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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.

Istaliñga

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Istaliñga literally means ‘liṅga dear to one’.

Vīraśaivism, one of the several aspects of Śaivism, has prescribed a special mode of dīkṣā or initiation. The guru gives triple dīkṣā to the disciple. These three types are:

  1. Kriyādīkṣā
  2. Mantradikṣā
  3. Vedadīkṣā

In kriyādīkṣā the guru gives the disciple a liṅga[1] after worshiping it. The disciple has to wear it like a necklace. He has to worship it thrice daily in the morning, at noon and in the evening.

Even women can receive such dīkṣā and can perform its worship. For one who has received the liṅga there is no need to observe aśauca or ceremonial impurity. This liñga is called ‘iṣtaliṅga’. Mantradikṣā means imparting the famous mantra, namaś śivāya, and vedadīkṣā means infusing knowledge by the direct contact.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Liṅga is the emblem of Śiva, usually of stone, but encased in a silver casket.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Apurva Mahendra Bhangdia, Deval Sancheti

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