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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, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Śaṅkha-likhita-dharmasutras

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

If the Śrutis[1] deal with philosophical truths and occasionally refer to ethical principles and social conduct, the smṛtis or dharmaśāstras have codified and systematized these ethical principles as best as they could.

The Sañkha-likhita-dharmasutras is one such ancient work. It might have existed during the period 300 B. C. to A. D. 100. Śaṇkha and Likhita were brothers known for their pure life and uncompromising rectitude. The Dharmasutra work attributed to them is not available now. From other sources which have quoted it, we can presume that it was a work in prose in the sutra form.

The following works available now in print may be considered as the redacted condensations of the ancient original work:

Sañkhasmrti 330 verses in 18 chapters
Likhitasmrti 93 verses
Laghuśañkhasmrti 71 verses
Sañkhalikhitasmrti 32 verses


Out of these, the first seems to be the oldest of the extant works. Many well-known authors of dharmaśāstras have quoted passages from Sañkha or Śaṅkha-likhita or Likhita. Not much is known about the actual contents of this ancient work. However, this work seems to have been more liberal in its social attitudes like allowing niyoga[2] and permitting a brāhmaṇa to marry girls from all the four varṇas.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Śrutis means Vedas.
  2. ↑ Niyoga means levirate.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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