On Krishna's chariot stands Shikhandi : Devdutt Pattanaik

Published in Sunday Midday, Mumbai, 12 July 2009

It was the ninth night of the war at Kurukshetra. The exact midpoint of the legendary 18-day bloodbath. Not the start, not the end, but the middle. The war had been inconclusive. Sometimes the Kauravas led by the old sire Bhisma had the upper hand; sometimes the Pandavas led by the young warlord, Dhristadhyumna, Draupadi’s twin brother, had the upper hand. A see-saw that was going nowhere.

“Bhisma loves us too much to defeat us,” said the Pandavas.

“Yet not enough to let us win,” reminded Krishna. “He must die, if dharma has to be established.” But Bhisma had been given a boon by his father that he could choose the time of his death. No one could therefore kill him. “If we cannot kill him, we must at least immobilize him.”

“But no one can defeat him,” said the Pandavas. “Even the great Parashurama could not overpower him in a duel. So long he holds a weapon in hand he is invincible.”

“Then we must make him lower his bow,” said Krishna.

“He will never lower his bow before any armed man.”

“What about an armed woman?”

“A woman? On the battlefield?” sneered the Pandavas, forgetting they themselves worshipped Durga, the goddess of war and victory. “But it is against dharma to let women hold weapons and step on the battlefield.”

“Who said so?” asked Krishna.

“Bhisma says so. Dharma says so.”

“Dharma also says that old men should retire and make way for the next generation so that the earth’s resources are not exploited by too many generations. But Bhisma did the very opposite. He renounced his right to marry, so that his old father could resume the householder’s life,” argued Krishna.

“He was being an obedient son.”

“He was indulging his old father at the cost of the earth. That vow spiraled events that has led to this war. It is time to be rid of him, by force or cunning, if necessary. We must find someone before whom the old patriarch will lower his bow. If not a woman, then someone who is not quite a man.”

“What about Shikhandi!” said Dhristadhyumna. “He is my elder brother. He was born a woman. But my father, Draupada, was told by the Rishis that he would one day become a man. Though born with female genital organs, Shikhandi was raised a son, taught warfare and statecraft. He was even given a wife. On his wedding night, the wife, daughter of king Hiranyavarna of Dasharna, was horrified to discover that her husband was actually a woman. My father tried to explain that actually Shikhandi was a man with a female body and that Rishis had told him he would someday acquire a male body. The woman refused to listen. She screamed and ran to her father and her father raised an army and threatened to destroy our city. A distraught Shikhandi went to the forest, holding himself responsible for the crisis, intent on killing himself. There he met a Yaksha called Sthunakarna who took pity on him and gave him his manhood for one night. With the Yaksha’s manhood, Shikhandi made love to a concubine sent by his father-in-law and proved he was no woman. The wife was therefore forced to return. Now, it so happened, that Kubera, king of the Yakshas, was furious with what Sthunakarna had done and so cursed Sthunakarna that he would not get his manhood back so long as Shikhandi was alive. As a result what was supposed to be with him for one night has remained with him till this moment. My elder brother, Shikhandi, born with a female body, has a Yaksha’s manhood right now. What is he, Krishna? Man or woman?”

Krishna knew things were more complex. Shikhandi, may have been raised as a man and may have acquired a manhood later in life, but in his previous life, he was a woman called Amba, whose life Bhisma had ruined. Bhisma had abducted her along with her sisters and forced them to marry, not him, but his weakling of a brother, Vichitravirya (a name that means ‘queer masculinity’ or ‘odd manliness’). When she begged Bhisma to let her marry the man she loved, he let her go. But the lover refused to marry Amba, now soiled by contact with another man (Bhisma). Distraught she returned, only to have Vichitravirya turn her away, and Bhisma shrugging helplessly. “When you have taken the vow of never being with a woman, what gave you the right to abduct me,” she yelled. Bhisma ignored her. Amba begged Parashurama, the great warrior, to kill Bhisma but he failed. Exasperated, irritated, she prayed to Shiva. “Make me the cause of his death,” she begged. Shiva blessed her – it would be so, but only in her next life. Amba immediately leapt into a pyre eager to accelerate the process.

