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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.

Devayajña

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Devayajña literally means ‘sacrifice unto the gods’.

An awareness of one’s social responsibilities and the earnest attempts to repay one’s debts to the concerned persons, gradually evolved into the principle of ṛṇatraya (three debts) right from the birth. The same theory was conceptualized as an allied principle of pañcayajñas. They apply to all human beings and especially to the grhasthas or house-holders.

Devaṛṇa or the debt towards the gods like Indra and Varuṇa has to be paid back by devayajña[1] or offering of oblations ceremonially into the duly consecrated fire. Being sustained and pleased by such sacrificial offerings, these gods who have control over the elemental forces like rain or the growth of crops or granting worthy progeny, fulfill our desires. By thus mutually co-operating with each other both these gods and the human beings can live and prosper happily.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Devayajña is also spelt as daiva-yajña
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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