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

Vidyāsukta

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Meaning of Vidyāsukta[edit]

The Vedas are considered a great treasure of knowledge and spiritual wisdom. They should be imparted only by a qualified teacher to a qualified student. This is described in details in the Nirukta[1] and is called Vidyāsukta.

Content of Vidyāsukta[edit]

The following is a brief summary of the same:

The goddess of Vedic learning approached a learned brāhmaṇa and addressed him thus:

‘Protect me, because I am your wealth. Do not give me[2] to anyone who is jealous, who is not guileless and who has no self-control. Then only I will become very powerful. What you teach to your disciple must be pleasant to his ears. The disciple should consider his guru[3] as superior even to his own father and mother; and, should never hate him. One who dishonors his guru can never reap the benefits of knowledge. Teach me to the one who is pure, not careless and is endowed with brahmacarya[4] and is intelligent; and never to one who dislikes you.’


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Vidyāsukta 2.4
  2. ↑ It means impart my knowledge.
  3. ↑ Guru means teacher.
  4. ↑ Brahmacary means continence.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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Deval Sancheti

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