“I think, Shikhandi should ride into the battlefield on my chariot. Let Arjuna stand behind him,” said Krishna. The tenth day dawned. The chariot rolled out. Behind Krishna stood the strange creature, neither man nor woman, or perhaps both, or neither, and behind him, Arjuna.

“You bring a woman into this battlefield, before me,” roared Bhisma seeing Shikhandi. “This is adharma. I refuse to fight.”

Krishna retorted in his calm melodious voice, “You see her as a woman because she was born with a female body. You see her as a woman because in her heart she is Amba. But I see her as a man because that is how her father raised her. I see her as a man because she has a Yaksha’s manhood with which he has consummated his marriage. Whose point of view is right, Bhisma?”

“Mine,” said Bhisma.

“You are always right, are you not, Bhisma? When you allowed your old father to remarry, when you abducted brides for your weak brother, when clung to future generation after future generations like a leech, trying to set things right. There is always a logic you find to justify your point of view. So now, Shikhandi is a woman – an unworthy opponent. That’s your view, not Shikhandi’s view. He wishes to fight you.”

“I will not fight this woman,” so saying Bhisma lowered his bow without even looking towards Shikhandi.

“Shoot him now, Shikhandi. Shoot him, now, Arjuna,” said Krishna, “Shoot hundreds of arrows so that they puncture every inch of this old man’s flesh. Pin him to ground, immobilize him so that he can no longer immobilize the war.”

“But he is like a father to me,” argued Arjuna.

“This war is not about fathers or sons. This is not even about men or women, Arjuna. This is about dharma. And dharma is about empathy. Empathy is about inclusion. Even now, he excludes Shikhandi’s feelings – all he cares about his version of the law. Shoot him now. Rid the world of this old school of thought so that a new world can be reconstructed.”

And so Arjuna released a volley of arrows. Hundreds of arrows punctured every limb of Bhisma’s body, his hands, his legs, his trunk, his thigh, till the grandsire fell like a giant Banyan tree in the middle of a forest. It is said that the earth would not accept him for he had lived too long – over four generations instead of just two. It is said the sky would not accept him because he had not fathered children and repaid his debt to ancestors. So he remained suspended mid-air by Arjuna’s arrows.

With the fall of Bhisma, the war moved in favor of the Pandavas. Nine days later, the Kauravas were defeated and dharma had been established.

Without doubt, Shikhandi changed the course of the war and played a pivotal role in the establishing of dharma. He was without doubt a key tool for Krishna. A cynic would say, Shikhandi was used by Krishna. A devotee will argue, Krishna made even Shikhandi useful. But his story is almost always overlooked in retellings of the great epic Mahabharata, or retold rather hurriedly, avoid the details. Authors have gone so far as to conveniently call the Sthunakarna episode a later interpolation, hence of no consequence.

Shikhandi embodies all queer people – from gays to lesbians to Hijras to transgendered people to hermaphrodites to bisexuals. Like their stories, his story remains invisible. But the great author, Vyasa, located this story between the ninth night and the tenth day, right in the middle of the war, between the start and the finish. This was surely not accidental. It was a strategic pointer to things that belong neither here nor there. This is how the ancients gave voice to the non-heterosexual discourse.

Shikhandi embarrases us today. Sthunakarna who willingly gave up his manhood frightens us today. But neither Shikhandi nor Shthunkarna embarrassed or frightened Krishna or Vyas. Both included Shikhandi in the great narrative. But modern writers have chosen to exclude him. That is the story of homosexuals in human society. Homosexuals have always existed in God’s world but more often than not manmade society has chosen to ignore, suppress, ridicule, label them aberrants, diseased, to be swept under carpets and gagged by laws such as 377. They have been equated with rapists and molesters, simply because they can only love differently.

