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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.

Talk:Balarāma

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Balarāma literally means ‘Rāma of strength’.

Balarāma

Balarāma was the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa. He was conceived as the seventh son of Devakī by Vasudeva. But the foetus was drawn out of her by Yogamāyā (divine power) and placed in the womb of Rohiṇī, the elder wife of Vasudeva, living at Nandagokula. So he was born as the son of Rohiṇī. Since he was extraordinarily strong, he was called ‘Balarāma’ (bala = strength). He had several other names like Saṅkarṣaṇa, Rauhiṇeya, Musalī, Hali, Nīlāmbara and so on.

As per the paurāṇic lore, he was the incarnation of Ādiśeṣa (the serpent on which Viṣṇu is resting in the Kṣīrasāgara or ocean of milk) came down to help Kṛṣṇa who was Viṣṇu himself. He was an expert in fighting with gadā or mace. The plough (halā) was his favorite weapon. The Bhāgavata describes several tales of his exploits. Along with Kṛṣṇa, he killed many demons like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Dvivida and Balvala.

After the killing of Kamsa by Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma got his formal education under the sage Sāndīpani. He married Revatī, the daughter of the king Revata. When the Kauravas of Hastināpura abducted Sāmba, a son of Kṛṣṇa, he personally rescued him. He taught gadā-vidyā (the science of fighting with the mace) to Bhīma (the second of the five Pāṇḍavas) and Duryodhana (the eldest of the Kauravas). He had a soft corner for his favorite student, Duryodhana.

During the Kurukṣetra (or Mahābhārata) war, he refused to participate and went away on a pilgrimage. He reappeared at the time of the duel between Bhīma and Duryodhana. He tried to prevent it but did not succeed. He got cross with Bhīma for having flouted the rules of mace-fighting but was pacified by Kṛṣṇa. When the Yādavas exterminated one another in mutual fighting, Balarāma sat in yogic stance and left the body in the form of a serpent, thus confirming that he was Ādiśeṣa.


References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore
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