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Bijaya Ghimire
Masculinity
28 February 2014
all men but I argue that there are limitations. In Bhagavad Geeta; the masculinity of Krishna in
general and Arjuna in Particular gets changed in its role over time. The study of masculinity of
Arjuna and Krishna shows that masculinity is not only attribute of physical body but rather a
acquired behavioral set under social circumstances. I argue that the crisis of masculinity comes
when the difference of personal masculinity performance and hegemonic masculinity is taken
into account. I will use the concept of hegemonic masculinity to study the personal masculinities
in Bhagavad Geeta. The main attempt of this project is to examine how masculinities of Arjuna
and Krishna is exercised in a situation of crisis. The project focuses on struggle of Arjuna which
goes on crisis when he denies fighting and surrenders to Krishna playing a submissive role. The
crisis model works on the premise that individual masculinity is always measured against the
masculinity notion otherwise it is only the accepting of masculinities(s). In the words of Walker,
instability and uncertainty over social roles and identity, sexuality, work and personal
relationship”(Walker,161).
Morrell puts his view that “Masculinity is a collective gender identity and not a natural
attribute. It is socially constructed and fluid. There is not one Universal masculinity but many
masculinity” (607). This indicates that the ways in which a situation is responded, masculinities
are differently performed. Butler also argues in the same line of per formative theory that gender
is a performance but not just a social construct as sociologist argue (Butler, 140). Connell
emphasizes that masculinities are “not fixed character types but configuration of practices
Bhagavad Geeta is one of the famous scripture which deals not only Vedanta philosophy
but with practical problems of life concerning how man could work on his duty. When Arjuna
sees the battle field of Kurukshetra , by notion of hegemonic masculinity he is to fulfill his
historic mission as a true Chhetriya (warrior), but when he understands the war at the critical
moment as a fratricidal war; a worldly weariness comes upon him by which impact he tries to
escape obligations and wants to live a life of an ascetic. This is crisis of masculinity of Arjuna as
Whitehead and Barret makes such comments on the masculine crisis as “(m)asculinities are not
fixed, they change over time, space and not least, during lives of men themselves. Having
accepted this premise, it is clear that for there to be a crisis of masculinity, there would have to
be single masculinity, something solid, fixed, immovable, brittle, even” (Whitehead and
Barrett,8).
When a person is unable to adept the moment of crisis, the resistance is displayed. In
general hegemonic masculine notion beliefs to be dominant but personal masculinity comes
under crisis when the person accepts the need of change. Society does not automatically allows
rather forces them to redefine and rethink as Reid states that “Masculinity is in a state of flux,
reconfiguration and change” (Reid, 2). This is the point where Arjuna’s masculinity is perceived
differently as he says
dr ̣sṭ vemam
̣ ́ sva-janaḿ kr ̣sṇ ̣ayuyutsuḿ samupasthitam
(Translation: My dear Kr ̣sṇ ̣a, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a
fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. My whole body is
trembling, my hair is standing on end, my bow Gān ̣d ̣īva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is
burning. 1.28-29)
Arjunas shift in thinking concerning him brings flux in his masculinity. A hero of the war
who ordered to place his chariot at a place between two armies changes his masculine
performance and talks philosophically as if he is a ascetic. When a person seems unable to fulfil
the desired masculine role with in a context, he is seen depressed. The mental as well as
Doubt and knowledge help to form different kinds of masculinities. The same scene of
the war does not bring any change in the masculine performance of Krishna but Arjuna goes
under state of crisis. When masculinity is under crisis, person seems seeking guidance and here
Arjuna does with Krishna. As Messner in his essay ‘Friendship, Intimacy and sexuality argues
that women usually have “deep, intimate, meaningful and lasting friendship where as men have a
number of shallow, superficial and unsatisfying acquaintences” (Messner, 253) which I find it
just a generalization which does not seem applicable in the relation between Arjuna and Krishna.
Arjuna is making inquiry as a intimate as he addresses Krishna in about 42 words like Madava,
Janardana, Madhusudana, Achuta , Partha etc. The names are very meaningful from masculine
perspective too; like the word Achyuta means “One who never falls from his position”. In
anārya-jusṭ am
̣ asvargyam akīrti-karam arjuna
(Translation: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, how have these
impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the value of life. They
Here Arjuna does no longer represent the norms attributed to hegemonic masculinity. He
is unable to hide his weaknesses which are unmanliness and unfitting to a hero like Arjuna in the
notion of hegemonic masculinity. As Krishna talks of Arjuna his manhood does not fit in
hegemonic definition of men as Kimmel also says; “a man in power, a man with power and a
Arjunas masculine pride is made up in a sense with his possession of Gandiva Bow. The
Gandiva Bow can be taken as phallus like symbol associated with identity of Arjuna, his heroic
When symbol of power and aggression becomes useless for a frontier man like Arjuna, it
brings change in masculine performance. Here the slipping of the bow can be taken as
Effeminacy. Here the relationship of Krishna and Arjuna is not in equal in status as Krishna
takes Arjuna as a innocent student who makes mistakes and Arjuna is acting in the same line and
surrendering to Krishna as a student believes that teacher knows all the answers of his questions.
Arjuna suddenly changed his masculine performance one from a masculinity of a war
hero to a man of confusion who is in utter dilemma of his duty. While persuading Arjuna;
[Translation: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of
grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead. (2-11)]
Here Krishna questions the masculinity of Arjuna when he does not perform as he was
expected to do so. The masculinity of Krishna is very different than that of Arjuna. The
Masculinity of Arjuna is selfmade and unstable as Krishna claims himself the Universal Teacher,
creator, preserver etcetera, his masculinity is fixed and unchanging as he says to Arjuna about
himself
[Translation: Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings;
changes a lot when he is counseled by Krishna. Reaching to the last part of the conversation, the
effeminate masculinity of Arjuna not only gets restored but is further strengthened. While
responding to the question of Krishna asked to Arjuna; has the delusion born of ignorance been
displaced, he answers
[Translation: My dear Kr ̣isṇ ̣a, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained
my memory by your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according
masculinity is now that of a military man who is ready to fight in the war following commands.
The dialogue in Bhagavad Geeta between Krishna and Arjuna starts when Krishna is on the role
[Translation: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies. (1-21)]
In Bhagavad Geeta it is described that person who possesses complete prosperity, yasa
(fame), Jnana (Knowledge), and Vairagya (detachment) the attributes of a perfect masculine
persona. Krishna’s personality and description is that of a director. When he sees bisworupa
[Translation: Thinking of you as my friend, I have rashly addressed You "O Kr ̣s ̣n ̣a," "O
Yādava," "O my friend," not knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in
madness or in love. I have dishonored You many times, jesting as we relaxed, lay on the same
bed, or sat or ate together, sometimes alone and sometimes in front of many friends. O infallible
The main masculine identity Arjuna underwent is from state of hero that challenges the
world to a anti hero that he found himself in a changed world different from the norms he grew
under which shaped his idea of war, death, truth and righteousness. The power has role of
changing masculine identities. Arjuna in the last again changes when he realizes the power of
Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. New York:
Routledge; 1999.
CONNELL, R.W. The social organization of masculinity, In Whitehead, Stephen M. & Barrett
Mascaro, Juan (tr.) The Bhagavadgeeta; translated from the Sanskrit with an introduction.
Morrell. Foreword. Men Behaving Differently: South African Men Since 1994. Double Storey
Whitehead, Stephen. M. Men and Masculinities: Key Themes and New Directions . Cambridge:
Polity Press,2002.