Does Sanatan Dharma accept LGBTQ?

How does Hinduism view and treat LGBTQ+ people? This is a question that many people may wonder, especially in a world where LGBTQ+ rights are still not fully recognized and respected. In this blog, we will explore how Sanatan Dharm, the ancient and diverse tradition of Hinduism, has a rich and complex history of dealing with the concept of the LGBTQ.

 

Many Hindu people think that LGBTQ is some new modern westerly concept introduced to us by Britishers, but it’s actually not the case. This concept was present even in ancient India and the Vedic culture. And I’m sure you did not know about it that it was present in the Vedic age. And the reason you don’t know  is because you have not studied Vedic history and you have not read your scriptures. That is one of the problem with many Hindus. They are just Hindu by name. They will not follow any of the principles of Hinduism. They will not read their scriptures and still they will call themselves a Hindu. But yes, there were people with different sexual orientations in ancient India too.

 

Does Scripture accept LGBTQ.

The answer to this question is very simple. YES, they accepted them. There are innumerable stories in the Puranas where this concept is verified. So if you have read my blogs then I have told in my blogs that Puranas are the easy explanation of the difficult concept of Vedas. So puranas teaches us  by stories, so by many stories Puranas teach us  about LGBTQ also. For example the Ardhnarishwar form of Lord Shiv.

 In many stories male demigods acquired the form of woman. And Lord Ayyappa the son born from Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiv. Also in Mahabharata, there was a character named Srikhandi, son of King Dhrupad who was fighting on the side of Pandavas was also a transgender. But he was accepted by King Drupad. He was accepted by Lord Sri Krishna. So if the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not discriminating, then why should we discriminate?

Also, now I am going to give you some proofs from the Kamasutra mAnd other scriptures.

 

Kamasutra on LGBTQ

 

Before talking about the proofs  let’s talk about what Kamasutra is. So in Sanatan Dharm, you get many books related to different topics. And Sages wrote books on sex education also. And the most famous among them is Kamasutra, written by Maharishi Vatsyayan. In this book, Maharishi Vatsyayan compiled the ideas of all the authors on sex education before him. Yes, it is the sex education which today we are trying to impart in school. But it’s really surprising to know that it was already present in the Vedic culture. And some people might be surprised that  Dharm teaches these things also. I want to tell them that sex was not a taboo in India or in Vedic dharma. It was made taboo by the Britishers. It is not something bad. In order to continue the life on earth it is necessary. Obviously scriptures are against doing sex with other woman than your wife and doing sex for sense enjoyment. The main aim of sex in Vedic dharm is to continue the generation and life on earth. So in Kamasutra also many types of sex and everything related to it has been discussed.

Kamasutra, second part, 9^th chapter. Talks about oral sex.

Here is the image of verse and its translation in hindi I have given English translation below it:-

 

“Different types of eunuchs - There are two types of eunuchs - one in female form and the other in male form.”

Rishi Vatsyan calls LGBTQ as “Tritiya Prakriti”.

 

 

“The male form transgender hides his/her desires due to his/her body like a man, but he/she only wants a man for sex, hence she should do the work of mardan and savanha (massaging and pressing hands and feet). ”

 

This description matches the description of gays.

 

 

“ Due to tight security in the Raj Bhavan, it is not possible to see a man. There is only one husband (king) and many queens, hence their sexual desire is not satisfied. That is why they try to satisfy each other.”

 

Here we also get the mention of lesbians. Some queens of kings resorted to lesbian relationships as they could not get sexual pleasure from their husbands who were away for a long time. However, not all queens did this.

So from these proofs we come to know that these people were well accepted in the Vedic society.

Some other Proofs

Now we will discuss some proofs about their acceptance in the Vedic society from some other scriptures. Let’s begin with Bhagavad Gita.

 

“विद्याविनयसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे गवि हस्तिनि |

शुनि चैव श्वपाके च पण्डिता: समदर्शिन:”

-Bhagavad Gita 5.12

“The truly learned, with the eyes of divine knowledge, see with equal vision a Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and a dog-eater.”

 

In this verse, Supreme Lord Sri Krishna conveys that those who have attained true knowledge, the understanding of Brahman, see everyone as equal. For them, a pebble, a piece of stone, and a piece of gold hold the same value—there is no distinction. While we may perceive differences, true sages, possessing genuine wisdom, recognize the inherent equality among all beings. This profound knowledge is the essence of true wisdom.

Lord Krishna emphasizes that those with genuine insight, be they Brahmins occupying the highest rank in the Varna system or individuals considered of the lowest status like a dog-eater, are regarded as equals. The concept, rooted in the hierarchy of Varna system, underscores the equality of truly wise individuals, irrespective of societal distinctions.

