(The term sin is used to control people.)
Homosexuality has never been explicitly forbidden in Hinduism. The legalization of homosexuality has caused a schism among Hindu nationalists. Homosexuality has become more visible in print and audio-visual media over the last thirty years, with numerous LGBTQIA+ people, an active LGBTQIA+ movement, and a large Indian LGBTQIA+ presence on the Internet. Hinduism’s views on homosexuality and LGBTQIA+ issues in general vary, with various Hindu groups expressing opposing views. Several Hindu writings portray the gay experience as natural and happy; the Kamasutra acknowledges and recognizes same-sex partnerships. Many Hindu temples contain sculptures of both men and women engaged in homosexual acts. Several Hindu deities are gender-fluid or LGBTQIA+.
Hinduism has represented same-sex partnerships and gender diversity through rituals, legal documents, religious or narrative myths, commentaries, paintings, and even sculptures from Vedic times to the present. . Even though we have read about mythological figures such as Ila, Shikhandi, and Brihannala, who serve as stand-ins for homosexual groups and stories, it would be unwise to stop here. The concept of sin is central to Hindu ethics and morality. Its purpose is to facilitate world order and regularity, Dharma enforcement, and evolution through a corrective and punitive process. Sin can be caused by both intentional and unintentional actions, as well as by negligence and ignorance.
We discover a story about homosexuality in Hinduism, ranging from Vedic Hinduism to mythological Hinduism to local mythology, which supports the notion, that homosexuality is not a sin in Hinduism.
Vedic Story
Several deities have been designated as patrons of third-sex or homoerotic ally-inclined individuals. Epic stories about the god, as well as religious activities and ceremonies, could provide this support. Arani, the goddess of fire, love, and sexuality, has been associated with lesbian erotica through rituals in her honour, such as rubbing two pieces of wood considered feminine, known as the adhararani and utararani, together to imitate a spiritual lesbian connection, according to Conner and Sparks.
These sticks are also thought to be the male and female parents of the deity Agni, who is described in the Rig Veda as a child of two births, two mothers, and even three mothers. His mother’s names are Heaven and Earth. However, these two are also described as male and female in Vedic writings, as Dyaus and Prithvi. In the verses, the two mothers are also referred to as sisters. The rite’s two sticks, or aranis, are referred to as feminine. Although gods engage in homosexual or bisexual activity, such encounters are typically ceremonial and serve purposes other than sexual pleasure.
Agni, the god of fire, wealth, and creative energy, had same-sex sexual encounters with other gods, including sperm consumption. Despite her marriage to the goddess Svaha, Agni is shown to be having a same-sex relationship with the moon deity Soma. In this regard, Agni plays a receptive role, receiving semen from Soma with his lips, similar to Agni’s duty in accepting sacrifices from Earth to Heaven. According to Orthodox Hinduism, they are “mithuna,” or ritual sexual intercourse, and Agni and his mouth represent the feminine portion. In Vedic literature, Mitra and Varuna are depicted as symbols of masculine devotion and intimate interaction (the Sanskrit term Mitra means “fellow” or “companion”). They can be seen riding sharks or crocodiles while holding tridents, ropes, conch shells, and water jugs. They are frequently depicted riding side by side in a golden chariot drawn by seven swans. Mitra and Varuna are also associated with the two moon phases and same-sex relationships in ancient Brahmana writings: “Mitra and Varuna, on the other hand, are the two half-moons: Varuna is waxing, while Mitra is waning.” These two meet on the night of the new moon and are content with a cake offering while they are together. Everyone is content, and anyone who understands this can achieve it. Mitra plants his seed in Varuna that night, and it is due to his source that the moon later wanes.” 2.4.4.19 (Shatapatha Brahmana) Varuna is also said to plant his seed in Mitra on the whole moon night to ensure its waxing in the future. In Hinduism, new and full-moon evenings are frowned upon for reproduction and are thus frequently associated with citrate or other forms of intercourse.