Indian society, however, has been a bit different from most others. Like all cultures, Indian culture for sure paid more importance to the dominant heterosexual discourse. But unlike most cultures, Indian culture did not condemn or invalidate the minority non-heterosexual discourse altogether. Hence the tale of Shikhandi, placed so strategically. Hence the tale of Bhangashvana, retold by none other than Bhisma to the Pandavas, after the war before he chose to die.

Yudhishtira asked, “Grandfather, who gets more sexual pleasure – men or women? What is sweeter to the ear – the sound of father or mother?”

Bhisma replied, “No one knows really. Except perhaps Bhangashvana, the only one who was both man and woman. Bhangashvana was a great king, with many wives and many sons. Indra cursed him to be a woman. So he lived as a woman, took a husband and bore him children. He was thus a man to his wife and a woman to his husband. He thus had two sets of children, one who called him ‘father’ and another who called him ‘mother’. He alone is qualified to answer your questions.” Such ideas will never find mention in most scriptures around the world. But they are part of our cultural inheritance.

Clearly many keepers of culture have not heard the stories of Shikhandi, or Bhangashvana or of Yuvanashva, the king who accidentally became pregnant and delivered the great Mandhata, or of the two queens who made love to each other to produce a child without bones (bones being the contribution of sperm, according to mythology), or of Mohini, the female form of Vishnu, who enchanted even Shiva, the great hermit. Clearly they have chosen to ignore that every year, in Brahmotsavam festival, the image of the Lord Venkateshwara Balaji, who is Vishnu on earth, is dressed in female garments reminding us all of Mohini. Clearly they are oblivious of how Shrinathji in Nathdwara is lovingly bedecked with a sari, the stri-vesha or women’s attire, in memory of the time he wore Radha’s clothes to appease her. Clearly they are not aware of Gopeshwarji of Vrindavan, Shiva who took the form of a milkmaid so that he could dance the raas-leela with Krishna. And they certainly have turned a blind eye to the rooster-riding Bahucharji, of Gujarat, patron goddess of many Hijras.

Western religions have, and will, look upon Hinduism’s cross-dressing gods as vulgar and perverted. The British mocked us so much during the Raj that we went into apology and denial. Now an entire generation does not even know about these tales and these deities and these rituals. Westernization did not change bedroom habits; it has led to an embarrassed denial of our sacred scriptures.

One thing we must grant the homosexual – he has united the cantankerous right wing. He has done what the constitution of India could not do – bring the radical Islamic cleric, the saffron robed yogis, the Bible-bashing clergyman to same side of the table. Together these self-proclaimed guardians of culture would like the homosexuals to be made invisible once more.

Baba Ramdevji would for sure celebrate the celibacy of Bhisma. If he would have his way, he would, perhaps, drag Shikhandi to the mental asylum and teach him breathing exercises until the Yaksha’s appendage drops and he/she chokes and gasps into heterosexuality. But not Krishna. On Krishna’s chariot, Shikhandi – as he/she is – will always be welcomed.

Geetanjali Chhachhia

I think,perhaps,the very last line of the article just seems so beautiful”But not Krishna. On Krishna’s chariot, Shikhandi – as he/she is – will always be welcomed.”

Yes,there will always be prejudice and bigotry and hate exuding from sections of people who feel theses feeling,simply because of their fear of the “different” people.

But,yes,there will also be acceptance,perhaps from the people who matter the most,and in the face of this acceptance,the hate and bigotry just seems to fade away into the darkness….

[Reply to this comment]

Jul 12, 2009 @ 5:22 pm

Pravin Bhalla

Hi, Amazing article. Very stimulating indeed. I am a sculptor and I reside in London. I would appreciate, if possible to read more of your articles, as they are extremely inspiring.
Many Thanks
Pravin

Jul 12, 2009 @ 7:23 pm

Dinesh

Dr.Saheb

What an article, a real eye opener for one who really is willing to open.

deepest regards for the detailing.

Jul 12, 2009 @ 8:49 pm

Krishna

Brilliant!

