The Story of Shikhandi

The Story of Shikhandi PDF Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9353052718
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 25

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Book Description
Mahabharata is a unique epic because even the smallest character and his singular actions have consequences that affect generations. Shikhandi's arrival seems quite inconsequential at first but it is him that brings about the biggest turning point in the war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. However, outside of the war, what were the circumstances that led to Shikhandi's actions? Was he the first instance of gender transformation in mythology? If not for Shikhandi, would the Pandavas have lost the war at Kurukshetra? Read on to find out as Devdutt Pattanaik answers these questions—and more—in The Story of Shikhandi.

Gender & Sexuality in Indian Mythology

Gender & Sexuality in Indian Mythology PDF Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9353052734
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 28

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Book Description
"All things queer are not sexual." Ancient mythological texts often mention queerness quite openly, and not all of these instances have sexual or romantic undertones. There are instances where queerness is used as a tool to demonstrate and eventually overcome patriarchal bias. Instances where a god may change genders for their love of dance. Or when friendship and loyalty are so important to some that they will do what it takes—even if it means changing genders—to keep their word. In Gender & Sexuality in Indian Mythology, Devdutt Pattanaik examines three different perspectives on gender and sexuality in Indian mythology. Read on.

Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology

Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology PDF Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9353052726
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 29

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Book Description
In devotional literature, gods take female forms all the time. Sometimes to serve as 'go-betweens' to bring lovers together, sometimes to stand in for a missing wife, and sometimes to nurse a sick devotee. Not all queer stories are sexual but they do challenge notions of gender. This queering, which is unique to India's devotional tradition, is worth examining to see how natural queerness was viewed by gods like Vishnu and Shiva. Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik examines a few of the most interesting instances of queerness in Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology.

Splitting the Difference

Splitting the Difference PDF Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 9780226156408
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 390

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Book Description
Hindu and Greek mythologies teem with stories of women and men who are doubled. This text recounts and compares a range of these. The comparisons show that differences in gender are more significant than differences in culture.

Governing Gender and Sexuality in Colonial India

Governing Gender and Sexuality in Colonial India PDF Author: Jessica Hinchy
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110849255X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
Examines the colonial and postcolonial governance of gender and sexuality through the history of transgender Hijras in north India.

Indian Sex Life

Indian Sex Life PDF Author: Durba Mitra
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691196346
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
"During the colonial period, Indian intellectuals--philologists, lawyers, scientists and literary figures--all sought to hold a mirror to their country. Whether they wrote novels, polemics, or scientific treatises, all sought a better understanding of society in general and their society in particular. Curiously, female sexuality and sexual behavior play an outside role in their writing. The figure of the prostitute is ubiquitous in everything from medical texts and treatises on racial evolution to anti-Muslim polemic and studies of ancient India. In this book, Durba Mitra argues that between the 1840s and the 1940s, the new science of sexuality became foundational to the scientific study of Indian social progress. The colonial state and an emerging set of Bengali male intellectuals extended the regulation of sexuality to far-reaching projects that sought to define what society should look like and how modern citizens should behave. An exploration of this history of social scientific thought offers new perspectives to understand the power of paternalistic and deeply violent claims about sexual norms in the postcolonial world today. These histories reveal the enduring authority of scientific claims to a tradition that equates social good with the control of women's free will and desire. Thus, they managed to dramatically reorganize their society around upper-caste Hindu ideals of strict monogamy"--

Queerness in Indian Mythology

Queerness in Indian Mythology PDF Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 935305270X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 42

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Book Description
"Beware of a land where celibate men decide what good sex is." Hindu mythology makes constant references to queerness, questioning the notions of maleness and femaleness. A casual reading of any Indian ancient text reveals as much. Then why do we still tiptoe around discussions about queerness and/or ideas that challenge our traditional understanding of gender and sexuality today? If these ancient texts from centuries ago could be inclusive of the spectrum of sexuality, what changed over the years? The courts of India have always upheld secularism and human rights. But this courtesy has not been extended to queer people yet. Can our ancient texts hold the answers we've been too scared to look for? Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik, the master of mythology, examines instances of queerness and analyzes what led to the evolution of queer rights in India.

