Prabhupada on Hermaphrodites at Caitanya's Birth

[Guest guest]

In vediculture, "Caturbahu dasa Bhakti " bhaktatraveler wrote:

 

>You say intersex was in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya and considered

auspicious.  I would like to read from Srila Prabhupada's vani about it if you

can give references.

 

Here are the references:

 

 

 

Appendix 2

Tape #67-002 San Francisco 04/05/67

 

SP:  (Srila Prabhupada) Jagannatha Misra is father.  He was… whatever money and

cloth and gold and silver… they were coming… he was also distributing to poor

man, some dancers.  In India there is a system… what do you call the eunuchs? 

Those who are neither male or female?  What do you call them?  What is their

name?

 

HD:  (Hayagriva dasa) A combination of both?

 

SP:  Yes.

 

HD:  Male and female?  Hermaphrodite.

 

SP:  Eunuchs?  What is the eunuch?

 

HD:  Eunuch.  A eunuch is a …

 

SP:  Tell me that.

 

HD:  Impotent… someone who’s been castrated.

 

SP:  Oh.  That is called a eunuch.

 

HD:  Eunuch.

 

SP:  Rather, by nature, neither man nor woman.

 

HD:  Oh.  This is also called asexual.  That is to say, no sex.

 

SP:  No sex?

 

HD:  Hermaphrodite means they have the physical characteristics of both man and woman.

 

SP:  Oh?  At the same time?

 

HD:  At the same time.

 

SP:  I do not know exactly, but such people, they have their own society, and

their means of livelihood is, that whenever there is some good occasion…

marriage or childbirth, like that, so, they go there and pray to God that this

child may be very long-living.  In this way they make some prayer and get some…

 

HD:  These people.  Now, I don’t understand…

 

SP:  …Yes.  Saci devi is the mother of Lord Caitanya.  She is sitting with the

child.  And everyone is greeting and visiting and everyone is saying, “Oh! 

Look how nice a child He is!”

 

HD:  And these “asexual” people?

 

SP:  They are dancing.

 

HD:  They are dancing.

 

SP:  Yes.  They are chanting Hare Krsna.  Like that.  So.  Hare Krsna dancing is

going there and visitors are coming and presenting very nice things.  Yes.

 

 

These are all direct quotes from Srila Prabhupada.  Since Srila Prabhupada

himself admits that he "does not know exactly..."  about the nature of the

third-sex 'eunuchs,' he obviously does not consider himself an expert on the

subject and therefore neither should we assume that he is.

 

All research, documentaries and studies about the third-sex eunuchs of India

reveal that they are mostly homosexual and transgendered by nature, with some

intersexed members.  The system of castration was only introduced by the

Muslims and is not a traditional Vedic practice.

 

Srila Prabhupada states that such "eunuchs" (a term he was not satisfied

with) were welcomed in Vedic culture and invited to dance and bestow blessings

at auspicious ceremonies.  Although Srila Prabhupada condemns "homosex" in

other places as a sinful and unnatural practice for ordinary men and women

(heterosexuals), I have never heard him condemn people who were third-sexed by

nature (i.e. homosexuals, transgenders and intersexed).   Rather, his favorable

quotes about the third-sex dancers of India and his kind treatment towards

openly practicing homosexuals like Allen Ginsberg indicate otherwise.

 

Of course, Srila Prabhupada encouraged everyone to practice celibacy and

renounce all material sex life, but it is unfair of you to misapply his quotes

in order to specifically "demonize" gay, transgendered, or intersexed devotees

and people.  Your hollow invitation for them to come and chant is useless if

you insist on viewing such people from a condescending and condemning platform.

 

These misunderstandings and confusions of Srila Prabhupada's statements

concerning "homosex,eunuchs," and gay and lesbian people are simply your own

bigoted ideas being expressed.  There are many devoted and dedicated followers

of Srila Prabhupada who do not share your interpretations of his statements. 

 

Yours in the service of Srila Prabhupada and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,

 

Amara das

GALVA-108

(The Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava Association)

http://www.geocities.com/galva108