Hinduism and compassionate adoption, a response to an accusative Parsi

Have you heard of the Indian Parsis? The Parsis are Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to India in the 600s CE to escape Islamic persecution there, not to be confused with the Irani who are also Zoroastrians but whom came to India in teh 1600s to 1800s. When they arrived on the shores of Gujrat the Hindus of India readily adopted them into their new home. This post is not about the loyalty (or lack thereof) of the Parsis, but if you are interested in seeing how they paid the Hindus back please see my latest blog on the Parsis, www.TheParsiList.blogspot.com. One example of how the Parsis returned the favor to Hindus comes from an essay written by a Parsi named Polly Nashir Chenoy, a member of the Department of English, Osmania University, Hyderabad. In the quote, Chenoy states that a philanthropic Parsi woman one evening found a Hindu baby on her doorstep, which she quickly adopted. Chenoy says that no Hindu woman would think of doing this. Later, when it was found that the baby was of "low caste", Chenoy says the Hindu woman chastised her for her compassion. 

"One evening she [a Parsi woman] found on her doorstep, an infant in a basket. Bhikibai gave it shelter, an act no Hindu woman would have thought of doing. The next day, it turned out that the founding was a child of a street-sweeper, (a Mahar by caste) (the lowest in the scale of castes in India). Her Hindu (women) neighbours spared no pains to make her bitterly feel the consequences of the temerity of her zeal." - "Anglicisation of the Parsis"by Polly Noshir Chenoy

I was very shocked and disturbed to see this and could not believe that a person who comes from a people who were readily adopted by the whole of India would make such a statement. So now let me do what I have come here to do and that is to show that Hinduism does speak of compassionate adoption. Now I don't know quite how to think of this yet, but in my quest to defend Hindus against this attack on their dignity I turned to the Vedas. In the Rig Veda there is a verse stating that the children of strangers are unwelcome for adoption. 

" Unwelcome for adoption is the stranger, one to be thought of as another's offipring, Though grown familiar by continual presence. May our strong hero come, freshly triumphant." Rig Veda 7.4.8

I don't want to do what Abrahamics do and explain this away by referring to the fact that this was a long time ago and things were different then, but they were. But the Vedas and Hinduism question themselves and Hinduism allows this questioning, the Vedas are not free of contradictions, but  this more represent and evolution in Hinduism rather than in inconsistency. Whenever I find something in Hinduism which disturbs me, I always find a counter-point that rests my mind. For example, the Lakshmi Purana can correct any misogynistic terms found in Hinduism by making Lakshmi the bestower if calamity upon those who dare to question strong independent woman who do not take upon themselves the traditional role of females. 

But as I have just stated, there are many instances in Hindu mythology where men, women and gods adopt the children of others. In the Mahabharata, an unmarried young princess named Kunti becomes pregnant with the son of the sun god Surya. Without a husband, princess Kunti abandons her son in a river, but he is found and adopted by a couple named Radha and Adhiratha. The child grows up to be Karna who is a famous and wise warrior who is known for his fidelity and loyalty to friends. 

"From fear of relatives she brought forth in secrecy that child who had come out with ear-rings and coat of mail. And he was gifted with the beauty of a celestial infant, and in splendour was like unto the maker of day himself. And every part of his body was symmetrical and well-adorned. And Kunti cast the handsome child into the water. But the child thus thrown into the water was taken up by the excellent husband of Radha and given by him to his wife to be adopted by her as their son. And the couple gave him the name of Vasusena (Karna), by which appellation the child soon became known all over the land. And, as he grew up, he became very strong and excelled in all weapons. The first of all successful persons, he soon mastered the sciences. And when the intelligent one having truth for his strength recited the Vedas, there was nothing he would not then give to the Brahmanas." - The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section LXVII

In another story, perhaps who could be a rishi named Visakha, adopts the children of the god Skanda after he is struck by a lighting bolt.  

"Markandeya continued, 'Now hear of those terrible and curious-looking followers of Skanda. A number of male children came into being when Skanda was struck with the thunder-bolt,--those terrific creatures that steal (spirit away) little children, whether born, or in the womb and a number of female children too of great strength were born to him. Those children adopted Visakha as their father. That adorable and dexterous Bhadrasakha, having a face like that of a goat was at the time (of the battle, surrounded by all his sons and daughters whom he guarded carefully in the presence of the great mothers. And for this reason the inhabitants of this earth call Skanda the father of Kumaras (little children). - The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Markandeya-Samasya Parva: Section CCXXVII

We also learn in the Mahabharata that the god Shiva adopts the children of the sage Bhrigu.

These are the seven. They are children of Bhrigu and are hence Bhargavas. They are also called Varunas in consequence of their ancestor Bhrigu having been adopted by Mahadeva in the form of Varuna. - The Mahabharata, Book 13: Anusasana Parva: Section LXXXV

While I was unable to find their references in scripture, through internet research and information from friends I found the following additional adoptions:

• Rishi Kanva adopts a baby girl he finds and names her Shakuntala 
• Dasharaj, a fisherman, finds a baby girls and names her Daseyi who later marries one of the Kuru dynasty. 
• King Shantanu of Hastinapur adopts the abandoned twin Kripa and Kripi
• Sita from the Ramayana is adopted when she is found in the furrow of a field by King Janak and his wive Sunaina
• Krishna was adopted a raised by a women named Yashoda
• The king of Pandalam adopts a baby boy he finds in the forest who turns out to be the god Ayyappan

Now back to what the Parsi said about Hindus and adoption, especially of "low caste" children. Notice that in all of the stories above the parents find the children randomly and have no idea of the baby's caste, yet they adopt them immediately. I think we can see from these anecdotes that adoption is common and even encouraged in Hinduism for humanitarian reasons. These types of attacks are common for Hindus, I remember learning from Christian documentaries that Hindus don't believe in charity because they believe that if one is unfortunate they deserved this due to past lives of immorality. But what could be more unfortunate than being abandoned as a baby? Did these Hindus pass they poor babies by, or did they pick them up regardless of their caste or condition? These sorts of accusations must be confronted every time so that the dignity and integrity of the eternal religion is never sullied by outsider.