Same sex love and sacred texts

[Guest guest]

Same sex love and sacred texts

Medieval Hindu texts had a nuanced understanding of gender and

sexuality

Ruth Vanita

This is with reference to R. Raj Rao's article, `Where are the

homosexuals? You don't have to look too far' (IE, September 2) and

to Adam A.R.'s letter, `Misreading Myth' (IE, September 3). In our

book, Same Sex Love in India, we examine not homosexuality alone but

different types of same sex love relationships. We have nowhere used

the word `homosexual' or `gay' about any ancient or medieval text.

We have translated extracts from a number of texts from 15 Indian

languages, including Sanskrit.

Some of them are about sexual relations (for instance, the

Kamasutra) and others are about different types of unions or

relationships which are erotic and/or loving rather than explicitly

sexual.

The article says, ``Shiva and Vishnu had a love affair''. I would

like to clarify that nowhere in our book have we made this comment.

We translated accurately an extract from the Bhagvata Purana, which

recounts how Shiva, having heard about Vishnu's Mohini form, asked

Vishnu to assume that form for his delight. When Vishnu did so,

Shiva was attracted to Mohini and pursued her, resulting in her

pregnancy.

When Vishnu resumed his male form, he was pleased to see that Shiva

was not embarrassed; they then embraced and parted. According to

later developments in the story, the son born to Mohini was

abandoned by her and adopted by a royal couple on earth. He was

named Hariharaputra (son of Hari or Vishnu and Hara or Shiva).

Though born to Mohini, he is worshipped as the son of Shiva and

Vishnu and has the powers of both. Mohini was Vishnu's Maya — an

appearance or aspect of Vishnu.

In one Kannada folk song, it is recounted that Ayyappa, having

acquired power in heaven, was planning to make all humans immortal.

To prevent his doing so, Narada asked him, `What is your

relationship to Parvati and Lakshmi?' Being the son of Shiva and

Vishnu, Ayyappa got puzzled and retreated to the forest, where he

remained, thinking about the question.

In my view, the different versions of the story reflect the

sophisticated, self-reflexive, and nuanced understanding of gender

and sexuality prevalent in many ancient and medieval Hindu texts.

They cannot be easily summed up to mean any one thing but they

certainly illuminate many aspects of life, including same-sex love.

I am myself a Hindu and I approach the texts in an appreciative and

respectful manner. As the texts are accurately translated, there is

no question of misreading them. This has been noted in all reviews

of the book so far, both in India and in the West.