Why do all Gods and other mythological characters of Hinduism have only sons and not daughters? I know you refuse to believe me, but what I am stating is absolutely true. People who only desire male children are described as having a son preference. This attitude is rooted in patriarchal norms, where male children are valued more for carrying on the family name, providing financial security, or enabling inheritance, a phenomenon often tied to son preference and daughter neglect. Consider the following:
- Pandavas of Mahabharat had at least 10–13 sons with Draupadi and their other wives.
- Kauravas were 100 brothers and one sister – the children of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari.
- Kunti of Mahabharat had no daughters, only sons.
- Lord Krishna had 80 sons and 8 daughters.
- Lord Rama had only two sons and no daughters.
- Lord Rama’s father, Dasharatha, had four sons and no daughters.
- Lord Brahma is said to have had ten sons and one daughter.
- Lord Shiva had two sons and one daughter.
- Mahatma Gandhi had four sons and no daughters.
What do I wish to state through all the above?
I will come to the above question. But first I wish to say that Hinduism speaks of many wives for each God and many children for each God. Some mythological and religious stories even describe children born to those who were not their wives i.e., out of wedlock. Each event in the life of God is a story, and we have innumerable such stories. Hence, it is almost impossible to accurately enumerate the exact number of children each God had.
But from that we have, we can easily say that Gods preferred sons, in the same way as each God preferred many wives! Thus, it is evident that is those days having multiple wives is a symbol of wealth! Having sons and not daughters is a symbol of manliness. For instance, we do not have great stories of king Janak of Ramayan, as he had no sons.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”. Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
