The Concept & Significance Of Ardhanarishvara :- When the Ultimate Man Became Half-Woman !

The Concept & Significance Of Ardhanarishvara

Ardhanarishvara is an androgynous deity composed of Shiva and his consort Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. According to many scriptures, everything in this Universe originates from Ardhanarishvara and goes back into Ardhanarishvara after completion of its lifetime. This view is supported by a lot of arguments.

The Samkhya texts state that there are two distinct fundamental eternal entities: the Purusha and the Prakriti. The Prakriti has three qualities: sattva (purity or preservation), rajas (creation) and tamas (darkness or destruction). When the equilibrium between these qualities gets broken, the act of creation starts. Rajas quality leads to creation. Therefore, Purusha and Prakriti cannot exist independent of each other. They must exist together and in harmony in order to create.


The Devi Bhagwat Purana says that Purusha (Shiva, in material form) worshipped and meditated on Adishakti for thousands of years, using the beej mantra "Kleem".She then incarnated in front of him in the form of Sidhidatri, from the left half of Lord Shiva. The same purana mentions Parvati, the Goddess of power and beauty, which is considered her Sagun Swaroop (human form). That is to say Parvati is seen as the truest material form of the Goddess, possessing the three qualities (sattva, rajas, or tamas).


From the union of Purusha and Prakriti, emerged all other Gods and Goddesses. Lord Vishnu, thus became the preserver of creation. From the navel of Vishnu emerged Brahma who took a few elements of Prakriti to create life and so He became the creator. Shiva took the role of destroyer to facilitate new creation. Thus, the holy trinity came into existence.


The Shiva Purana describes that the creator, Brahma created all male beings, the Prajapatis, and told them to regenerate, which they were unable to do. Confronted with the slow pace of creation, Brahma was perplexed and asked Shiva for help. To enlighten Brahma of his folly, Shiva appeared before him as Ardhanarishvara. Brahma prayed to the female half of Shiva to give him a female energy to continue creation. The Goddess agreed and created various female powers from Her body, thereby allowing creation to progress.


Ardhnarishvara personifies the dissolution of sectarian strains and the adoption of a more holistic, all embracing worldview. Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", that God is beyond the classification of male and female. It unifies all the dichotomies of Universe. It represents two conflicting ways of life which are needed for life to be created. Therefore, none can exist without the other.

 Across cultures, hermaphrodite figures like Ardhanarishvara have traditionally been associated with fertility and abundant growth. In this form, Shiva in His eternal embrace with Prakriti represents the eternal reproductive power of Nature, whom He regenerates after she loses her fertility.

It also answers the question as to why a wife must always sit at the left hand side of her husband. The wife traditionally sits to the left of the husband and is often called vamangi or the left-sided one. The left side is the location of the heart and is associated with feminine characteristics like intuition and creativity, while the right is associated with the brain and masculine traits - logic, valor and systematic thought.
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Ardhanarishvara – When the Ultimate Man Became Half-Woman :- 

We look at the Love , science and reality behind the symbolism of the Ardhanishvara form of Shiva.

Generally Shiva is referred to as the ultimate man, he is the symbolism of ultimate masculinity, but you will see in the Ardhanarishvara form of Shiva, one half of him is a fully developed woman. Let me tell you the story of what happened. Shiva was in an ecstatic condition and because of that, Parvati was drawn to him. After Parvati did many things to woo him and sought all kinds of help, they got married. Once they were married, naturally, Shiva wanted to share whatever was his experience. Parvati said, “This state that you are in within yourself, I want to experience it too. What should I do? Tell me. I am willing to do any kind of austerity.” Shiva smiled and said, “There is no need for you to do any great austerity. You just come and sit on my lap.” Parvati came and with absolutely no resistance towards him, sat on his left lap. Since she was so willing, since she had placed herself totally in his hands, he just pulled her in and she became half of him.

You need to understand, if he has to accommodate her in his own body, he has to shed half of himself. So he shed half of himself and included her. This is the story of Ardhanarishvara. This is basically trying to manifest that the masculine and the feminine are equally divided within yourself. And when he included her, he became ecstatic. What is being said is that if the inner masculine and feminine meet, you are in a perpetual state of ecstasy. If you try to do it on the outside, it never lasts, and all the troubles that come with that are an ongoing drama.

