Ardhanarishvara

Ardhanarishvara (

The name Ardhanarishvara means "the Lord Who is half woman." Ardhanarishvara is also known by other names like Ardhanaranari ("the half man-woman"), Ardhanarisha ("the Lord who is half woman"), Ardhanarinateshvara ("the Lord of Dance (Who is half-woman),^[1][2] Parangada,^[3] Naranari ("man-woman"), Ammaiyappan (a Tamil Name meaning "Mother-Father"),^[4] and Ardhayuvatishvara (in Assam, "the Lord whose half is a young woman or girl").^[5] The Gupta-era writer Pushpadanta in his Mahimnastava refers to this form as dehardhaghatana ("Thou and She art each the half of one body"). Utpala, commenting on the Brihat Samhita, calls this form Ardha-Gaurishvara ("the Lord whose half is the fair one"; the fair one – Gauri – is an attribute of Parvati).^[6] The Vishnudharmottara Purana simply calls this form Gaurishvara ("The Lord/husband of Gauri).^[7]

Origins and early images

The conception of Ardhanarishvara may have been inspired by

The iconographic 16th century work Shilparatna, the Matsya Purana and Agamic texts like Amshumadbhedagama, Kamikagama, Supredagama and Karanagama – most of them of South Indian origin – describe the iconography of Ardhanarishvara.^{[22][23][24][25][26]} The right superior side of the body usually is the male Shiva and the left is the female Parvati; in rare depictions belonging to the Shaktism school, the feminine holds the dominant right side.^[27] The icon usually is prescribed to have four, three or two arms, but rarely is depicted with eight arms. In the case of three arms, the Parvati side has only one arm, suggesting a lesser role in the icon.

Male half

The male half wears a jata-mukuta (a headdress formed of piled, matted hair) on his head, adorned with a crescent moon. Sometimes the jata-mukuta is adorned with serpents and the river goddess

The Shiva half has a flat masculine chest, a straight vertical chest, broader shoulder, wider waist and muscular thigh.^[29] He wears a yagnopavita (sacred thread) across the chest, which is sometimes represented as a naga-yagnopavita (a snake worn as a yagnopavita) or a string of pearls or gems. The yajnopavita may also divide the torso into its male and female halves. He wears ornaments characteristic of Shiva's iconography, including serpent ornaments.^{[23][28][30][32]}

In some North Indian images,^[30] the male half may be nude and also be ithyphallic (urdhavlinga or urdhavreta: with an erect phallus), however, connotes the very opposite in this context.^[33] It contextualize "seminal retention" or practice of celibacy^[34] (illustration of Urdhva Retas),^[35][36][37] and represents the deity as "the one who stands for complete control of the senses, and for the supreme carnal renunciation",^[33] other images found in North India include full or half phallus and one testicle.^[18] However, such imagery is never found in South Indian images;^[30] the loins are usually covered in a garment (sometimes a dhoti) of silk or cotton, or the skin of a tiger or deer), typically down to the knee, and held in place by a sarpa-mekhala, serpent girdle or jewellery. The right leg may be somewhat bent or straight and often rests on a lotus pedestal (padma-pitha). The whole right half is described as smeared with ashes and as terrible and red-coloured or gold or coral in appearance; however, these features are rarely depicted.^[28][30]

Female half

The female half has karanda-mukuta (a basket-shaped crown) on her head or well-combed knotted hair or both. The left ear wears a valika-kundala (a type of earring). A tilaka or bindu (a round red dot) adorns her forehead, matching Shiva's third eye. The left eye is painted with black eyeliner.^[38] While the male neck is sometimes adorned with a jewelled hooded serpent, the female neck has a blue lotus matching it.^[5]

In the four-armed form, one of the left arms rests on Nandi's head, while the other is bent in kataka mudra pose and holds a nilotpala (blue lotus) or hangs loosely at her side. In the three-armed representation, the left hand holds a flower, a mirror or a parrot. In the case of two-armed icons, the left hand rests on Nandi's head, hangs loose or holds either a flower, a mirror or a parrot. The parrot may be also perched on Parvati's wrist. Her hand(s) is/are adorned with ornaments like a keyura (anklet) or kankana (bangles).^[32][38]

Parvati has a well-developed, round bosom and a narrow feminine waist embellished with various haras (religious bracelets) and other ornaments, made of diamonds and other gems. She has a fuller thigh and a curvier body and hip than the male part of the icon.^[18][38] The torso, hip and pelvis of the female is exaggerated to emphasize the anatomical differences between the halves.^[39] Though the male private parts may be depicted, the female genitalia are never depicted and the loins are always draped.^[18] She wears a multi-coloured or white silken garment down to her ankle and one or three girdles around her waist. The left half wears an anklet and her foot is painted red with henna. The left leg may be somewhat bent or straight, resting on a lotus pedestal. In contrast to the Shiva half, the Parvati half – smeared with saffron – is described as calm and gentle, fair and parrot-green or dark in colour.^[32][38] She may be draped in a sari covering her torso and legs.