- Dr. Krishna

Jul 12, 2009 @ 10:25 pm

sandesh

hello devdutta,
just gone through your artical,sounds interesting.you are correct at your place but people are reluctant too change and change takes time.
whats the implication of homosexuality on a women whose husband sleep with man?on the children whose father sleeps with neighbourhood guy?and on the parents who wontt get any grandchild as their single son wants to have sex with men rather then marryting a women?
do you think all these radical acceptance will occur in a year or two?
or will mann marrying a man be able to follow the same level of bonding,which keep a hetero couple stay togather till end of life?

i am not favouring homo or hetero side but these are the questions that needs to be discussed,answered or at least put for public opinion and gay activists.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 2:38 am

S.Ravichandran

Dear Sir,
That indeed was a wonderful article.Wish it could be given more publicity.
Ravi

Jul 13, 2009 @ 9:52 am

Harpreet

A brilliantly written article. The juxtaposition of ancient humanism as opposed to present subjective ignorance is wonderful; but what made me smile was to read the end of the article that depicts, so valiantly, the open-mindedness and the attitude of general ‘inclusiveness’ of the Divine.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 12:36 pm

Hema

Amazing article. Dharma is empathy.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 1:38 pm

Deepa

Beautiful article. The Truth is all inclusive.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 4:25 pm

Nipun

Amazingly well written! Thank you so much for this article!

Jul 13, 2009 @ 5:29 pm

Gagan

How do you know all these stories

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
July 13th, 2009 at 7:59 pm

…..God’s blessing, I guess

Jul 13, 2009 @ 6:00 pm

Sriram

Amazing read !!!! Opened many eyes !!….

Jul 13, 2009 @ 9:52 pm

Manish

Thanks so much! If only this could be translated into all Indian languages and published.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 10:09 pm

Rahul

Wonderful!! Very very true and immensely interesting!! Thank you for educating us on the issues people choose to ignore.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 10:40 pm

priyanka

excellent article. so well written and researched.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 10:53 pm

Arun

wonderful article. I hope it is circulated widely.

Jul 13, 2009 @ 11:31 pm

Shrikant

now this is like Krishna himself speaking from today’s 3 wheeler chariots…
wonderful string of mythological incidents culminating into the message of the season!
Wish we present day Indians were able to comprehend our vastness of ideas and practices..

Jul 14, 2009 @ 1:12 am

aparna hajirnis

Wonderful article!!You have just re-written long lost history!

Jul 14, 2009 @ 4:01 am

Som

The link for this article was sent to me by my best friend who happens to be straight. No doubt this article is so engrossing.

I think what we call the Indian culture today is something which is highly influenced by the Islamic culture during the Mughal invasion. No where in the ancient stories do we get to read about Parda pratha or child marriages. These so called guardians of culture themselves do not know what culture they are protecting.

I was very upset when I saw Baba Ramdev making this stupid claims. I used to hold him in very high esteem. However he proved that Yoga failed to illuminate his soul. Otherwise he would have known that soul has no gender.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 8:36 am

Tolerance

Brilliant article. Unfortunately the ignorant will choose to ignore this. However, this is a really good article that should be widely circulated and that will hopefully bring some awareness among people who choose to be ignorant.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 10:36 am

rabin

What an excellent way of communicating an idea!

Needs wide circulation.

Little Mags may take up the job to publish it in local languages.

Congratulations to the author.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 11:18 am

Mayank

Dear Dr DevDutt ,

You have your own ardent readers ! Count me as one as well !

The way of presenting mythical stories interwoven with the current issue / s are definitely new & very appealing …to me (i am not much of a reader though )

Do you also get critiques writing in to you ?

Regards,

Jul 14, 2009 @ 11:38 am

Angona

great read. smoehow, (and its sad how) people seem to have forgotten how inclusivity was the norm since ancient times in our culture… that is the normalcy – not the intolerance, exclusion and discrimination that’s so rampant now.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 1:08 pm

Sunny Singh

Thanks! So many of our Hindutva-vadis function within the colonialist Judeo-Christian-Islamic paradigms that they forget their own heritage.

