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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.


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Añganyāsa

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Añganyāsa literally means ‘placing on the limbs’.

Ritualistic worship has evolved into a well-developed science. Before starting the worship of the deity, all articles used in the process are to be purified, not only physically but also ceremonially.

Nyāsa is such an act in this process, and means the ‘placing’ of gods or holy words or letters on certain parts of the body. Aṅganyāsa is an aspect of this nyāsa. Also called ‘Saḍaṅganyāsa’ (ṣaṭ = six, aṅga = limb), it involves the ceremonial purification and protection of :

  1. Hṛdaya - Heart
  2. Sīr - Head
  3. Śikhā - Tuft
  4. Kavaca - Armour indicated by touching the shoulders with the hands crossed
  5. Netratraya - Three eyes, including the middle of the eyebrows
  6. Karatala - Palm of the hand

The process is sometimes extended to more parts of the body like the feet, navel and so on.


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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