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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.

Niṣedha

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Niṣedha literally means ‘prohibition’.

Vidhis[1] and niṣedhas or pratiṣedhas[2] are common in Vedic rituals. They are also seen in the dharmaśāstras. If a vidhi ordains a person to do something which will benefit him, a niṣedha prohibits him from doing something which will harm him. Such niṣedhas are indicated by the negative particle ‘nañ’. For instance:

‘na anṛtaiii vadet, na māmsam aśnīyāt,’ ‘One should not speak what is false, nor eat flesh’.[3]

Here uttering falsehood and eating flesh have been prohibited. In the dharmaśāstra works, the particle ‘nañ’[4] is used in the sense of paryudāsa or exception. For instance, a snātaka[5] should not say anything to another which hurts him unless there is a specific reason. It does not altogether prohibit speaking an unpleasant thing if and when necessary, as in the case of a parent chastising an erring son. In some cases there may be two negatives or niṣedhas opposed to each other causing confusion. Then one has the choice to accept one and reject the other subject to certain conditions.


References[edit]

  1. ↑ Vidhis means injunctions.
  2. ↑ Pratiṣedhas also means prohibitions.
  3. ↑ Taittiriya Samhitā 2.5.5.6
  4. ↑ It means ‘not’.
  5. ↑ Snātaka means the one who has just finished Vedic studies.
  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

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