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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.

Apurva

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Apurva literally means ‘not existing previously'.

The word ‘apurva’ is a technical term employed by the Purva-mīmāmsā system of philosophy which advocates the performance of all the prescribed Vedic rituals as the only means of obtaining the summum-bonum of life.

Vedic sacrifices are said to produce results such as attaining heaven. The doubt that naturally arises is :

  • How can an act performed here and now produce a result much later and somewhere else?
  • Does it not violate the law of cause and effect?

This objection is answered by the Purvamimārhsā system by formulating the theory of śakti (potential energy). Just as a seed possesses in it the imperceptible power with the help of which it can produce the sprout, so does the soul possess the power to manifest the results of Vedic rituals. These rituals, as soon as completed, generate in the soul that śakti or power. Since this power did not exist previously (a-purva = not existing previously) but is generated as a result of the rites, it is termed as ‘apurva.’ This apurva gets exhausted after producing its results.



References[edit]

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

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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