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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.

Auṣadha

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Auṣadha literally means ‘derived from the plants and herbs’.

From the Beginning of the Vedic era, importance of the body, has been duly recognized. The desire for enabling people to have a strong and healthy body lead to the development of Ayurveda (life-science or health-science).

Treatment of diseases and improving the general stamina forms a salient aspect of Āyurveda. Medicines or drugs used for such treatment has been given the general name, ‘auṣadha.’ Derived from the word ‘oṣadhi’ (plant, herb), it means a ‘preparation made of plants and herbs.’

Nowadays, it refers to all medicines derived out of herbs, animal products or minerals. Ayurveda has developed its own methods of pharmacy. It aims at retaining the medical properties of the ingredients of drugs with the necessary modification brought about by dilution, heating, emulsification, clarification, impregnation and other means.

The auṣadhas are generally compounded with bases like ghṛita (ghee), taila (oil), water and milk. They may be administered as kaṣāya (decoction) guṭikā (pills), modaka (uncooked pills), curṇa (powder), kalka (paste of plant), leha or lehya (thick plant extracts with sugar to be taken by licking), ariṣṭa (fermented drink) and so on.


References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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