Full-fledged man and woman
Essentially, it is not two people longing to meet, it is two dimensions of life longing to meet – outside as well as inside. If you achieve it inside, the outside will happen one hundred percent by choice. If you do not achieve it inside, the outside will be a terrible compulsion. This is the way of life. This is the reality which is being expressed in a beautiful dialectal form – Shiva included her as a part of himself and became half-woman, half-man.

This is a symbolism to show that if you evolve in your ultimate context, you will be half a man and half a woman – not a neuter – a full-fledged man and a full-fledged woman. That is when you are a full-blown human being. You are not skewed development, you are not just masculine or feminine, you have allowed both these things to grow. Masculine and feminine does not mean male and female. The “feminine” and “masculine” are certain qualities. Only when these two qualities happen in balance within, can a human being live a life of fulfillment.

Purusha and Prakriti
If you look at the story of Ardhanarishvara as a symbolism of creation, then these two dimensions – Shiva and Parvati or Shiva and Shakti – are known as Purusha and Prakriti. The word “Purush” is today commonly understood as “man,” but that is not what it means. Praktriti means “nature” or “creation.” Purush is that which is the source of creation. The source of creation was there, creation happened, and it fit perfectly well into the source of creation. What is referred to as the Purusha is the cause, the main induction which sets things going. When the existence was primordial, when it was not in a state of creation, what caused it to snap up and suddenly become creation is referred to as Purusha. Whether a human being is born, or an ant is born, or a cosmos is born, it is happening the same way. In terms of human understanding, it is referred to as male or masculine.

The whole human population happened because of a single act of a man, because of copulation, isn’t it? That is not a great act. It could happen in any way. It could happen irresponsibly, negligently, forcefully, in anger, in hatred – it need not necessarily happen beautifully. Whichever way you do it, population will come. But what happened in the womb cannot happen whichever way. It has to happen in a very orderly and beautiful way, otherwise it will not work. If it goes wrong or happens violently, life will not happen.

So when we look at this basic process that set creation going, that process is just like one act. That is known as Purusha, but what takes this on and slowly evolves into life is called Prakriti or nature. That is why nature is represented as feminine.

The feminine in society
Today, society and even women have misunderstood feminine nature as weakness. Women are trying to be like men because economics has become the main force in the world. Everything is back to the law of the jungle – survival of the fittest. Once you do that, the masculine will dominate. We have chosen the power of gross conquest over the subtleties of love, compassion and embracing life.

You will see, if you just have masculine, you will have everything but you will have nothing. Consciously nurturing and celebrating the feminine in a society is very essential. This needs to happen right from school. Children should go into music, art, philosophy, and literature as much as they go into science and technology. If this does not happen, there will be no room for the feminine in the world. If we don’t see how to make both the masculine and feminine find equal roles to play in our life structure, we will live very incomplete, lopsided lives.
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अर्धनारीश्वर  स्तोत्रम 

Shri Ardhanarishwara Stotram 

चाम्पेयगौरार्धा  शरीरकायै  कर्पूरगौरार्धा  शररकय  |
धम्मिल्लकायै i च   जटाधराय  नमः  शिवाय i च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Champeya gowrardha sareerakayai,
Karpoora gourardha sareerakaya,
Dhamillakayai cha jatadaraya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya.

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva
To Her whose body shines similar to molten gold,
To Him whose body shines like the burning camphor,
To Her who has a well made up hair,
And to Him who has the matted lock. 

कस्तूरिका  कुंकुमचर्चितायै  चितरजःपुंजा  विचर्चिताया  |
कृतस्मरायै  विकृतस्मराय  नमः  शिवायै  च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Kasthurika kumkuma charchithayai,
Chitharaja puncha vicharchithayai,
Kruthasmarayai vikrutha smaraya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, 
To Her whose body is smeared with musk and saffron,
To Him whose body is smeared with ashes of a burning ghat,
To Her whose prettiness radiates love,
And to Him who destroyed the God of love. 

