Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology: (Penguin Petit)

Devdutt Pattanaik

Penguin Random House India Private Limited, Sep 10, 2018 - Social Science - 16 pages

In devotional literature, gods take female forms all the time. Sometimes to serve as 'go-betweens' to bring lovers together, sometimes to stand in for a missing wife, and sometimes to nurse a sick devotee. Not all queer stories are sexual but they do challenge notions of gender. This queering, which is unique to India's devotional tradition, is worth examining to see how natural queerness was viewed by gods like Vishnu and Shiva. Read on as Devdutt Pattanaik examines a few of the most interesting instances of queerness in Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology.

About the author

Devdutt Pattanaik writes, illustrates and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. He has, since 1996, written over 30 books and 600 columns on how stories, symbols and rituals construct the subjective truth (myths) of ancient and modern cultures around the world. His books with Penguin Random House India include The Book of Ram, Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata, Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana, The Girl Who Chose and Devlok with Devdutt Pattanaik series, among others. He consults with corporations on leadership and governance, and TV channels on mythological serials. His TV shows include Business Sutra on CNBC-TV18 and Devlok on Epic TV. To know more, visit www.devdutt.com.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Gender Fluidity in Hindu Mythology: (Penguin Petit)
• Author: Devdutt Pattanaik
• Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2018
• ISBN: 9353052726, 9789353052720
• Length: 16 pages
• Subjects: Social Science / Folklore & Mythology