Hinduism and Homosexuality

The recent debate on decriminalization of Section 377 has fueled “roadside” discussion on homosexuality in India. One student of “WhatsApp University” asked about my stand on decriminalization of Section 377, in order to avoid argotic arguments, I said, I acknowledge homosexuality and then I was asked to provide a rationale for supporting homosexuality. I would like to clear my stand for acknowledging homosexuality on the blog as it would be too long for WhatsApp J

I acknowledge homosexuality may be because I am brought up in Hindu tradition which allows ALL kinds of sexualities and excludes none.

Hindu scriptures (mostly in Sanskrit and Pali) explains LGBT and queer sexualities (eg. Kriba, Napunsaka, Kinnara, Pedi etc.) in very detailed manner.  Patanjali’s Mahabhasya (Grammer) acknowledges the third gender as Napunsaka and Charaka Samhita (Medicine) acknowledges the third gender as Tritiya Prakriti.

The most interesting text to understand sexualities in Hindu tradition is Kamasutra which acknowledges Strirupini i.e. woman who acts like man; Purushrupini  i.e. man who acts like woman; Male- masseur and Female masseur (people who earn money by providing “massage”); Procurer (a person who obtains a male & female prostitute for another person); Oral Sex provider, etc. The remarkable point about Kamasutra is that it does not talk about anal sex but obsessed with vaginal and oral sex.     

Krishna as Cross Dresser

Rishyasringa

Dharmashastra provides clear guidelines for homosexuality e.g. “homosexual person has to pay fine to caste groups but should not be excluded from caste”. Interestingly, Dharmashastra poses a death penalty for inter-caste homosexuality and supports endogamous homosexuality.

Natyashastra too emphasize over Nampunsaka characters which means the role of a female character played by a male on stage or male who behaves like a female. Interestingly, there exist many stories of Krishna who behaves and dance like a female (cross-dresser?) in  Natyashastra.  We find many instances Natyashastra about homosexuality or queerness, for instance, a queer play (mono- act) in India was written roughly before 1400 years by Vararuchi titled as “Ubayabhisarika”. Indian music too encompasses the notion of Napunsaka Raga which represents rasa like Bhaya, Vibhitsa and Shanta.

Laksman Temple

Kandariya Mahadeva

Queerness and homosexuality are presented in Indian art forms too. For instance, a story of in Mahabharata states that Rishyasringa (sage born with horn) was through a semen shredded by his father (Vibhandak Rishi) who was seduced by a deer in the jungle.

A famous statue at Kandariya Mahadeva temple, Chandella Temple, and Laksman Temple at Khajuraho; Bagali Kalleswar Temple at Karnataka presents women having pleasure with women and men having sex with a man. Temples didn’t discriminate between Yogi (hermit) and Bhogi (householder).  The Madurai Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu presents a male in female forms (Purshrupini Stiri). Not only in popular art forms, in folks forms too homosexually and queerness were celebrated for instance Kinnar is presented as tantric outside temple of Devi in some parts of India and Nepal.

Chandella Temple

Madurai Meenakshi Temple

It is worthy to note that these images and interpretations are in public and presents no offensiveness towards LGBT communities, rather it presents their importance and inclusiveness within public and spiritual domains. Aforementioned are just a few instances, there are numerous example and explanations about the inclusion of homosexuality in Indian traditions. Due to colonial legacy, we might not able to staunchly see it but it does exist.

Hope, legal inclusiveness of diverse sexuality will also get social acceptance.