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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.


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Dakṣiṇāgni

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Dakṣiṇāgni literally means ‘the southern fire’.

Sifnificance of Āhitāgni[edit]

Āhitāgni is the agni which ceremonially establishes the Vedic fires. It is expected to keep three Vedic fires. The dakṣiṇāgni is one of them.

Position of Dakṣiṇāgni[edit]

Characteristics of the position of dakṣiṇāgni is:

  • It is situated within the sacrificial shed.
  • It is near the main fire (the gārhapatya fire).
  • It is to the south (dakṣiṇa = south).

Characteristics of Dakṣiṇāgni[edit]

The fire-pit is semicircular or bow-shaped. This fire is established in various ways among which the following are more common:

  • Brought from the gārhapatya fire.
  • Brought from the house of a vaiśya or a rich man who has established it by attrition.

It is to be preserved permanently since it protects the sacrificer from evil forces. Some works consider it's establishment as optional. It is set up by the ādheya rite which is quite elaborate. It is also called anvāhāryapacana.


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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