Educative, Inspirational and Motivational posts on Islam

Educative, Inspirational and Motivational posts on Islam

Saturday, October 7, 2023

When the Gods Won’t Take No for an Answer: Rapist Gods in Hinduism

India has a long and dark history of sexual violence, most notably, rape. According to one study, a girl is raped every 20 minutes in India.

Most incidents go unpunished. Horrific details are covered up and flushed away by Hindu officials. Rape stats reveal an increase in rape cases in India from 2018 to 2019, with seemingly no foreseeable decline.[1]

What has created this kind of situation? How could an entire religion tolerate such crimes and disregard for human beings?

Hindus believe in millions of gods, and a significant number of them are depicted in Hindu myths of having engaged in rape.

How do Hindus firstly, believe in and accept a rapist god? Secondly, how do they justify the horrific crimes of the rapist gods? Thirdly, how do they feel no sense of remorse or shame about the accounts of the rapist gods?

Shockingly, a large percentage of Hindu men and women believe that rape is justified, and they cite the actions of Hindu gods to justify such behavior.

Let’s take a closer look the Hindu rapist gods below and the Hindu texts that describe their rapist antics.[2]

NOTE: We are only attempting to share academic information about Hindu scripture. We believe that the scriptures of all religions should be studied in an objective and academic way and evaluated on rational and moral grounds.

Vishnu

Vishnu is said to have raped Tulsi/Vrinda by assuming the guise of her husband. What can be more disgusting than a god raping a chaste lady? And much worse is the celebration of this rape as a festival. Yes you read that right. Hindus proudly celebrate the rape of Vrinda by Vishnu in a festival called Tulsi Vivah.

Shiva Purana, Rudra Samhita 2, Yudha Khanda 5, Ch 23.38-45 ”On seeing her husband, Vrnda too was delighted. She forgot her sorrow. She considered everything a dream. Delighted in the heart and with all the dormant passions kindled up, she sported with him for many days in the middle of that forest. Once at the end of the sexual intercourse she realised that it was Visnu. Vrnda rebuked him angrily and spoke thus. Vrnda said:—Fie on this misdeed of Visnu in outraging the modesty of another man’s wife. I have now realised you as the wielder of illusion, appearing in the guise of an ascetic. Sanatkumara said:—O Vyasa, saying thus in great anger she showed her brilliant powers as a staunch chaste lady by cursing Visnu. “O base foe of the Daityas, defiler of other people’s virtue, O wicked one, take this curse from me, greater in force than all persons. The two persons whom you made to appear in front of me shall become Raksasas and abduct your wife. You will be distressed on account of separation from your wife roaming about with Sesa ‘lord of snakes’ who posed as your disciple here. You will seek the help of monkeys in the forest.”

Indra

If you think that such an act can’t be done by a person like Indra, then you are absolutely wrong. Indra was very popular among gods and sages for ravishing others’ wives and had done this to Ahalya by assuming the form of her husband Sage Gautama:

Skanda Purana V.iii.136.2-16 ”There was a Brahmana named Gautama who was like another Brahma. He was endowed with truthfulness and piety. He was engrossed in the Vanaprastha stage of life. His blessed wife named Ahalya was very famous in all the three worlds as a woman endowed with beauty and prime of youth. Satakratu [Indra], the king of Devas, was infatuated by the exceptional beauty of Ahalya. The Slayer of Bala, therefore, tempted her. ”O beautiful lady of uncensored features, resort to me, the king of Devas, Sport about with me. You shall be one honoured in all the three worlds. What will you do with this Brahmana who has become lean and emaciated due to his over-zealousness for purity and conventional rites and austerities and Vedic studies! O lady of beautiful eyes, you must be rather undergoing sufferings now.”…Getting an opportunity, he assumed the excellent guise of the sage and carnally delighted Ahalya who believed (that he was Gautama) in the inner apartment. Within a moment thereafter, O descendant of Bharata, the excellent sage hurriedly entered the apartment. On seeing Gautama come Purandara [Indra] became terrified and he went out. Seeing him he thought (knew) that it was Sakra. So Gautama became highly enraged and he cursed Devendra: ”Since you could not control your senses, be one with a thousand vaginal apertures.” On being cursed thus, Devendra was instantly covered with a thousand vaginal apertures.”

Shiva

Srimad Bhagavatam 8.12.26-30 ”The beautiful woman was already naked, and when She saw Lord Siva coming toward Her, She became extremely bashful. Thus She kept smiling, but She hid Herself among the trees and did not stand in one place. His senses being agitated, Lord Siva, victimized by lusty desires, began to follow her, just as a lusty elephant follows a she-elephant. After following her with great speed, Lord Siva caught her by the braid of her hair and dragged her near him. Although she was unwilling, he embraced her with his arms. Being embraced by Lord Siva like a female elephant embraced by a male, the woman, whose hair was scattered, swirled like a snake. O King, this woman, who had large, high hips, was a woman of yogamaya presented by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. She released Herself somehow or other from the fond embrace of Lord Siva’s arms and ran away.”

