The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore Devdutt Pattanaik First published by Harrington Park Press®, an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 This edition published 2012 by Routledge Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 711 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square, Milton Park Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN © 2002 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilm, and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover design by Marylouise E. Doyle. The cover is a twentieth-century calendar reprint of a medieval Pahari painting (c. 1800 C.E.) showing Krishna, the most perfect earthly incarnation of the divine, letting his female companions adorn him as a woman. This was part of Krishna’s leela, divine game, played during his stay in Gokula, the village of cowherds and milkmaids. On one hand it can be seen as an endearing submission of the beloved to the whims of his lovers during the festival of colors, Holi, when convention is abandoned and the eroticism of nature celebrated with the coming of spring. On another, it can be interpreted as an enactment of a thought Krishna expresses later in life in the Bhagavad Gita: “The body is nothing but a garment of the soul, worn afresh at birth and discarded at death.” Woman or man, in apparel, biology, or behavior, the divine within remains unaffected and unruffled, awaiting discovery by all. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The man who was a woman and other queer tales of Hindu lore / [compiled by] Devdutt Pattanaik. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-56023-180-7 (hard : alk. paper)—ISBN 1-56023-181-5 (soft: alk. paper) 1. Sex role—Religious aspects—Hinduism. 2. Hinduism—Doctrines. 3. Transvestism—Religious aspects—Hinduism. 4. Hindu literature—History and criticism. I. Pattanaik, Devdutt. BL1215.S49 M36 2001 294.5’13—dc21 2001016663 For everyone who believes in possibilities and choices About the Author Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik, MBBS, graduated in medicine from Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and went on to specialize in the field of medical writing and health communication. With a passion for mythology, he topped the Mumbai University course in comparative mythology (PGDCM) and has published four books on the subject: Shiva: An Introduction; Vishnu: An Introduction; Devi: An Introduction; and Goddess in India: Five Faces of the Eternal Feminine. Hanuman: An Introduction and Mysteries of Hindu Mythology are forthcoming. Dr. Pattanaik is part of ‘Sabrang,’ a cultural organization that demystifies the arts, and has lectured extensively on the relevance of mythology to modern man. His articles have been published in the Times of India “Speaking Tree.” His essay “Threshold of Chastity” can be found in the Spring 2000 issue of Parabola [www.parabola.org]. Dr. Pattanaik lives in India. CONTENTS Preface Acknowledgments Introduction: Placing Stories in Context Universality of Queer Narratives Differences in Queer Narratives Hindu versus Biblical Paradigm Structured Society Within Fluid Philosophy The Hindu Way of Life Hindu Response to Queer Sexuality Adoption of the Colonial Discourse The Third Sex and Gender in India An Ancient Legacy What About the Women? Representation in Narratives Interpretation of Narratives Structure and Aim of the Book Chapter 1. Women Who Become Men Bhisma: The Son Who Swore Celibacy Avikshita: The Prince Who Believed He Was a Woman Amba’s Quest for Manhood Children of the Man with Queer Virility Shikhandini Gets a Male Body The Raja’s Daughter Who Became His Son The Girls Who Got Married The Inseparable Girls Man Who Was a Woman The Woman Who Became a Man and Then a Woman Sariputra’s Sex Change Malli Who Became Malli-Natha Chapter 2. Pregnant Kings Bhangashvana: The Man Who Was Father and Mother Somavat: The Male Wife Son of a Eunuch The Forest Where Men Became Women The Dawn-God Becomes a Woman Riksharaja’s Dip into Womanhood Narada Becomes a Woman Yuvanashva: The Pregnant King Ravana’s Pregnancy Shiva Gives Birth to Shukra Kavya Gives Birth to Kacha Birth of Kartikeya Kartikeya Turns Away from Women Chapter 3. Cross-Dressing Tricksters Mohini Tricks Bhasma Mohini Fools the Asuras Mohini Kills Virochana Mohini Enchants the Sages Vishnu Arouses Shiva Death of Adi The Son of Shiva and Vishnu Kali Becomes Krishna Shiva, the Milkmaid Krishna Wears Radha’s Clothes Krishna Kills Araka Krishna and Arjuna As Mother and Daughter Ghatotkacha in Women’s Clothes Bhima in Women’s Clothes Santoshi and Her Brother Krishna Becomes Aravan’s Wife Samba’s Pregnancy Ravana’s Harem Past Lives of the Milkmaids Chapter 4. Castrated Men and Women Brihanalla: The Eunuch Dancer Urvashi Castrates Arjuna Bahuchara Emasculates Her Husband Bahuchara Cuts Her Breasts Kannagi Plucks Out Her Breast Shiva Castrates Himself Sages Castrate Shiva Indra Loses His Manhood Laxmana Mutilates Surpanakha Emasculation of Jamadagni’s Sons Chelliamman’s Female Companion The Man Who Had Never Seen a Woman Chapter 5. Neither This nor That Narasimha Creation of Ganesha Two Queens Conceive a Child Ganesha Remains Single The Separation of the Three Worlds Rama’s Return Purusha Splits into Two Brahma Sees the Half-Woman God Shiva Makes Parvati His Left Half Shiva Fuses with Parvati Shiva Cursed to Become an Androgyne Bhrungi Tries to Separate the Androgyne Shiva-Linga The Prince Who Married His Left Half Afterword Notes Glossary Bibliography Index