Whereas light was the first element in the Judeo-Christian tradition, it was desire (Kama) for Hindus. On the surface, this may appear insignificant. But this difference has manifested itself in profound ways in social mores and inhibitions, as well as laws and legal prohibitions, in the countries and cultures shaped by these two different views of the genesis of the universe. — Kamlesh Dwivedi, Hymnals of Desire
An e-commerce giant was on the radar recently for hurting the sensibilities of a section of the people by selling a painting depicting Radha and Krishna in a coital posture. This is actually a famous painting by an unknown artist who had made it as an illustration of Jaydev's epic Geet Govind.
The illustration depicts Krishna and Radha making love in a leafy bower on the banks of the Yamuna with papihas, or hawk-cuckoos, cooing on the branches of a flowering tree beside them and cranes ambling gracefully on the emerald grass adjoining the silvery water in the distance.
The inscription on the verso, from the twelfth canto of the poem, describes the passionate union of the couple as they lie on a bed of tender leaves, hips conjoined. Krishna smothers his beloved with ardent kisses. She returns them with equal passion.
Those who are screaming from the rooftops that this is an insult to Krishna while singing paeans to “Sanatan values” ought to know that ancient India was more evolved and liberal in both spirituality and sexuality.
The hypocrite “modern” India is too uncomfortable about sex, much less any depiction of lovemaking, nature's finest and most benevolent offering to humans. Koka Pandit, who wrote Kokshastra, called it “Ishwar pradatt nirmalyam” (god-given eucharistic offering).
Not only did Jaydev sing about Radha and Krishna in the thrall of physical intimacy in Geet Govind, but Kalidas, the greatest Sanskrit poet, did the same when he described Shiva and Parvati's conjugal proximity in Kumarasambhavam. Kalidas captured Shiva’s lustful playfulness in these immortal words: Sasvaje priyam uronipidanam prarthitam mukham anen na aharat, mekhala pranay lolatam gatam hastam asya shithilam rurodh sa (She pulled him tightly towards her whenever he embraced her; she moved closer whenever he kissed her, and whenever he tried to undo her waistband, she pretended she was trying to prevent him).
No one took umbrage. Until two decades ago, none of this was an issue. Now suddenly everything is being associated with religion and people's ultra-fragile sensibilities.
The Eastern consciousness never condemned lovemaking. In fact, Oriental spiritual texts eulogised physical intimacy for realisation of the Self. The great Adi Shankara had to experience Kama before he could defeat Mandan Mishra's wife in a theological debate. The Vedic consciousness believed Kama completes a person: Kamam poornasya abhidhanan. In other words, sexuality and spirituality go hand in hand.
We are still squeamish about the “rampant sexuality” inscribed on the temple walls at Khajuraho. But the explicit depiction of Kama has a deeper connotation. It drives home the point that the sensual and the spiritual are two sides of the same coin. Goddess Ganga, after marrying Bhishma's father, king Shantanu, taught him the first lesson of purushartha and that was Kama. Condemning Kama is tantamount to condemning life. It's to deny the elan vital, the life force. By casting aspersions on sex, we forget our ancient spiritual values and ethos. We know Indra seduced the rishi Gautam's wife Ahalya on the sly. Even this rather naughty subject involving the king of heaven and a sage's wife was tastefully described by Valmiki in the Ramayan and Gonikaputra in his sex manual written nearly a millennium ago.
We must pause and ponder why we have become so sensitive about religious figures and beliefs. Innocuous gestures and actions are condemned as hurtful while litigation-friendly people have a field day. This is rank immaturity redolent of an ostrich syndrome. We need to grow up and familiarise ourselves with ancient India's open-mindedness to all things corporeal. Prudery will lead us nowhere.
The writer is a regular contributor to the world’s premier publications and portals in several languages
