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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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Talk:Makara Sankranti

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Jammalamadaka Srinivas

Sometimes transliterated as: Makar Sankraanti, Makara Samkranti


raveḥ saṃkramaṇaṃ rāśau sankrāntiriti kathyate[1] meṣādiṣu dvādaśa rāśiṣu krameṇa sancharatassūryasya pūrvasmāt rāśeruttara rāśau saṃkramaṇaṃ praveśaḥ saṃkrāntiḥ[2]

Sankrānti means the passing of sun from one rāśi (zodiac sign) to another. Therefore, the rāśi in which the Sun enters is known as the sankrānti of that rāśi. The Rāśis are twelve viz. Meṣa (Aries), Vṛṣabha (Taurus), Mithuna (Gemini), Karkaṭa (Cancer), Simha (Leo), Kanyā (Virgo), Tulā (Libra), Vṛścikā (Scorpio), Dhanus (Sagittarius), Makara (Capricorn), Kumbha (Aquarius) and Mīna (Pisces). As there are twelve rāśis there are twelve sankrāntis in a year. The day in which Sankrānti occurs is considered to be holy day and performing rituals such as snana (taking dip in river or sea), dana, tapas, Sharadha, homa shall yield auspicious reward. Though planets other than Sun too have sankarantis, but in dharma sastra or Jyotisha shastra the word Sankrānti is tagged to only Ravi Sankrānti[3]

The twelve sankrāntis occurred in a year are grouped into four –

  1. Ayana Sankrānti
  2. Vishuva Sankrānti
  3. Sadasiti or Sadasitimukha Sankrānti
  4. Vishnupadi or Vishnupada Sankrānti

Makara-Sankrānti and Karkaṭa-Sankrānti are Ayana Sankrāntis. From the day of Makara-Sankrānti Uttarāyaṇa begins. And from the day of Karkaṭa-Sankrānti Dakṣiṇāyana begins. Meṣa-Sankrānti and Tulā-Sankrānti are Viṣuva Sankrāntis. At these days the day and night shall be in equal length. Mithuna, Kanya, Dhanus and Mīna-Sankrāntis are called as Ṣaḍaśīti or Ṣaḍaśītimukha Sankrāntis. Vṛṣabha, Simha, Vṛścikā and Kumbha Sankrāntis are called as Viṣṇupadi or Viṣṇupada Sankrāntis.

All these twelve Sankrāntis bear seven different names depending upon the day sankrānti is occurred. The Seven names are Mandā, Manḍakinī, Dhvānkṣī, Ghorā, Mahodarī, Rākṣasī and Miśritā.

saptadhā sā tu boddhavyā ekaikaiva yathā śruṇu| mandā mandākinī dhvankṣī ghorā caiva mahodarī|| rākṣasī miśritā proktā sankrāntiḥ saptadhā nṛpa| sūrye ghorā vidhau dhvankṣī ghorā caiva mahodarī| budhe mandākinī nāma mandā surapurohite| miśritā śukravāre syadrākṣasī ca śanaiśvarī||[4]

A sankrānti is called Ghorā if it occurs on Sunday, Dhvankṣī on Monday, Mahodarī on Tuesday, Mandākinī on Wednesday, Mandā on Thursday, Miśritā on Friday and Rākṣasī on Saturday. A sankrānti may take place by day or night. If sankrānti occurs by the day, then the whole day is considered to be puṇyakāla. If the sankrānti occurs by night, excluding makara and karkaṭa sankrāntis the puṇyakāla is by the day when those sankrāntis occur by night.

Makara Sankrānti[edit]

When the Sun leaves Dhanū rāśi (Sagittarius) and enters Makara rāśi (Capricon) is called Makara Sanskrānti.

  1. ↑ hemādri, p.no. 410
  2. ↑ kālanirṇayaḥ P.no.331
  3. ↑ Smrti Kaustubha, p.531
  4. ↑ deīpurāṇaṃ, quoted by hemādrī in kālanirṇaya, p. no. 408
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