Table of Contents

Contents

• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction: Placing Stories in Context
• Universality of Queer Narratives
• Differences in Queer Narratives
• Hindu versus Biblical Paradigm
• Structured Society Within Fluid Philosophy
• The Hindu Way of Life
• Hindu Response to Queer Sexuality
• Adoption of the Colonial Discourse
• The Third Sex and Gender in India
• An Ancient Legacy
• What About the Women?
• Representation in Narratives
• Interpretation of Narratives
• Structure and Aim of the Book
• Chapter 1. Women Who Become Men
• Bhisma: The Son Who Swore Celibacy
• Avikshita: The Prince Who Believed He Was a Woman
• Amba's Quest for Manhood
• Children of the Man with Queer Virility
• Shikhandini Gets a Male Body
• The Raja's Daughter Who Became His Son
• The Girls Who Got Married
• The Inseparable Girls
• Man Who Was a Woman
• The Woman Who Became a Man and Then a Woman
• Sariputra's Sex Change
• Malli Who Became Malli-Natha
• Chapter 2. Pregnant Kings
• Bhangashvana: The Man Who Was Father and Mother
• Somavat: The Male Wife
• Son of a Eunuch
• The Forest Where Men Became Women
• The Dawn-God Becomes a Woman
• Riksharaja's Dip into Womanhood
• Narada Becomes a Woman
• Yuvanashva: The Pregnant King
• Ravana's Pregnancy
• Shiva Gives Birth to Shukra
• Kavya Gives Birth to Kacha
• Birth of Kartikeya
• Kartikeya Turns Away from Women
• Chapter 3. Cross-Dressing Tricksters
• Mohini Tricks Bhasma
• Mohini Fools the Asuras
• Mohini Kills Virochana
• Mohini Enchants the Sages
• Vishnu Arouses Shiva
• Death of Adi
• The Son of Shiva and Vishnu
• Kali Becomes Krishna
• Shiva, The Milkmaid
• Krishna Wears Radha's Clothes
• Krishna Kills Araka
• Krishna and Arjuna As Mother and Daughter
• Ghatotkacha in Women's Clothes
• Bhima in Women's Clothes
• Santoshi and Her Brother
• Krishna Becomes Aravan's Wife
• Samba's Pregnancy
• Ravana's Harem
• Past Lives of the Milkmaids
• Chapter 4. Castrated Men and Women
• Brihanalla: The Eunuch Dancer
• Urvashi Castrates Arjuna
• Bahuchara Emasculates Her Husband
• Bahuchara Cuts Her Breasts
• Kannagi Plucks Out Her Breast
• Shiva Castrates Himself
• Sages Castrate Shiva
• Indra Loses His Manhood
• Laxmana Mutilates Surpanakha
• Emasculation of Jamadagni's Sons
• Chelliamman's Female Companion
• The Man Who Had Never Seen a Woman
• Chapter 5. Neither This nor That
• Narasimha
• Creation of Ganesha
• Two Queens Conceive a Child
• Ganesha Remains Single
• The Separation of the Three Worlds
• Rama's Return
• Purusha Splits into Two
• Brahma Sees the Half-Woman God
• Shiva Makes Parvati His Left Half
• Shiva Fuses with Parvati
• Shiva Cursed to Become an Androgyne
• Bhrungi Tries to Separate the Androgyne
• Shiva-Linga
• The Prince Who Married His Left Half
• Afterword
• Notes
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• Index
• Reference Notes Included