The verse suggests that transgender individuals are equally integral to society, reinforcing the idea that true knowledge sees beyond external differences. In the eyes of divine wisdom, transgender individuals, like any other, are an essential part of the cosmic order, deserving equal respect and recognition within the tapestry of human existence.

“The mentally challenged and the homosexual must be supported ”

-Gautama CCVIII:43

 

“पुरुष नपुंसक नारि वा जीव चराचर कोइ।

सर्ब भाव भज कपट तजि मोहि परम प्रिय सोइ”

-Ramcharitmanas

“Be it a man, an transgender, a woman or any moving or immovable creature, whoever worships me with all his heart, leaving aside deceit, he is most dear to me.”

These profound words were spoken by Lord Ram. If Lord Ram holds such love for all, regardless of gender identity, then why do we engage in discrimination among the sons and daughters of God? Why do we hold discrimination against LGBTQ. If you are not respecting them, that means you are going against the will of Lord Ram and also against him. Vedanta teaches us equality but we don’t follow it because we are just Sanatani of name and character.

 

Why one becomes Transgender?

“Covered by the mode of ignorance in material nature, the living entity is sometimes a male, sometimes a female, sometimes a eunuch, sometimes a human being, sometimes a demigod, sometimes a bird, an animal, and so on. In this way he is wandering within the material world. His acceptance of different types of bodies is brought about by his activities under the influence of the modes of nature.”

-Srimad Bhagvatam 4.29.29

This verse is the answer to our question. So as per the theory of reincarnation in Sanatan Dharma, Currently you may be in a male body. But in the next life, it’s not sure that whether you will be a male or not. You can be an animal, you can be a demigod.  you can be a woman or you can be a transgender. Depending on how you live your this life, your next life form is decided. If you live your life like an animal doing all those materialistic and animalistic activities , you will  become an animal in your next life. Lord Sri Krishna confirms it in Geeta. Conversely,  if they lead a life aligned with virtues such as righteousness and devotion, a celestial existence may await you. It all depends on your actions and how you live your present life. So now from this theory, we get the answer that in your next life you can be a transgender. For suppose,in a previous life, someone was  a woman and had a deep connection with a man. In the subsequent life, due to the interplay of activities and karmic forces, the soul takes on the form of a man. Despite inhabiting a male body, the residual influence of past love and emotional connections persists, leading to a sense of discomfort or incongruence with the present gender identity . This is the reason because for so many lifetimes You got the body of a female and now suddenly when you get the body of a male then you are not feeling comfortable in it.  So in this life you can be a male, female or transgender depending on your activities in past life. And in the next section we will discuss the final view of Sanatan Dharma on genders.

 

 

Sanatan’s Final view on Gender

 

In the profound philosophy of Sanatan Dharma, the ultimate purpose of life transcends the mundane pursuits of material desires and sensory gratification. The teachings emphasize that true and lasting happiness, known as "Ananda"or eternal bliss is not to be found within the transient pleasures of the material world. Instead, the eternal bliss lies in realizing one's spiritual essence and connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.So the main aim of your life as per Sanatan is to get liberated from the cycle of birth and death. The material world, characterized by dualities such as pleasure and pain, success and failure, joy and sorrow, is inherently temporary and ever-changing. We  are stuck in this cycle of dualities and that is why we suffer. We become sad in failure, pain, etc and happy  in the moments of pleasure and success. But our main aim is to go beyond the Material happiness and desires. When we go beyond them, that is the time when we enjoy the real happiness. Genders are also a part of material realm. We are soul, not the body. This concept is known by us all, but we haven’t realised it. That is why we forget is and identify ourselves as male or female or transgender once you acquire this knowledge or once you realise it. At that time You will come to know that your real nature is beyond genders.

Today, as we see the aim of marriages is  completely different. You are just attracted by the the body of a girl or a boy. In same way LGBTQ people are attracted towards the body. The difference is that they are attracted towards  Same body and you are attracted towards a opposite sex body.  both are attracted towards the bodies. And that is not the aim of Sanatan. Sanatan aims to go beyond this body. So first we should leave this body centricity. And identify ourselves as a soul, as a servant of God. And then when you realise it. Then you also come to know about the bodily relationships.

 

In conclusion, Sanatan dharma does not discriminate between anybody. All are equal in Sanatan dharma. All are part and parcels of God and Sanatan Dharam. Our scriptures respect everybody. So we should also not discriminate between people. The meaning of our life is to go beyond the genders, not to Being stuck in them.