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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.

Kautsasukta

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Sins and their expiation is one of the important subjects dealt with in the smṛtis and dharmaśāstras. Apart from paścāttāpa[1] which is a prerequisite, many modes are described for getting rid of or for lessening the effects of sins. One such mode is of japa or the muttering of some Vedic mantras.

The Manusmṛti[2] mentions that by the japa of the Kautsa (sukta), even a drinker of surā or wine becomes pure. The eight mantras of Ṛgveda[3] attributed to the sage Kautsa are known as the Kautsasukta. The sage Kautsa is said to have prayed to Agni[4] for freeing him from the sin of killing a woman.

He had killed a demoness called Dirghajihvi at the instance of Indra, since she was troubling the sages engaged in the performance of sacrifices. All the eight ṛks of this sukta end with the words "ap nah śośucadagham" which means ‘May our sin depart from us!’


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Paścāttāpa means regretting for the committed sins.
  2. ↑ Manusmṛti 11.249
  3. ↑ Ṛgveda 1.97.1-8
  4. ↑ Agni means the god of fire.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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