Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now published after academic peer-review and available through open access.

In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences that Indian American children face after they are exposed to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We show that there is an intimate connection―an almost exact correspondence―between James Mill’s ( a prominent politician in Britain and head of the British East India Company) colonial-racist discourse and the current school-textbook discourse. Consequently, this archaic and racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces in the Indian American children the same psychological impact as racism is known to produce: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon similar to racelessness where the children dissociate from the tradition and culture of their ancestors

This book is an outcome of 4 years of rigorous research as a part of our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within Academia.

Śākambhari

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Śākambhari literally means ‘One who is full of vegetables’.

Significance of Śākambhari[edit]

In the Durgāsaptaśatī[1] the Divine Mother, while addressing the gods who had supplicated her, tells them that when severe drought affects the world, she will bring out plenty of śāka or nourishing vegetables out of herself and save the famished people.

Iconographical Representation of Śākambhari[edit]

  • One hand shows the abhayamudrā.[2]
  • She is described as the Mother of the three worlds Trailokyajananī.
  • The Mahābhārata[3] describes a place of pilgrimage known as Śākambharī.
  • Fasting at this place improves one’s health.
  • She is an aspect of Durgā having sixteen hands, carrying in them the following items:
  1. Spear
  2. Noose
  3. Skull-cup
  4. Bow
  5. Arrow
  6. Thunderbolt
  7. Goad
  8. Shield
  9. Conch
  10. Discus
  11. Mace
  12. Snake
  13. Sword
  14. Magic wand
  15. Cudgel

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Durgāsaptaśatī 11.49
  2. ↑ It means gesture of protection.
  3. ↑ Vanaparva 84.13
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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Deval Sancheti

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