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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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Paurṇamāsi-vratas

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Paurṇamāsi-vratas literally means ‘vratas performed on a paurṇamī or full-moon day’.

This refers to a number of vratas or religious rites performed on a paurṇamī day.[1] Some of them are:

  1. Āsādhapurnimā - It is generally in June-July. This is also known as Guru- purṇimā or Vyāsapurṇimā. On this day, the yatis or sanyāsins[2] are expected to have a shave and begin their Cāturmāsyavrata, spread over two or four months. During this period they are not expected to shave again.
  2. Śrāvanapurnimā - It is generally in July-August. On this occasion upākarma has to be performed by the followers of the Ṛgveda and the Yajurveda.
  3. Bhādrapadapurṇimā - It is in August-Sep-tember. This day is sacred for the performance of nāndīmukha-śrāddha for the gratification of the pitṛs or manes.
  4. Pausapurnimā - It is in December-January. By bathing the image of Vāsudeva in ghee and by worshiping the gods Viṣṇu, Indra and Bṛhaspati on this day, a person attains prosperity in life.
  5. Phālgunapurṇimā - It is in February-March. This being the day of the Holi festival, which includes Holikādahana[3] or Kāmadahana,[4] an occasion dear to boys they are allowed to steal firewood for this purpose.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ It is the full-moon day.
  2. ↑ Sanyāsins are called as monks.
  3. ↑ Holikādahana means burning to ashes the ogress Holikā.
  4. ↑ It means burning Kāma or Cupid.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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