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.

Subrahmanya Dandakam

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia


Sri Subrahmanya dandakam

Translated by
P.R.Ramachander

(Dandakam is a prose type of poem of praise. This prayer is a rare one addressed to Lord Subrahmanya in the dandaka style.)

Om Sri Hara nethroth bhava , Agni swaroopa , Saravana sambhava , Sashti kumara ,
Ganga suputhra , Gangeyaa, Gowri hrudayakarshitha Skanda moorthe
Himachala nivasa, Ibhsa mukha sodara , eesopadesa sad guru moorthe namasthe , namasthe , namasthe

Om, he who was born out of the eye of Lord Shiva, who has the form of fire , Who grew in Saravana lake , Who was six different lads , Who is the son of Ganga called Gangeya , Who attracted the mind of Goddess Parvathi , Who was Skanda,, who lives in Himalayas, who is the younger brother of elephant faced one , Who is the God teacher to Lord Shiva, salutations, salutations, salutations.

Baskara koti lavanya, shanmukha , thejo vikasa bhaktha hrudaya kamala vasaa, aathmaprakasaa, Parvathi nandana , padmothbhavathi vandana , bhaktha mano chinthana bharatha, Padmaa remaa vanee sevitha, Uma kara kamala laalana , Sukumara , sundara shobhithaanga,

Who is as pretty as billions of suns, Who has six faces , Who lives in the shining completely open heart of the devotees, who shines within the soul, who is the son of Parvathi, who is saluted by Brahma born out of lotus flower, who is meditated by minds of devotees, who is an expert ruler, who is served by Lakshmi, Parvathi and Saraswathi, who is fondled by lotus like hands of Parvathi,, who is pretty , who is handsome , who has shining limbs,

Thamadhi guna dosha varjitha, dasa janarchitha , pada pangeruha, mohananga , tharaka, Simha mukha sura padma krounchasuradhi mardhana, garvitha brahma sikshana , karthikeya,
Naradhadhi muni ganarchitha , charanaravindha smaratha, daya sindho dheena bhandho , bahir mukhadhi dhoora durlabha , anthar mukhadhi sulabha darasana sulavanya moorthe,

Who does not like baser qualities, who is served by his devotees , who has lotus like feet , Who has pretty limbs, who killed asuras like Tharaka, Simha mukha , Soorapadmaand Krouncha, who taught the proud Brahma , who was brought up by Karthika maidens, who is worshiped by sages like Narada , Whose lotus like feet is meditated upon , who is the ocean of mercy , who is the friend of the oppressed , who is unreachable for the external mind , who is easily reached by the inner mind, , who is blessed with beauty,

Nikhila characharathmaka , nithya poshaka , nirmala, guna rahitha , sathya keerthe , Shanmukha , kamala vikasitha mandhahasa , Shad chakra madhya nivasa , Bhaktha hrudaya vasa, Indradhi deva rakshana , kroora daithya sikshana , ishta jana karuna kadakshana dwishan nethra , Shad kireeta shobhitha mukharavinda, Dwadasadhithya prakasa karna kundala, Kadamba mala shobitha,

Who is the soul of all moving and non moving things, who looks after us daily, Who is pure, who is without any characters, who has true fame , who has six faces, who smiles like an open lotus flower, who lives in the middle of six chakras, who lives in the mind of his devotees, who protects devas like Indra , who punishes cruel rakshasas, who looks with his twelve mercy laden eyes at his devotees, whose lotus like face shines with six crowns, whose ear studs shines like the twelve suns, who shines with garland made of varied type of flowers,

Visala vaksha sthala , kadaka kankanalankrutha dwishad bahum, para shakthi swaroopa, sakthi hastha , brahmadhi deva vanditha charanaravinda, pranava swaroopa, mayura vahana , parakrama prakatitha, kukkuda dwaja , nithya youvana , athi sundaranga , nirmala hrudaya vasa, athi mohana ishta janananda , dushta bhayankara , kashta nivarana , karuna samudhra,

Who has a broad chest , who has twelve hands decorated by bangles and armlets , who is the form of Parasakthi, who is armed with sakthi, whose lotus like feet is saluted by devas like Brahma, who is of the form of om, who rides on a peacock, who exhibits great valour, who has a cock flag, who is forever young , who has very pretty limbs , Who lives in the people with very pure mind, who is very pretty, who makes his devotees happy , who is horror for bad people, who solves difficulties, who is the sea of mercy,

Abhayam, abhayam aarthi nivarana,
Saranam, saranam sadhu samrakshana,
Kali dosha nasam , karuna kadaksham karthikeyam guham saranam prapadhye,
Nadheenaam sagaro gathir , manushaanaam gathir Subrahmamnyor divya charanaravindham,

Protect , protect oh destroyer of undue desires,
Surrender, surrender to the God who protects good people,
I surrender to the Guha and the Karthikeya who destroy the evil of kali age and who have merciful looks,
Like the rivers flow towards the sea , man goes towards the lotus like feet of Lord Subrahmanya

Namasthe namasthe Shadanananya thubhyam,
Namasthe namasthe guhaanaam thubhyam,
Namasthe, namasthe , namasthe Skanda charanarvindham,
Namasthe sadaa raksha mam Shakthi hastham,
Namasthe maha paapa naasam gireesam,
Namasthe mayooradhi roodam, suresam,
Namasthe samasthaparadham kshamaswa,
Namasthe, namasthe , namasthe namasthe

Salutations, salutations to you with six faces,
Salutations and salutations to him who lives in the cave of one's mind,
Salutations, salutations, salutations to the lotus feet of Skanda,
Salutations and salutations to the one armed with Shakthi with a prayer to protect me,
Salutations, salutations to the lord of mountains who destroys great sins,
Salutations to the lord of devas who rides on a peacock,
Salutations, please pardon all my misdemeanors,
Salutations, salutations, salutations, salutations

Om Thath sath
Om thus ends.