By Swami Harshananda
Śiśnadevas literally means ‘those who considered the phallus as their deity’.
The word Śiśnadevas occurs in the Rgveda twice.[1] Though its literal meaning refers to people who consider the śiśna[2] as deva,[3] Sāyaṇa interprets it as people who are lecherous. They were to be kept out of the cultured and decent society.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore