Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children Book Cover.webp

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.

Medha Suktham

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

Medha Suktha is an ode to the capacity of clear understandings. Medha can be also translated as genius. This medha Suktha is a part of Mahanarayana Upanishad. There are also different Medha Sukthas in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda[1]. 

Devi jushamana na aagath,
Viswachi bhadra sumanasyamana,
Thvaya jushta jushamana dhurookthan,
Brahad vadema vidardhe suveera.

Let the goddess of intellect come here with happiness,
She is everywhere and has a happy frame of mind,
May we who were grief stricken, before she came,
Become greatly intelligent and know the ultimate.

Thwaya jushtaa rishir bhavathi devi,
Thwaya brahmagath srirutha thwaya,
Thwaya jushtaschithramvindathe vasu,
Sa no jushasva dravinena medhe.

By your grace one becomes a saint,
One becomes learned, one becomes rich,
Showered by your grace one gets different kinds of wealth,
And so goddess of wealth,give us wealth and intellect.

Medham ma indro dadathu,
Medham devi Saraswathi.
Medam may ashvinou ubhavadathaam,
Pushkarasrajo.

Let Indra give me intelligence,,
Let Saraswathi give me intelligence,
Let the Aswini Kumaras support my intelligence,
For they wear the garlands of lotuses.

Aapsaraasu cha ya medha,
Gandharveshu cha yan mana,
Devi medha Saraswathi,
Sa mam medha surabhir jushtaam 
svaha.

Apsaras posses intelligence,
Gandarwas possess intelligence,
Goddess of intelligence is Saraswathi,
Let the intelligence spread like fragrance
I offer you without any reservations[2].

Aa maam mesha surabhir viswa roopa,
Hiranya varna jagathi jaamya,
OOrjaswathi payasaa pinvamaanaa,
Sa maam medha suprathika jushtaam.

Intelligence is glorious in form and is like nectar,
Intelligence is golden and pervades the entire universe,
Intelligence is powerful and is sought after continuously,
Let it come to me with love and favour me.

Notes & References[edit]

  1. ↑ R.L.Kashyap, "Veda Manthras and Sukthas," Aurobindo Kapali Shasthri Institute of Vedic Culture, Bangalore., 2007
  2. ↑ Svaha is the wife of fire God. We give offerings to her and she gives it to fire, who gives it to devas

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, P.R.Ramachander

Explore Other Articles

Retrieved from "https://hindupedia.com/index.php?title=Medha_Suktham&oldid=135036"