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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.

Atharvaśikhā Upaniṣad

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda


This is a small Upaniṣad belonging to the Atharvaveda. It is divided into three sections containing twenty mantras.

History of Atharvaśikhā Upaniṣad[edit]

Three sages - Pippalāda, Aṅgiras and Sanatkumāra approached the venerable Atharvaṇa to seek instructions from him on meditation. Atharvaṇa taught them meditation on Om or Praṇava. Meditation on this Praṇava leads to liberation from rebirth. It is the best symbol for Brahman both in its higher and lower aspects. His this explanation forms Atharvaśikhā Upaniṣad.

Parts of 'OM'[edit]

The word 'OM' can be bifurcated into four parts when we break the word. These parts represent various aspects and levels of creation. The parts of Om are:

  1. A
  2. U
  3. M
  4. The last unseen part

Significance of word A in OM[edit]

A represents the following parameters :

  1. Earth
  2. Rigveda
  3. Brahmā
  4. Vasus (deities)
  5. Gāyatrī meter
  6. Gārhapatya fire

Significance of U in OM[edit]

U stands for the following parameters :

  1. Intervening space between the earth and heaven
  2. Yajurveda
  3. Rudra
  4. Rudras (Subsidiary Deities)
  5. Triṣṭubh meter
  6. Dakṣiṇa fire

Significance of M in OM[edit]

M indicates the following parameters :

  1. Heaven
  2. Sāmaveda
  3. Viṣṇu
  4. Ādityas (deities)
  5. Jagatī meter
  6. Āhavanīya fire

Significance of the last unseen part in OM[edit]

The last unseen half-syllable (‘ardhamātrā’) stands for the following parameters :

  1. Atharvaveda
  2. Samvartaka[1]
  3. Maruts (deities)


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Fire that destroys creation at the end of the cycle
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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