Dr. BR
Ambedkar in his book "Riddles in Hinduism" has devoted an entire
chapter which cites several examples from hindu texts showing the hindu
gods and holy men indulged in incest, pedophilia, gay sex, rape, kidnapping and even zoophilia. Gay sex is not wrong. It was socially unacceptable when Dr. Ambedkar wrote the book, and he fought for civil rights for gay people. These are examples of how homosexuality was demonized by hindu society when the hindu gods themselves had homosexual escapades.
Here is The text for those who want to read it for themselves
In the Vedas one finds matters relating to seduction, incest,
abortion, conjugal infidelity, deception, and robbery as well.
Prostitution was common and the prostitutes were called warrangnas.
There are some very obscene passages in the Vedas. For example in Rig
Veda read the lewd conversation between Pushan and Surya (Rig Veda
10.85.37) and again a similar conversation in Ashwamedha section of
Yajur Veda. We will not
Refer to Mandal10. Puranas are full of stories depicting open sexual
perversities which we cannot record here and must avoid the stink of
immorality.
go into the details of such conversations which may be offensive but we
will refer to some of them here briefly. Brahma is considered to be the
greatest spiritual leader of the Hindu Trinity and yet if we read Shiv
Puran (Ruder Samhita 2 Sati Khand 2 Chapter 19), we find him mentioned
as a cheat and a sex maniac. Even at the time of the marriage of Shiva
and Parvati Brahma displayed his sexual depravity openly. In the same
Granth another lewd story is recorded concerning Shiva and Parvati.
Reading the Hindu Shastras and Puranas we find that relation of the
sexes among the Vedic Aryans and gods was not ideal. Obviously these
standards were later followed by the followers of Hinduism. More than
one man shared one woman and none of them had any exclusive rights on
the wife. Devas molested the wives of the Rishis or sexually attacked
the wives of their colleague Devas. Rape of Ahalya, the wife of Rishi
Gautama, by Indra is well known and Indra was the prominent god of the
Rig Veda. In Adhyaya 100 of the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata we read
that Rishi Vibhandaka cohabited with a female deer and as a result of
this intercourse Rishi Shranga was born. In Adhyaya 118 of the Adi Parva
of the Mahabharata Rishi Vyas gives us a similar
The popular belief is that Lord Brahma produced the Vedas. He is said
to have established sexual relationship with his daughter Saraswati
The story is also found in Mahabharat. It may have come from Greece where goddess Medusa was similarly ravished by god Poseidon.
story of Pandu, the father of the Pandus, who received a curse from
Rishi Kadam. According to the story Rishi Kadam issued a curse because
he was engaged in sexual intercourse with a deer when Pandu disturbed
him. In Adhyaya 63 of the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata Rishi Parashara
had sexual intercourse with Satyavati, (also called Matsya Gandha "
fisherman"s girl) in public and in broad day light. In Adhyaya 104 of
the Adi Parva, Rishi Dirgha is stated to have staged a similar scene in
public.
(a) Incest:-
Father-daughter incest occurs in the story of Brahma and his daughter.
Brahma married his own daughter Satarupa.
"Wise, teaching, following the thought of Order, the sonless gained a
grandson from his daughter". Fain, as a sire, to see his child prolific,
he sped to meet her with an eager spiritR14;.
[RigVeda III .31.1-2]. Hiranyakashpu married his daughter Rohini.
Vashista married Shatrupa, Janhu married Janhavi, and Surya married
Usha.
(b)Rape
Rape was common. Some examples are Manu-Illa, Surya raped Kunti. Vishnu
raped Jalandhar"s wife (Varinda) who later committed suicide. Love-lorn
Vishnu did not even let her go after death. He bathed in her ashes,
bereaved her death for days and cried loudly.
(c) Sons married their mothers
There are cases where father and son married the same woman; Brahma is the father of Manu. Manu married his mother
Sharadha . Pushan too married his mother.
