Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
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.

Agniṣṭoma

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Agniṣṭoma literally means ‘praise of Agni’.

The system of sacrifices (yajñas and yāgas) forms the link between men and god. Men propitiate gods through them and gods respond by bestowing upon men by fulfilling their desires. This is the doctrine propounded in the scriptures like the Bhagavadgitā.[1]

Somayāga is a general name for those sacrifices in which libations of the soma juice are offered in the duly consecrated fire. Agniṣṭoma is a typical Somayāga, forming the prakṛti or model for other Soma sacrifices. It is such an integral part of another well-known sacrifice, Jyoti- ṣṭoma, that these two are often identified same. Literally the word ‘Agniṣṭoma’ means ‘praise of Agni’ and the rite derives its name from the hymns called stoma (a group of three ṛks) which are chanted in the praise of Agni towards the end of the rite.

  1. On the first day, somapravākas or heralds of Soma sacrifice are sent out to invite priests. Rites to be performed are choosing the priests, dīkṣā (initiatory rites) of the person performing sacrifice including another small sacrifice called Dīkṣaṇīyā- isti and construction of bamboo sheds.
  2. On the second day apart from purchasing the soma creepers and ‘welcoming’ them ceremonially, two more rites called pravargya and upasad are performed.
  3. On the third day, pravargya and upasad rites are repeated followed by the construction of mahāvedi and uttaravedi (altars for performing the sacrifices).
  4. On the fourth day, after once again performing pravargya and upasad rites, fire is ceremonially transferred from the old and permanent sacrificial shed to the new. This is known as agnīṣoma- praṇayana. An animal sacrifice (paśu-bandha) is also performed.
  5. On the fifth and the last day called ‘sutyā,’ the soma juice is extracted ceremonially three times and offered.
  • The first offering called prātassavana is done in the morning.
  • The second offering called mādhyandina-savana is done at noon. At the end of this, sacrificial fees are distributed.
  • Soon after this, begins the third pressing called tṛtīyā.

At the end of the sacrifice, all those directly involved in it have avabhṛtha-snāna (ceremonial bath marking the conclusion of the sacrifice).


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Bhagavadgitā 3.10-12
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

Explore Other Articles

Retrieved from "https://hindupedia.com/index.php?title=Agniṣṭoma&oldid=113485"