Yesterday I was comprehending over the issue of SC's statement on #Sec377.
I was confused and was oscillating in between what is right and what is wrong. Though I always stand by morality (and not conformity) I was in a tie because it is related to Sex the most Tabooed (next to Death) topic almost every where in the world.
I was actually in a state where I was prejudiced by the veil of culture and could not go against the usual occidental approach and looking at it as a more of Sin or something alien to this land. It was the because of the attuned of mind, for which on introspection I found the cause being colonial hang-over and stale education system which has neither been blessed with any revival since ages nor it helps its seekers with essential powers of reasoning and thinking. All it could successfully accomplish is stereotyping an entire generation. It did take some courage and mental strength to break the barriers and look beyond them. Here the quote from Tagore also seems very contextual :
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Thanks to the scholars who in right time throw light to wipe out the ignorance and make one think broadly in an all inclusive manner. In that moment of perplexity tap came answer from HH SriSri Ravishankar (my Master) whom I and a whole lot of people lovingly address a Gurudev / Guruji / SriSri.
His answers to any questions (personal, social, cultural, political etc) are instinctive and seem enchanting to anyone regardless of their race, religion, age, gender and ethnicity.
In view of #Sec377ofIPC and the Comments of Supreme Court of India in a case recently he has responded this way (on Social media) :
SriSri Ravi Shankarji :
"Homosexuality has never been considered a crime in Hindu culture. In fact, Lord Ayyappa was born of Hari-Hara (Vishnu & Shiva). It is not a crime in any Smriti. Everyone has male & female elements. According to their dominance, tendencies show up & may change. Nobody should face discrimination because of their sexual preferences. To be branded a criminal for this is absurd."
After an intense pondering on the subject I got a deeper insight of universality. Someone rightly said "Just because we don't accept or ignore certain realities it does not mean they do not exist."
To all my brethren who would allude about law as the yard stick / cane which rules and governs we need to recall that Sati and Slavery were ones laws too. It is not to disrespect laws but just to keep in mind that the so called laws were framed by members of society to make this society a congenial place for living. law were and are made by Humans for Humans. And these laws over the years have undergone amendments several times. The base for the Indian Law is the British law, for instance the #Sec377 is also a outcome of the British Law but they have them selves amended their ways.
When I had to say it is because of their influence that LGBT's face sucha situation because 1) We have not amended are laws. 2) This one is really important : Before Colonization or much before that when we were not yet raided by Afghans and other plunderers who settled here as rulers, the rules of the game were different.
Vishnu as Mohini
There are stories Mahabharata, Ramayana and even other Puranas mentioning about LGBTs. It may be about Hari-Hara sangama which resulted birth of Ayyappa is described in Bhagavat Puran and also in Tripura Rahasya, there are also instances when Vishnu takes the form of Mohini during Ksheer Sagara/Samudra manthan (churning of the milk ocean) is mentioned in Srimad Bhagavad Puran; also Vishnu took the form of Mohini to seduce Bhasmasura and make him place his palm on his head to kill himself, this is well described in Vishnu Purana.
Krishna takes the form of Mohini to satisfy Aravan (Son of Arjuna and Ulupi); Aravan had to killed in a day (In view of Victory in Kurukshetra) when nobody was ready to marry him Krishna had to do this.
Shiva
Lord Shiva turns into a female and take form of Gopi to dance with Krishna in the Raasa-leela according to a lore in Western India. Inspired by this is the temple of Gopeshwariji in Vrindavan.
Shikandi
The popular story of Shikandi (Son of Drupada) who was a born Women raised as a Man because Drupada was toll by Rishis that one day he would turn into Man. Shikandi later turns into a man by the blessing of a Yaksha (which was actually for only one day but under circumstances remains life long). There is another story related to the previous birth of Shikandi where in he was Amba gets the boon from Lord Shiva to be the cause of Bhishma's death.
Arjuna
Arjuna turns into Vrihanalla (Eunuch) as he rejected the plea of Urvasi to satisfy him. (In Bramhavaivarta purana Mohini tells Brahma that When a man cannot satisfy a Woman in her fertile period is a Eunuch).
In Ramayana
According to Hijra folklore, when Rama went to the forest in exile, he asked the men and women of Ayodhya who had followed him to return to the city. Since he said nothing to those who were neither male nor female, these waited outside the city until he returned. Touched by their devotion, Rama declared that the non-man would be king in the Kali Yuga.
Ramayana in Lanka
Also in the Valmiki Ramayana,It is said that Hanuman has seen Rakshasa women kissing and embracing those women who have been kissed and embraced by Ravana.
One quote from Devdutt Pattanaik who is also an inspiration behind this write up and whose books have been great source of information :
"A cynic would say, Shikhandi was used by Krishna. A devotee will argue, Krishna made even Shikhandi useful."
Shikandi was seen as a women by Bhishma, but Krishna has seen Shikandi beyond being a male/female and welcomed him. Krishna accepted Shikandi as he/she was unconditionally.
So it is for oneself to take the call whether to be with Krishna or Bhishma.