One other episode that is crucial to Shikhandi’s story: During the Pandava’s year of concealment, it is Arjuna – the proverbial alpha male – who must dress as a woman and work as a dance teacher. He alone of the five Pandavas has the experience of “being” a woman. Thus Shikhandi – the man/woman – rides Krishna’s chariot with Arjuna, another man-with-ability-to-be-woman.

If our moral thekedaars would only read their own texts!

Best wishes and look forward to more of your articles.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 5:01 pm

lalit

just too perfect. wonderful article.
the last lines are real eye opener.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 5:54 pm

Ketan Sanghvi

It was wonderful living out pages of our own cultural history, through your writing. One marvels at the sheer range of ideas and vivid imagination of Vyasa, who wrote the epic Mahabharata, for he dwelt on issues that are not just relevant even today but even considered ‘futuristic’ for present society! There are immense lessons to be learnt from these tales, which can provide answers to present-day situations. I dont necessarily want to subscribe to the view that whatever was said or written in the past, was always the Truth or Divine, but the sheer logic in these texts and the depth of ideas makes one look at them with interest and anticipation. Thank you Mr Pattanaik, for letting us have a ringside view!

Jul 14, 2009 @ 8:01 pm

Ankur

The tendency of Hinduism and its constituents’ relation to the epics towards “apology and denial” was not simply because of the Raj. British occupation didn’t change nearly as much as the decades and centuries of movements that came before.

Jul 14, 2009 @ 11:18 pm

Arijit

Thanks, so much for writing this beautiful piece. I hope we live to see the day when people start respecting the LGBT people for what they are!

Jul 15, 2009 @ 12:27 am

Guruprasad

Dear Devdutta,

A Brilliant Article indeed !

Not only the mythological content but subsequent arguments are beautifully expressed.

Well done, Bravo !!

Prasad

Jul 15, 2009 @ 11:35 am

Sumana

Interesting how you brought out the fact that the freedom to be in our so-called ‘modern society’ is curtailed when we compare it with the years of yore. Brilliantly written. I like the punch added towards the end. It’s a perfect jibe!

Jul 15, 2009 @ 2:08 pm

Harish

Brilliant…absolutely brilliant ! Definitely changed my mind on Section 377. It is a pleasure to come across such an articulate and knowledgeable viewpoint. Kudos to Dr.Devdutt. We need more like him to bring about right awareness.

Jul 15, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

abhi

wow!
brilliantly narrated, i m gay and reading this feel good.

Jul 15, 2009 @ 5:15 pm

DEV DUTT

I just came across your website since my name is also Dev Dutt. However, when I went through your website, it was really unputdownable. I am an avid reader of mythology in an objective manner. Excellent balanced view points on Indian culture. I will really write you in detail later on. Let me read your works please.

Jul 16, 2009 @ 10:35 am

Preyas

This is brilliant and extremely well written. Thanks.

One small doubt: There is no mention of sexual attraction of the form male to male or female to female in case of Shikhandi. Only mention of physical sex change and growing as a man on father’s behest. Also, there is no mention of he feeling as a man trapped in women’s body. So how can we take that to defend modern day LGBT?

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
July 17th, 2009 at 9:07 am

Does LGBT need defense? This is a story of acceptance of what the world considers queer…..It is neither about sex nor about attraction….

Jul 16, 2009 @ 8:01 pm

K. MITRA

It is a brilliant article involving homo-sexuality as evidenced in our mythology which reminds me that man-woman-hood existence in a single living entity is as natural as wave-particle dualism in nature–a proposition of quantum mechanics.
K. M.

