कल्पान्तरे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

Intro

“Some idiot Hindus stated that the argument that shrI dharmashAstA in his form as ayyappa is observing naiSThika brahmacharya is not a sensible one as it suggests that ayyappa is “unable to see his women devotees in the 10-50 age group as sisters or mothers”. … Our deities have transcendental and most subtle bodies. They do not “eat offerings” or “observe brahmacaryam” in the same way mortals would be seen in our mundane level of reality. Rituals and myths operate at a higher level of reality. What is the significance of this? … All these factors come together to create a coherent “ritual reality”, which is the ultimate fruit a sincere worshiper truly yearns for. The deity’s presence becomes fully manifest and becomes a source of blessings for the worshipers and their families.” {GA18}

Domain of the sacred and taboos

Even though, fundamentally, there is no sacred vs profane distinction in the hindu POV in terms of restriction of applicability of concepts such as “dharma” and “brahman”, there is such distinction in the world of practice (a book should not be stepped on, though one can step on a shoe). Hindus are naturally emotionally affected by attacks or regard to these sacred entities. They serve to preserve some biases useful in the pursuit of dharma, artha and kaama.

“While H dharma has much diversity of praxis within it of course there are red lines. Fundamentally a religion does define the existence of a domain which might be termed sacred; which in the H system is related to praxis; so interference or infringement of those domains are red lines.” [MT_TW]
vAma-tantra-s involve deliberate transgression of these sacred limits in the hopes of liberation. [ST in Sutra]

Participation by abstinence

“When you participate in a religion, you do so, not only by doing what you are obligated to do, or doing something optional but allowed for you, but also by not doing what is prohibited. …” {GA18}

Ritual as modeling

“The gods do not merely receive veneration or sacrifice; they perform ritual and thus ratify it, conferring upon it ultimacy; the same ritual performance is thereby inaugurated in the mortal realm.”