Regional Mythology
Krittivasa Ramayana, a Bengali mythical literature, tells the story of two queens who conceived a child together. The demigods were concerned when the famed Sun Dynasty emperor, Maharaja Dilip, died without an heir. “You two make love, and with my blessings, you will bear a magnificent son,” Shiva assured the king’s two distraught queens. The two queens, one of whom has a child, carry out Shiva’s instructions. When they fall in love, Kamadeva, the deity of love, bestows a child on them, according to some versions of the story. The child was born boneless, but with the help of the sage Ashtavakra, he was able to recover fully.
Vishnu as Mohini becomes pregnant from Shiva and bears Ayyappa, whom she abandons in shame in the later, non-Puranic story of Ayyappa’s birth. Devdutt Pattanaik contends that Ayyappa was born from Shiva’s sperm, which he ejaculated after embracing Mohini, rather than from Mohini’s pregnancy. In another account, Pandalam’s Pandyan ruler Rajasekhara adopts the infant. Ayyappa is referred to in this account as “ayoni jata,” or “born of a non-vagina,” and then Hariharaputra, “the son of Vishnu and Shiva,” and grows up to become a legendary hero.
Krishna, a Vishnu avatar, also took the form of Mohini and married Aravan, according to Tamil versions of the Mahabharata. Because Aravan had agreed to be sacrificed, this was done so that he could experience love before he died. Krishna grieved in the Mohini form for some time after Aravan died. Aravan’s marriage and death are commemorated yearly in a rite known as Thali, in which Hijra (Indian “third gender”) actors play Krishna and Mohini and “marry” Aravan in a mass wedding, followed by an 18-day celebration. Aravan’s ritual burial concludes the celebration, during which third-gender people (known locally as hijra) lament in Tamil tradition, hammering their chests in traditional dances, breaking their bangles, and changing into white mourning clothing. This story is not found in any other versions.
According to Jayadratha’s Haracaritacintamani, a 13th-century Kashmiri book, Parvati’s menstrual blood is dumped into the Ganges and consumed by Parvati’s elephant-headed handmaiden Malini, who then gives birth, giving Ganesha an all-female ancestry. Courtright considers the birth “less auspicious” due to the lack of male input and the use of bodily fluids such as sweat or menstrual blood, but Ruth Vanita points out that Hindus consider Ganesha’s birth auspicious, and the use of non-procreative bodily fluids is considered sacred and purifying in many Hindu rituals.
Goldman writes of transgenderism in Hindu literature, “Few societies have given this phenomenon as prominent a position in the worlds of mythology and religion as traditional India has.” Many myths about gender transition, according to Goldman, are the result of patriarchal societies’ need to govern women’s sexuality, but many myths “convey a favorable evaluation of women and femininity.” Gender transitions can be brought about by a god or by using magic to deceive others or facilitate a romantic relationship. Gender can change spontaneously as a result of spiritual or moral character changes, either in a single life or through reincarnation. Historians Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai compiled passages from ancient to modern Indian works, including Hindu scriptures, in their book Same-Sex Love in India: Readings from Literature and History. They also claimed in their accompanying analytical essays that Hindu texts have studied and debated same-sex desire since the beginning of time, in tones ranging from critical to non-judgmental to joyful and cheerful.
The concept of a third sex or gender exists in Hindu philosophy. This category includes people with mixed male and female natures, such as effeminate males, masculine females, transgender people, transsexual people, intersex people, androgynies, and so on. Many MTF third-genders are exclusively or bisexually attracted to women and are not primarily or at all attracted to males. Males are attracted to many FTM transsexuals. Such people are neither entirely masculine nor entirely feminine in traditional Hinduism, but rather a mix of the two.
As a result, we can conclude that homosexuality is not a sin in Hinduism. And the concept of sin is simply a method of social and human control. Dictatorships or opposing ideologies use the concept of sin to control society. As a result, homosexuality was never considered a sin; rather, it is a matter of individuality and choice. I believe there is nothing to be afraid of; simply enjoy your sexuality with yourself.