Jul 17, 2009 @ 12:42 am

SUKAN

Excellent Excellent
But y u didn’t forget it should not be wide open.But in routine.Something u do not have to do on roof.
If going on let it.At least marriage not right to stay its the best but why not one gay couple marry to lesbian couple so they can enjoy parenthood as well as them own way of sex.
Kept themselves high in eyes of social tabbos.is most necessary for society.
We are like that.We met after marriage but both we have 2 children enjoying gay,lesbian & men-women life.
Be more broad.
This is best choice.Each gay should marry to lesbian then they have find like mind other couple.
Be practical

Jul 17, 2009 @ 10:08 pm

Shri

Dear Devdutt,

This is Shri from Chennai (LRamki’s friend).

This is an amazing piece of work.Extremely well written. Your narrative is very interesting, gripping and detailed. This article clearly shows how tolerant and inclusive Hinduism, Hindu Mythology and Indian culture is. I am sure this will make a strong case for the LGBTs against the religious right. Thanks so much for writing this.

Thanks for letting me translate this in Tamil. I feel very privileged. I strongly feel your stories especially queer-themed ones have to be told in all regional languages.

Jul 17, 2009 @ 10:13 pm

AMARANATH

Excellent! The Bhagavad Gita states:Samatvam Yoga Uchyathe. It is a Balance which is very important to eke out a living. Every individual has to possess an understanding of himself in all respects.The Ramayana an Mahabharatha with it’s multifold stories and fables enables the general public to estiamte one’s position to himself rather than to public. Hearty congrats for taking a lead in publishing such ideas and stories. Keep it up.

Jul 18, 2009 @ 2:13 pm

Raj Waghray

Outstanding article Devdutt, I also liked the one you wrote on Rediff as well.

Jul 20, 2009 @ 1:00 pm

Homosexuality and Spirituality « Niranjani: Perspective on Life, Meditation, Spirituality….

[...] do read Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik’s compelling essays here, here and here to understand what the ancient Indian scriptures had to say on this subject. [...]

Jul 20, 2009 @ 8:15 pm

Real good read. Thank you Dr.Devdutt!

Its all about acceptance!

Decision of not having a child is that of individuals. Others shouldn’t panic, we have enough population to take care of.

If not having a child is bad, than all forms of family planning measures also should be discarded.

We must come out of our fear of not having a next gen. there are enough people producing babies……..

Jul 22, 2009 @ 12:40 pm

Vishwa Mohan Tiwari

Our ancient histories were written in a manner tha they could be reinterpreted according to the prevailing space and time.
Shri Devdutt has done a great service in reproducing the story, and so well.
Our rishies, munies and thinkers always respected nature. If nature has produced someone as different sexually than normal, it has to be accepted and gracefully. Vyas never glamourizes any aberrant personality, he always deals with them as a matter of fact of life.
My point is that this consumerist age is glamourizing the issue. Is this correct?
I also have a question. So far we have been cursed with rape of girls and women. Now innocent boys would be raped. It is one thing to accept homosexuality or lesbianism, but quite another to sing and dance about them. There are many cases when Hijaraas have taken some children by force and converted them into their own kind, to continue their BUSINESS. An innocent child van be trapped or allured by a grown up homosexual.
Well life is too complex.
I think attack on baba Ramdev is not in a good taste.

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
July 23rd, 2009 at 6:21 pm

I have not attacked Baba Ramdev….he has said breathing ‘cures’ homosexuality….so now hundreds of men and women will be sent to him to do pranayam and forced into unhappy marriages with the expectation that their unfortunate spouses will cure them…..can you imagine the tragedy of the wife of the man who is gay or the husband of the woman who is lesbian…..so sad…..I simply don’t understand how as a society we can allow such tragedy….
No body is glamorising homosexuality…it is merely being decriminalized….one cannot control the media…
Are you saying decriminalizing homosexuality will lead to male rape? By that logic you are saying that women are being raped today because heterosexuals are not treated like criminals? Somehow that does not seem to make sense, to me at least.

Jul 22, 2009 @ 6:27 pm

Pooja Punjabi

Hello Devdutt ji,

I am have following up your article religiously…many compliments for the brilliant work that you do.

I feel privileged to be introduced to you writings.

