Like other
physiological fluids, semen is seen to ritually dirty a person by emission or
touch, despite the fact that it is evidently required for conception, which is
an auspicious occurrence.
In Hindu mythology, gods' semen is described as having
wonderful generative capabilities, as in the narrative of the deity Skanda, who
sponta neously formed when the god Shiva's semen dropped on the earth.
While a married man is required to have intercourse with his
wife at particular periods throughout her menstrual cycle, this is also seen as
a potentially harmful drain on his vital force.
Males experience a continual demand on their resources,
which must be properly managed to preserve their vitality, since women in
Indian culture are said to have higher sex desires than men.
This depletion issue is exacerbated in the odd situation when
a guy is younger than his wife, since her requirements are assumed to be
significantly larger than his capacity.
Because every seminal discharge depletes one's essential
powers, there are stringent taboos against masturbation, which is considered
not only as a complete surrender to one's baser inclinations, but also as a
real threat to one's health.
