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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 and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Śuddhi

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Śuddhi literally means ‘purification’.

Śuddhi Topics[edit]

Śuddhi or purification, which is more ceremonial than physical, is a very vast subject. It covers the topics such as:

  1. Aśauca[1]
  2. Purification of a person after contact with an impure object or on certain occurrences
  3. Purification of food, vessels, ponds and other things after they are polluted

Literature on Śuddhi[edit]

The literature on śuddhi is very extensive. Śuddhi has been categorized in several ways, for instance:

  1. Bāhya - external, like bath
  2. Āntara - internal, like purity of emotions

Other Features of Śuddhi[edit]

According to another classification, śuddhi comprises purity of body, of speech, of mind and of financial dealings. A third one states śuddhi consists in avoiding forbidden food in associating only with sinless persons and in firmly abiding by one’s svadharma.[2] However, all dharmaśāstra treatises stress the importance of mental purity.

Śuddhi as per Āpastamba Śrautasutras[edit]

The Āpastamba Śrautasutras[3] declares that the performer of the Pavitresti[4] purifies himself and ten generations of his family. Various expiatory rites[5] also purify a person who might have committed sins or evil deeds, knowingly or unknowingly. The word śuddhi has also been used for the process of re-conversion to the religion.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Aśauca means impurity that accrues to a person due to the birth or the death of a near relative.
  2. ↑ Svadharma means prescribed duties.
  3. ↑ Āpastamba Śrautasutras 2.12
  4. ↑ Pavitresti is the two more similar iṣṭis or sacrifices.
  5. ↑ Expiatory rites means prāyaścittas.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Deval Sancheti

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