanu,
KKu anitha viduppava anumanum,
Thuninthu yethir irundhann choozchi kurithe.

Meeting with Ravana
After destroying the tall growing forest , Hanuman,
Uprooted a shining meeting hall and threw it ,
And due to that the city of Lanka was flustered,
And when the security went and informed about ,
What happened to the great king,
He asked Kinkaras to go with a great army,
And asked them , to catch and bring him,
And hanuman killed all of them,
With a very huge pillar which was decorated,
And SAmbu mali who was the son of,
The uncle of Ravana called bragadatta neared him,
And that son of the Rakshasa left his soul,
And when Akshaya , the son of Ravana came to the war,
Hanuman rubbed him on the floor and made him in to a paste,
And Mega Nadha came and waged a very great war,
And when he send the Pasa,tied Hanuman up,
And took him in front of the king ,
And Hanuman with great courage and faced him.

Kadar karai charthal
Thuninthu yethir irunthavan chuddar mugha nokki,
Panithi nee yevan yena param chudarano,
Nevalena anuman yenbenayavan,
Devi seethayai naadi then disai ,
Vandha valiyin mainthan angadhan,
Senayil oruvan yendru mena vil,
Valiyin madivu mathum chala ,
Uraithalum kolai kurithu ullathai veedanan,
Maruppa valin van thee koluvath,
Thooyaval kar paar chudaathum kulirthalum,
Paaya ilangai pathara chuttu,
Vanthu adi vanangi vada disai thavi,
Munthu mainakam mugamanodu painthu,
Nattor kiraiviyinanamai koori,
Meendu Madhu vanam theendi vanthu iraiyadi
Poondellam chollalum puravalan macizh kodu,
Senayodu yaavarum chernthaar,
Aanathen karum kadalakan karai yagathe.

Reaching the sea shore.

Seeing the shining face of one who faced him boldly,
Ravana asked him Please tell me who you are,
Are the fire God, tell me , He told , I am hanuman,
Who has come to the southern side in search of Sita , and am,
One of the members of the great army of Angadha,
Who is the son of Vali and also told him in detail about,
The death of Vali, and when Hanuman was sentenced to die,
Vibheeshana denied and his tail was set on fire instead,
And due to the virtue of the holy lady, the fire did not hurt him,
And he jumped all over Lanka and completely burnt it,
Went and saluted her feet, jumped towards north,
On the way meeting the Mainaka mountain,
Told those of his friends , the welfare of the goddess,
Visited Madhuvana on the way, reached,
The feet of the lord and told all news and that king,
Along with the army speedily reached the shores of southern black sea.






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