A big fan,
Pooja

Jul 28, 2009 @ 1:37 pm

Uma Shankari

Loved this article. And your style of writing. I’m sure I’d be reading more of yours in the future.

Aug 11, 2009 @ 8:21 am

piyush

totally appreciate the way you have structured and presented this article – kudos!

Aug 12, 2009 @ 8:01 pm

Upendra Watwe

This was on very informative article – i was planning to pass this on to my friends and others, but the last unwarranted attack on Ramdevji left a very bitter taste.
Again and again I am reminded how much harm has been caused by this English – even people who would otherwise enjoy removiung shoruds from the history pervaded and promoted by brits find it enjoyable to give one passing wallop to Baba Ramdev for his remarks but dont have the balls to name the Islamic Cleric or Bible bashing clergy.!!!

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
August 14th, 2009 at 7:06 am

Is it not wonderful that in India we can criticize some religious leaders freely on specific ideas without losing respect for them. Please distinguish opposition to a particular thought to an outright rejection of a person.

Aug 14, 2009 @ 3:29 am

kaustubh.dhargalkar

Hi Devdutt,
Fascinating stuff….. the detail…. i never knew this…..India really was( is ? ) an open society.

Aug 17, 2009 @ 7:49 pm

C.A. Prashanth

Hi Devdutt,

This article is amazing. The very last line(“On Krishna’s chariot, Shikhandi – as he/she is – will always be welcomed.”)is so simply beautiful. It shows Krishna accepted people and life as it is. It’s a great lesson for our mankind. Krishna in whatever sense we understand, he’s complete.

Prashanth, Bangalore.

Aug 22, 2009 @ 6:24 am

hema

very incisive article.there is so much depth in the article.

Aug 22, 2009 @ 11:12 pm

AVK

Great article and discourse. I have read Rajaji’s Mahabharata many times in the past, and will in the future!
One small but significant point that highlights Bhishma’s criticality to the war. The only time when Krishna was about to break his vow of not taking up arms during the war happens when Arjuna argues with him about attacking an unarmed Bhishma. Krishna rushes to attack him with his sudarshana chakra- such was Bhishma’s prowess!

Aug 26, 2009 @ 3:07 am

Baradwaj

Dear Dr.Devdutt,
I am an ardent fan and I have been following your blogs ever since I read about your book 7 secrets from hindu calendar art. My personal favourite is black god’s and white god’s and Lakshmi’s owl.

I would consider myself lucky if I could get your personally autographed copy of the book. Also I ambition to meet you once at least once in my life.

Regarding this article, for the first time I was a little lost. In this you express your view about liberalisation of the alternative gender and sexually oriented people. You’ve put this brilliantly even bringing Baba Ramdeo into picture. But at the same time you talk about Bhisma not attaining moksha because he didn’t father nay children. By this did you mean that gay people would also be rejected by the skies since they ideally do not father/mother children?? Being a bi/tri/oligo sexual man myself I find this a little disturbing.

Can you reach me on this at baradwajis@gmail.com? Thanks,

Lots of love, respect and then some,
Baradwaj

Sep 08, 2009 @ 1:15 pm

Dear Dr.Devdutt,
I am an ardent fan and I have been following your blogs ever since I read your book 7 secrets from hindu calendar art. My personal favourites are black god’s and white god’s and Lakshmi’s owl.

Regarding this article, for the first time I was a little lost. In this you express your views about liberalisation of the alternative gender and sexually alternately oriented people. You’ve put this brilliantly even bringing Baba Ramdeo into picture. But at the same time you talk about Bhisma not attaining moksha because he didn’t father any children. By this did you mean that gay people would also be rejected by the skies since they ideally do not father/mother children?? Being a bi/tri/oligo sexual man myself I find this a little disturbing.

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 7:11 pm

There is always an Upaay in Hinduism…..one can do one’s own shradda if one is childless, in Gaya or Kashi for example…..so it is believed….but then who knows……

Sep 08, 2009 @ 1:17 pm

heet

Yes, He is Adam and loves his Adam!!!