Soma

Srimad Bhagavatam 9.14.4 ”After conquering the three worlds [the upper, middle and lower planetary systems], Soma, the moon-god, performed a great sacrifice known as the Rājasūya-yajña. Because he was very much puffed up, he forcibly kidnapped Bṛhaspati’s wife, whose name was Tara”.

Brihaspati

Brihaspati the Guru of all Gods raped his own pregnant sister-in-law named Mamata. A man with what kind of heart would do that,

Matsya Purana 49.17-28 ”Suta said:- Brihaspati, whilst staying on Earth, one day saw the wife of his brother, Usija, who was big with child, and addressed her thus:- ”Dress thyself well and let us enjoy.” She, being thus addressed, replied to Brihaspati thus:- ”The embryo in my womb is mature and is already reciting the Vedas. Thy seed will also not be fruitless and thy proposal is sinful.” Hearing which, Brihaspati said:- ”I need not to be taught morality by thee, O sweet one.” After saying that, he carried out his desire by force…”

Varuna

Varuna is the god of water. He is praised in several hymns of the Vedas. A story mentioned in the Mahabharata tells Varuna’s rape of Bhadra another wife of Utathya,

Mahabharata 13.154.10-17”…’Hear now, O king, the story of Utathya who was born in the race of Angiras. The daughter of Soma, named Bhadra, came to be regarded as unrivalled in beauty. Her sire Soma regarded Utathya to be the fittest of husbands for her…the handsome Varuna had, from a long time before, coveted the girl. Coming to the woods where Utathya dwelt, Varuna stole away the girl when she had plunged into the Yamuna for a bath. Abducting her thus, the Lord of the waters took her to his own abode…There, within that palace, the Lord of waters; O king, sported with the damsel. A little while after, the fact of the ravishment of his wife was reported to Utathya…”

 

Surya

Surya is the Sun-God and several hymns of Vedas are dedicated to him. He raped the virgin Kunti. Kunti was just examining her mystic power and the sun god appeared before her and was smitten with passion after seeing young and beautiful Kunti and then raped her.

Devi Bhagavatam 2.6.13-35”…Surya Deva said: – “O Kunti! What for you called me, by virtue of the Mantra? Calling me, why do you not worship me, standing before you? O beautiful blue one! Seeing you, I have become passionate; so come to me. By means of the mantra, you have made me your subservient so take me for intercourse.” Hearing this, Kunti said: – “O Witness of all! O knower of Dharma! You know that I am a virgin girl. O Suvrata! I bow down to you; I am a family daughter; so do not speak ill to me.” Surya then said :– “If I go away in vain, I will be an object of great shame, and, no doubt, will be laughed amongst the gods; So, O Kunti! If you do not satisfy me, I will immediately curse you and the Brahmin who has given you this mantra. O Beautiful one! If you satisfy me, your virginity will remain; nobody will come to know and there will be born a son to you, exactly like me.” Thus saying Surya Deva enjoyed the bashful Kunti, with her mind attracted towards him; He granted her the desired boons and went away. The beautiful Kunti became pregnant and began to remain in a house, under great secrecy. Only the dear nurse knew that; her mother or any other person was quite unaware of the fact. In time, a very beautiful son like the second Sun and Kartikeya, decked with a lovely Kavacha coat of mail and two ear-rings, was born there.” Tr. Swami Vijnananda

Ashwinkumara

Ashvinkumara was the son of the Sun God. He is said to have raped a Brahmin lady and impregnated her.

Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Brahma Kanda, 10.125-134 Saunaka was astonished at the words of Sauti and said, ‘Sir, what irony of fate led Aswinkumara, the offspring of the sun, to copulate with a Brahmin woman? Kindly narrate this incident and gratify my curiosity” Santi, the best of saints replied,”O best of Munis, impossible are the ways of Providence. Once upon a time, this tranquil, strong offspring of the sun was enamored of a Brahmin woman while she was going out on pilgrimage. Though he was dissuaded by her again and again he forcibly took her to a grove, ravished and impregnated her. The lady, bewildered with shame and fear caused her own miscarriage…”

Brahma

Brahma the creator is said to have raped his own daughter Saraswati.

Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Krishna Janma Khanda 35.8-20 “…Then he came and bowed to me; and having secured Saraswati, the enchantress of the three worlds, as his bride Brahma dallied with her in several places in solitude. After a good deal of diversion, he desisted from his amours and came back to Brahma-loka…Then they performed auspicious rites, greeted Brahman and the goddess Bharati, gladly ushered them in into the land of Brahma. Brahma sported with her day and night and was absorbed in sexual enjoyments…”

The objective of quoting these texts from Hindu scriptures is to highlight the major hypocritical attacks of Hindus upon Islam. The Hindu scriptures themselves contain such accounts of lust, rape, and other heinous sexual crimes. We call on all those who believe in and accept these works to open their eyes to the falsehood and immorality that they teach.

May Allah Ta’ala guide one and all to the truth of Islam. Ameen

Notes

  1. https://thewire.in/women/average-87-rape-cases-daily-over-7-rise-in-crimes-against-women-in-2019-ncrb-data 
  2. https://vedkabhed.com/index.php/2014/12/27/hinduism-and-lust/https://vedkabhed.com/index.php/2018/05/05/brahmas-incestuous-relationship-with-his-daughter/