Myth, Gender, and Divinity: Transgender Representations in Hindu Epics and Scriptures

Gender diversity is often seen as a modern or Western idea only; nonetheless, Hindu epics and scriptures disclose non-binary and fluid gender identities in ancient Indian philosophy. The present paper analyses the depiction of transgender and gender, fluid characters in Hindu mythology to establish that historically gender plurality was recognized as a significant social, philosophical, and spiritual dimension. The paper is based on Vedic literature, the Mahabhrata, the Ramayana, and Puranic traditions. It discusses eminent personalities like Ardhanarishwara, Shikhandi, Arjuna as Brihannala, Vishnu in the Mohini avatar, Bahuchara Mata, and Aravan. The stories of these characters do not associate gender non-conformity with wrong, doing but rather with the maintenance of universal harmony, manifestation of divine power, and the fulfillment of social roles. The paper also documents the fading of transgender (hijra) identities from culturally rooted and ritually powerful roles to the marginalized condition inflicted by the British colonial regime, particularly through legal instruments such as the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871 and Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. The pattern of mythological acceptance versus colonial and postcolonial legal systems is used to underscore the continuing contradiction between Indias heritage narratives and the phenomenon of social stigmatization. Some recent legal interventions, including the landmark judgment of NALSA v. Union of India (2014) and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, are examined to understand ongoing challenges in translating constitutional recognition into social acceptance of transgender.