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 PDF Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 131776630X
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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Book Description
A god transforms into a nymph and enchants another god. A king becomes pregnant. A prince discovers on his wedding night that he is not a man. Another king has children who call him both father and mother. A hero turns into a eunuch and wears female apparel. A princess has to turn into a man before she can avenge her humiliation. Widows of a king make love to conceive his child. Friends of the same sex end up marrying each other after one of them metamorphoses into a woman. These are some of the tales from Hindu lore that this unique book examines. The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore is a compilation of traditional Hindu stories with a common thread: sexual transformation and gender metamorphosis. In addition to the thought-provoking stories in The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore, you'll also find: an examination of the universality of queer narratives with examples from Greek lore and Irish folklore a comparison of the Hindu paradigm to the biblical paradigm a look at how Hindu society and Hindu scripture responds to queer sexuality a discussion of the Hijras, popularly believed to be the “third gender” in India--their probable origin, and how they fit into Hindu society With the telling of each of these tales, you will also learn how the author came upon each of them and how they relate to the context of dominant Hindu attitudes toward sex, gender, pleasure, fertility, and celibacy.

The revival of ancient Hindu values towards female sexuality

The revival of ancient Hindu values towards female sexuality PDF Author: Kati Neubauer
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3640399978
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 12

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Book Description
Seminar paper from the year 2008 in the subject Theology - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,3, Muhlenberg College, course: The Feminine in South Asia, language: English, abstract: In Hinduism the role of females is strictly defined and tied closely to the almost live lasting goal of childbearing. In the ancient texts the Ramayana, the Puranas, and the Mahabharata, female characters function as role models of feminine behavior and their expectations towards motherhood are displayed in the Indian society again today. This essay discusses how the ancient values made their way back in today’s Indian society and reveals the controversy that development accumulates.

Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex

Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex PDF Author: Amara Das Wilhelm
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1453503161
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 125

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Book Description
Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex is a collection of years of research into a topic seldom discussed or easily found within the Hindu/Vedic scriptural canon. Based entirely upon authentic Sanskrit references and modern concurring facts, the book guides us through the original Hindu concept of a "third sex" (defined as homosexuals, transgenders and the intersexed), how such people were constructively incorporated into ancient Indian society, and how foreign influences eventually eroded away that noble system. It discusses how this concept can be practically applied in today’s modern world, the importance of all-inclusiveness in human society, and the spiritual principle of learning to transcend material designations altogether. Tritiya-Prakriti: People of the Third Sex will be a valuable source of reference for anyone interested in Hindu/LGBTI studies whether they are newcomers to the field or seasoned veterans of Vedic knowledge. It offers a veritable treasure trove of fresh information and ideas that will likely challenge the reader to rediscover and rethink Hinduism’s traditional understanding and treatment of gay, lesbian, and other gender-variant people within its culture. "The recognition of a third sex in ancient India and Hinduism is highly relevant in many ways. Our own modern-day society has only recently begun to understand sexual orientation, transgender identity, and intersex conditions, and our legal and social systems are just beginning to catch up with and accommodate such people in a fair and realistic way . . . yet ancient India had already addressed and previously resolved this issue many thousands of years ago in the course of its own civilization ́s development. Indeed, there is much we can learn from ancient India ́s knowledge regarding the recognition and accommodation of a 'third sex' within society." -Amara Das Wilhelm "In India there is a system where such people (the third sex) have their own society, and whenever there is some good occasion like marriage or childbirth, they go there and pray to God that this child may be very long living." -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada "Gay and lesbian people have always been a part of society from Vedic times to our postmodern times. They should be accepted for what they are in terms of their sexual orientation and encouraged like everyone else to pursue spiritual life." -B.V. Tripurari Swami "Initially, I did not really allow myself to go deep in trying to understand the third sex. I figured that this was necessary only for those who are insensitive, arrogant and fundamentalist . . . who think that they are compassionate and tolerant while basically being superficial and even condescending. It is quite amazing how most of us can be so prejudiced about so many things and not even know it . . . .I thank you and several others for your compassion and for your tolerance in making efforts to educate your Godfamily, so that we can be more authentic servants of the servant." -H.H. Bhakti Tirtha Swami

The Ring of Truth and Other Myths of Sex and Jewelry

The Ring of Truth and Other Myths of Sex and Jewelry PDF Author: Wendy Doniger
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190267119
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
In The Ring of Truth, Wendy Doniger expertly unfolds the cultural and historical significance of rings and other kinds of circular jewelry through timeless stories taken from mythology, religious traditions, and literature. Each chapter, like a separate charm on a charm bracelet, considers a different constellation of stories, linked by a common cluster of meanings: the mutual imitation of real and fake, legal and illegal, marital and extra-marital jewelry; the circular form of rings and bracelets, miming the circle of eternity, which persists in the face of human ephemera