झणत्क्वणत्कंकणा  नूपुरायै  पादब्जराजत्फणिन  उपरया  |
हेमंगदायै  भुजगन  गदया  नमः  शिवायै  च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Jhanath kvanath kankana noopurayai,
Padabja Rajat phani noopuraya,
Hemangadhayai bhujagangadhaya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Prvathi and Shiva,
To Her who has tinkling pretty anklets,
To Him who has the king of snakes as anklet,
To Her who shines with golden anklets,
And to Him who has snakes as anklets. 

विशालनीलोत्पललोचनायै  विकसिपा  नकेरुहलोचनाया  |
समेसनयै  विषमेक्षणाय  नमः  शिवायै  च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Visala nilothphala lochanayai,
Vikasi pangeruha lochanaya,
Samekshanayai vishamekshanaya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva,
To Her who has eyes as wide as the blue lotus,
To Him who has eyes as wide as a fully opened lotus,
To Her who has even number of eyes,
And to Him who has odd number of eyes. 

मन्दरमलाकलितलकायै  कपलमलाङ्कितकन्धराय  |
दिव्याम्बरायै  च  दिगम्बराय  नमः  शिवायै  च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Mandhara mala kalithalakayai,
Kapalamalankitha kandharaya,
Divyambarayai cha Digambaraya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva,
To Her whose hair is decorated with divine flowers,
To Him who wears a garland of skulls,
To Her who dresses in great silks,
And to Him wearing the eight directions. 

अम्भोधरश्यामलकुन्तलायै   ताती  त्प्रभातंरजा  तधरया  |
निर्लश्वरायै  निखिलेश्वराय  नमः  शिवायै  च  नमः  शिवाय  || 

Ambhodara syamala kunthalayai,
Thadithprabha thamra jatadharaya,
Nireeswarayai nikhileeswaraya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva,
To Her who has black hair like the swollen cloud,
To Him who has copper matted locks like lightning,
To Her who is the goddess of the mountains,
And to Him who is the Lord of the universe. 

प्रपञ्चसृष्  ट्युन्मुखला  सयकायी  समस्तसा  महारकताण्डवाया  |
जगज्जनन्यै  जगदेकपित्रे  नमः  शिवायै  च   नमः  शिवाय  || 

Prapancha srushtyun muka lasyakayai,
Samastha samharaka thandavaya,
Jagat jananyai Jagatheka pithre,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva,
To Her whose dance marks the creation of the world,
To Him whose dance destroys everything,
To Her who is the mother of the universe,
To Him who is the father of the universe. 

प्रदीप्तरत्नोज्ज्वलकुण्डलायै स्फुरन्महापन्नगभूषणाय ।
शिवान्वितायै च शिवान्विताय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||

Pradeeptha rathnojjwala kundalaayai,
Sphuran mahapannaga bhooshanayai,
Shivanvithaayai cha Shivanvithaya,
Nama Shivayai cha namashivaya. 

My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva,
To Her with glittering earrings of gems,
To Him who wears a great serpent as an ornament,
To Her who is divinely merged with Shiva,
And to Him who is divinely merged with Parvathi.

एतत्पठेदश  तकमीश  तडम  यो  भक्त्या  सा  मान्यो   भुवि  डलरघजलवी  |
प्राप्नोति  सौभाग्यमनन्तकालम  भूयात  सदा  तस्य  समस्तसिद्दिः  || 

Ethath pateth astaka mistatham yo,
Bhakthyaa sa maanyo bhuvi deerghajeevi,
Praapnothi saubhagyam ananthakaalam,
Bhooyaath sadha thasya samastha sidhdhi

Those who chant this Ardhanarishwara Stotram with bhakthi will be blessed long respectful life and will be blessed with all they wish to to have in their lifetime. 

इत्ति श्री आदिशंकर भगवत्पदा विरचितम अर्धनारीश्वर स्तोत्रम सम्पूरणम् |

Iti Shri Adishankara bhagavatpada virachitam Ardhanarishwara stotram Sampooranam ||

Here ends Sri Adi Shankara bhagavatpada composed Ardhanarishwara stotram
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Santoshkumar B Pandey at 1.50Pm.

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