You feel it’s unnatural?
Go ahead but He knows that it’s as natural as your desires with Eve.

You say it’s sinful?
Go ahead but He knows that they are as justified as Arjuna was.

He asks should he change himself only because You are not comfortable?
Is ‘this’ not selfishness? Is ‘this’ acceptable?
Your mistakes can always be forgiven,
And He can be punished for no crime done?

Who has made the law?
Wasn’t Sati system a flaw?
He doesn’t listen coz you don’t hear!
Why then, shall he care, forget endear?

O Krishna, only you let them be,
You do not care for their body,
On Krishna’s chariot rode Shikhandi.

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
September 11th, 2009 at 6:50 am

Wow!……

Sep 10, 2009 @ 11:03 pm

thanyou so much sir, a piece of appreciation is all a 17 yr old will desire..

Sep 13, 2009 @ 1:12 am

pradeep

So very beautifully written indeed…
On krishna’s chariot shikhandi is always welcome.

I have one question sir..I heard somewhere that RADHA was a eunuch.. and that’s why Krishna just loved her and never married her.
This story is popular in some rural parts of Mathura and govardhan..

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:44 pm

There are many stories….there are stories of her being a married woman…..and before 10th century AD no story at all!

Nov 03, 2009 @ 4:23 pm

Dnyanada Palkar

Doctor, it may please you to know that not all Indian families shun parts of their culture. I am fortunate enough to say that my family, both maternal and paternal always clarified the questions we asked of them. As a child, no more than 10 years old, I asked my grandparents (after an interesting read of the ACK version of the Mahabharata) as to why Shikhandi was described as both man and woman. They answered explaining the detailed story, including the Yaksha part. They taught me to consider these examples of people not as men or women, but just as humans, who feel, who live just as we do. I am fortunate enough to say that I have grown up an open-minded person, and for that very reason I resent that Krishna labeled Bheeshm as “adharmi”. Had Krishna been in Devavrath’s place what would he have done in those situations?

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 6:10 pm

We can speculate….and that would be anyone’s guess…..but since Bhisma refuses to retire, it goes against asharma-dharma, which makes him adharmi.

Nov 12, 2009 @ 8:57 am

kavita

so what does Bhangashvana say to Q1) and Q2) of Yudhistra??

dhanyavaad.

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik Reply:
December 11th, 2009 at 7:05 am

Women have it better…..

Dec 11, 2009 @ 2:07 am

dr...k.c.goel

knew..through..BRUNCH..DEC13,2009

appreciation..4..simplified.N.logistic.versionof.complex..mythology.4.positive.matamorphosis
as.U.also.is..transforming..URSELF..towards…more..comfortable..n..peaceful..state.of..mindas..UR..past..brighthen..UR..maturity.

kind..regards
MBBS.of.1974.batch..UCMS(Delhi-University)

Dec 13, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

Dec 13, 2009 @ 7:10 pm

kailash sharma

just great!!!!

Dec 15, 2009 @ 12:35 am

Maithili Shetty

Dear Sir
I am a student of business management and absolutely love reading all your articles.They are an eyeopener as far as our traditions and mythologies are concerned.As a student of marketing I believe these stories help me to understand our Indianess a little more.Every article of yours is mentally very stimulating.Kudos to you Sir!Continue with the great work.
Regards
Maithili Shetty
MET league of Colleges(Mumbai)

Jan 14, 2010 @ 3:23 pm

whats in a name

dear readers,

reading above article i remembered a quote from a english movie, Dark Knight. “You Either Die a Hero, or Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain”. so if the old does not make for the new this is what happens.

Just wanted to share it with you ppl.

Feb 06, 2010 @ 10:49 pm

Shephalika Sharma

I just began to read the Mahabharata by Ramesh
Menon,and somewhere while referencing more details about some characters in it on the net landed on this article.
Amazing -is the article,our culture,our epics…..

Jul 05, 2010 @ 4:42 pm

Devdutt Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist

On Krishna's chariot stands Shikhandi

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