CHAPTER 27
Gender in a Devotional Universe
Vasudha Narayanan
Gender is understood and acted out in different ways in the many Hindu sam-
prada ̄yasor traditions. The gender of the human being, the soul, and the deity
are articulated, commented upon, debated, contested, performed through song
and dance, poetry and theology. The discourses range from equating gender
with biological sex, essentializing the “womanly” and “manly” characteristics,
to changing behavior patterns which point to fluid gender identifications, to the
rejection and transcendence of gender polarities. The resources for such discus-
sions can be sought in brahminical Sanskrit literature which is frequently patri-
archal in tone, vernacular poems, songs, narratives, rituals, icons, arrangement
of temple spaces, folklore, and performing arts. The materials are plenty – we
are looking at over 3,000 years of literature and over 4,000 years of material
culture. One can move through the labyrinths of S ́iva or Vis.n.u worship, or seek
reinforcements for gender theories through literature and rituals relating to the
Goddess. We find many socially celebrated narratives and rituals of deities and
devotees taking on roles and raiments associated with the “other sex.” One may
spend the entire chapter deconstructing the many dimensions of Vis.n.u’s incar-
nation as the enchanting woman, Mohinı ̄, and its commemoration in annual
temple rituals. We could explore the portrayal of deities in iconography and
popular calendar art to see how and why they are depicted as simultaneously
having what may be “commonly” perceived as “male” and“female” attributes.
Alternatively, one may look at social constructions of gender by just looking at
what is called India’s “third sex” – the transgendered hijracommunity. On the
other hand, philosophical discourses push us away from gender dichotomies to
spaces which transcend the traditional polarities. The Hindu traditions have
a wealth of materials which can inform us on how some human beings have
understood gender in many ways over four millennia; narratives and arts which
can contribute to the current academic discourses on gender.