“The Man Who Was a Woman
and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore”
By Devdutt Pattanaik

“A god transforms into a nymph and enchants another god! A prince discovers on his wedding night that he is not a man! A king becomes pregnant! Another king has children who call him both father and mother. A hero turns into a eunuch and wears female apparel. A princess has to turn into a man before she can avenge her humiliation. Widows of a king make love to conceive his child. These are some of the tales that this unique book examines. “The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore” is a compilation of—with commentaries on—traditional Hindu stories with a common thread: sexual transformation and gender metamorphosis.”
(The Man Who Was a Woman… back cover)

“Aruna, the dawn-god, charioteer of Surya, the sun-god, heard that nymphs in the celestial city of Amaravati planned to dance naked before Indra. As no man but Indra was allowed to watch the performance, Aruna gained entrance by taking the form of a woman called Aruni. When Indra saw Aruni he was so aroused that he made love to her and together they created a child called Vali. The next day, Aruna reported late for duty and Surya demanded an explanation. On learning of Aruna’s transformation, Surya expressed his desire to see him as a woman. Aruna obeyed and Surya, too, fell in love with Aruni. They made love and created a child named Sugriva. Both children were given to Ahalya, wife of the sage Gautama. Gautama did not like them and turned them into monkeys who were then adopted by the monkey-king Riksharaja, ruler of Kishikinda.”
(p. 49)

“The demon Adi wanted to kill Shiva. Once, taking advantage of Parvati’s absence, he took her form and gained entry into Shiva’s abode. When Shiva expressed his desire to make love, Adi placed sharp teeth in his vagina. Shiva divined that the woman in his arm was not his consort but an imposter, but he continued with the charade to teach Adi a lesson. He placed a thunderbolt on his manhood, and penetrated Adi. Realizing his game was up, the demon tried to wriggle out of Shiva’s embrace but failed. He was forced to endure the fatal lovemaking.”
(p. 73-74)

“The Kauravas and Pandavas fought a great battle on the plains of Kurukshetra. Both were evenly matched. The oracles on the Pandava side divined that human sacrifice was the only way to please the goddess of war and ensure victory. Three men in the Pandava camp were found worthy of sacrifice: Krishna, the divine guide, Arjuna, the commander and Aravan, Arjuna’s son by the serpent goddess. As Krishna and Arjuna were indispensable, the Pandavas decided to sacrifice Aravan. But Aravan wanted a wife before he was sacrificed, as marriage entitled him to a cremation and proper funerary offerings. No woman was willing to marry a man doomed to die the day after his wedding. So Krishna turned into a beautiful woman called Mohini, married Aravan, spent the night with him, and at dawn, after he had been sacrificed, mourned him as a widow.”
(p. 87)


The Man Who Was a Woman and Other Queer Tales from Hindu Lore is available at Amazon.com and other bookstores.