The forces have to consider other the aspects of a psychological profile of soldiers as well. However, most likely, Article 377 will remain in the military law.
Rama assures eunuchs of better treatment in his next
Avatar. When Rama went to forest to fulfill the wishes of his dying father, the people of Ayotya followed him to the banks of Sarayu touched by their affection Rama requested the men and the women to go back.
After fourteen years, when he came back to Ayotya he saw the mounts of sands in the riverbanks. Non-plussed he disbanded the mounts and saw the human skeleton, with glittering eyeballs. When he rejuvenated the skeleton, he saw the various eunuchs who had come with the Ayotya citizens. Rama realized his mistake in asking only the men and women to return home and he had forgotten to mention about the eunuchs.
Bhishma won the three maids in
Swayamvara on behalf of his step-brother. The eldest daughter Amba,Ambika and Ambalika has already chosen Salva, the King Saubala mentally. But Bhishma and Salva rejected to marry her outright. To avenge Bhishma she performed various penances and was born as Sikandini to king Drupata. In her female personage, she served an ascetic, who blessed her to be converted to a male warrior, Sikandi. In the battle fought at Kurushetra, Arjuna fought Bhishma screened by Sikandi. Bhishma knowing his antecedent as a woman refused to take weapons against him and allowed Arjuna to defeat him.
The Pandavas had to spend their last year of their exile incognito. This period was spent in the kingdom of Virata. Rajaji describes this scenario aptly. Arjuna replied: “I shall hide myself in the guise of a eunuch and serve the ladies of the court. I shall hide under a jacket the scars on my arms made by the constant chafing of the bow-string. When I rejected Urvasi's amorous overtures on the ground that she was like a mother unto me, she cursed me with loss of manhood: but through Indra's grace the curse would hold good only for a year and the time would be mine to choose. I shall serve out that year of loss of manhood now. Wearing bangles made of white conches, braiding my hair like a woman and clothing myself in female attire, I shall engage myself in menial work in the inner apartment of Virata's queen. I shall teach the women singing and dancing. And I shall seek service saying that I used to serve Draupadi in Yudhistra's court.”
Arjuna in the gesture of Birhannala fought with Kaurava on behalf of Prince Uttara. “Arriving in front of the Kauravas, he got down, prayed to God, removed the
conch bangles from his hands, and put on leather gauntlets. He then tied a cloth on his flowing hair, stood facing the east, meditated on his armor, got into the chariot and gloried in the familiar feel of his famous Gandiva bow. In the ensuing battle, he defeated Kauravas.
Ancient
india, Carved Conch with Lakshmi-Narayana,11th-12th century