(d)Marriage with sisters
The discussion of open sex between a brother and sister (Yama and
Yami in Rig Veda Mandal X) The description of sexual relationship
between Yam and Yami (Brother and sister) is lewd, lascivious, and
bawdy. It is a spur to carnality. They did not get married but discussed
open sexual relations. From their discussion it is clear that in those
days sisters could discuss sexual matters with their brothers and even
marry them.
Brahma had three sons Marichi, Daksha and Dharm
and one daughter. Daksha is stated to have married the daughter of
Brahma who was his sister (see Adi Parva of the Mahabharata). Other
instances are Purukutsa and Narmada, Viprachiti and Simhika, Nahusa and
Viraja, Sukra and Usanas, Amavasu and Go, Amsumat and Yasoda, Suka and
Pivari.
Pushan is the lover of his sister Achoda. "Attendant on the Blessed
Dame the Blessed one hath come: the Lover followeth his Sister. [Rig
Veda X.3.3]
Agni is the lover of his own sister. R13;P$3;san, who driveth goats
for steeds, the strong and Mighty, who is called His Sister"s lover,
will we laudR14;.
[Rig Veda VI.55.4] Ashvins were the sons of Savitar and Usha who were
brother and sister. Krishna was married with his uncle"s Satrajit"s
daughter and Krishna"s son Priduman was married with his matenal uncle
Rukmaya"s daughter.
(e) Selling & hiring of women:
There is evidence that the ancient Aryans also sold their women (wives
and daughters). When a daughter was sold her marriage was known as Arsha
marriage. This was done through Go-Mithuna (giving away one cow and one
bull to the girls" father as price )R13; When (the father) gives away
his daughter according to the rule, after receiving from the bridegroom,
for (the fulfillment of the sacred law, a cow and a bull or two pairs,
that is named the Arsha rite".
(Manu Simrti 3.29)
"Some call the cow and the bull given as on Arsha wedding R15;a
gratuity" but that is wrong. The acceptance of the fee great or small is
a sale of the daughter." (Manu II)
Women were also rented to others for cohabitation. In the Mahabharata
we read that Madhavi was the daughter of King Yayati. Yayati made a
gift of her to Galwa Rishi. Galwa rented her out to three kings one
after the other. After the third, Madhavi was returned to Galwa. She was
now given by Galwa to his Guru Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra kept her till
he begot a son. After this he returned her to her father.
(f) Niyoga " mistreatment of women
Niyoga is the Aryan name for a system under which a wedded woman was
legally permitted to beget a son from another person, not her husband.
There was no limit to the number of men a woman could go for Niyoga.
Madhuti and Ambika had one Niyoga each. Saradandayani had three.
Vayusistasva was permitted to have 7 and Vali is known to have allowed
as many as 17 Niyogas to one of his wives. With the consent of the
husband a Niyoga could last from one night to twelve years or more.
Jatila-Gautami had 7 husbands. In The Mahabharata Daropadi had five
husbands and Pandu allowed his wife Kunti to have four Niyogas. Karna
was the premarital first born brother of the Pandus through Nyoga.
Abduction and disrobing of women in public is evident in the Mahabharta. Daropadi was disrobed in front of her near relatives.
In Shiv Puran Ruder Samhita (4.12) we read that Shiva ran after the
wives of the Rishis completely naked. On account of this indecency he
had to lose his male organ. In the temples at Jagan Nath, Konark, and
Bhuneshwar of Orissa there are statues of naked women in very
objectionable poses. Similar poses are openly depicted on the outside of
the temples at Khajuraho. Even Mahatma Gandhi was of the opinion that
KhajurahoTemples should be demolished.
Such stories do not lead to spiritualism or to ideal sexual behavior
which is expected from religious leaders. It is for this reason that
Gurbani says, "Dirty was Brahma and dirtier still was the moon. Shiva,
Shankra and Mahesha too did not fare well." (P.1158)