Postures and vahana

The posture of Ardhanarishvara may be tribhanga – bent in three parts: head (leaning to the left), torso (to the right) and right leg or in the sthanamudra position (straight), sometimes standing on a lotus pedestal, whereupon it is called samapada. Seated images of Ardhanarishvara are missing in iconographic treatises, but are still found in sculpture and painting.^[30][40] Though the canons often depict the Nandi bull as the common vahana (mount) of Ardhanarishvara, some depictions have Shiva's bull vahana seated or standing near or behind his foot, while the goddess's lion vahana is near her foot.^[41][42]

Eight-armed form

The

The Naradiya Purana mentions that Ardhanarishvara is half-black and half-yellow, nude on one side and clothed on other, wearing skulls and a garland of lotuses on the male half and female half respectively.^[43] The Linga Purana gives a brief description of Ardhanarishvara as making varada and abhaya mudras and holding a trishula and a lotus.^[44] The Vishnudharmottara Purana prescribes a four-armed form, with right hands holding a rosary and trishula, while the left ones bear a mirror and a lotus. The form is called Gaurishvara in this text.^[7]

Legends

The mythology of Ardhanarishvara – which mainly originates in the Puranic canons – was developed later to explain existent images of the deity that had emerged in the Kushan era.^[11][20][45]

The unnamed half-female form of Shiva is also alluded to in the epic Mahabharata. In Book XIII, Upamanyu praises Shiva rhetorically asking if there is anyone else whose half-body is shared by his spouse, and adds that the universe had risen from the union of sexes, as represented by Shiva's half-female form. In some narratives, Shiva is described as dark and fair-complexioned, half yellow and half white, half woman and half man, and both woman and man. In Book XIII, Shiva preaches to Parvati that half of his body is made up of her body.^[46]

In the Skanda Purana, Parvati requests Shiva to allow her to reside with him, embracing "limb-to-limb", and so Ardhanarishvara is formed.^[47] It also tells that when the demon Andhaka wanted to seize Parvati and make her his wife, Vishnu rescued her and brought her to his abode. When the demon followed her there, Parvati revealed her Ardhanarishvara form to him. Seeing the half-male, half-female form, the demon lost interest in her and left. Vishnu was amazed to see this form and saw himself in the female part of the form.^[21]

The

The Matsya Purana describes how Brahma, pleased with a penance performed by Parvati, rewards her by blessing her with a golden complexion. This renders her more attractive to Shiva, to whom she later merges as one half of his body.^[23]

worshipping and circumambulating him. Agitated, Parvati cursed Bhringi to lose all his flesh and blood, reducing him to a skeleton. In this form Bhringi could not stand erect, so the compassionate ones who witnessed the scene blessed the sage with a third leg for support. As her attempt to humiliate the sage had failed, Parvati punished herself with austerities that pleased Shiva and led him to grant her the boon of uniting with him, thereby compelling Bhringi to worship her as well as himself in the form of Ardhanarishvara. However, the sage assumed the form of a beetle and circumambulating only the male half, drilling a hole in the deity. Amazed by his devotion, Parvati reconciled with the sage and blessed him.^[53][54] The seventh-century Shaiva Nayanar saint Appar mentions that after marrying Parvati, Shiva incorporated her into half of his body.^[21]

In the Kalika Purana, Parvati (called Gauri here) is described as having suspected Shiva of infidelity when she saw her own reflection in the crystal-like breast of Shiva. A conjugal dispute erupted but was quickly resolved, after which Parvati wished to stay eternally with Shiva in his body. The divine couple was thereafter fused as Ardhanarishvara.^[47] Another tale from North India also talks about Parvati's jealousy. Another woman, the river Ganga – often depicted flowing out of Shiva's locks – sat on his head, while Parvati (as Gauri) sat on his lap. To pacify Gauri, Shiva united with her as Ardhanarishvara.^[54]

Only in tales associated with the cult of Shakta (in which the Goddess is considered the Supreme Being) is the Goddess venerated as the Maker of All. In these tales, it is her body (not Shiva's) which splits into male and female halves.^[27]

Symbolism

Ardhanarishvara symbolizes that the male and female principles are inseparable.

Linga of Shiva and Yoni of Devi creating the cosmos.^[57][58][59] The Mahabharata lauds this form as the source of creation.^[46] Ardhanarishvara also suggests the element of Kama or Lust, which leads to creation.^[59]

Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", "bi-unity of male and female in God" and "the bisexuality and therefore the non-duality" of the Supreme Being.[20]^[60] It conveys that God is both Shiva and Parvati, "both male and female, both father and mother, both aloof and active, both fearsome and gentle, both destructive and constructive" and unifies all other dichotomies of the universe.^[55] While Shiva's rosary in the Ardhanarishvara iconography associates him with asceticism and spirituality, Parvati's mirror associates her to the material illusory world.^[61] Ardhanarishvara reconciles and harmonizes the two conflicting ways of life: the spiritual way of the ascetic as represented by Shiva, and the materialistic way of the householder as symbolized by Parvati, who invites the ascetic Shiva into marriage and the wider circle of worldly affairs. The interdependence of Shiva on his power (Shakti) as embodied in Parvati is also manifested in this form.^[55] Ardhanarishvara conveys that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same, an interpretation also declared in inscriptions found along with Ardhanarishvara images in Java and the eastern Malay Archipelago.^[3][9] The Vishnudharmottara Purana also emphasizes the identity and sameness of the male Purusha and female Prakriti, manifested in the image of Ardhanarishvara.^[62] According to Shaiva guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (1927–2001), Ardhanarishvara signifies that the great Shiva is "All, inseparable from His energy" (i.e. his Shakti) and is beyond gender.^[63]

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 is a duality in unity, the underlying principle being a sexual dualism".

Sivaramamurti calls it "a unique connection of the closely knit ideal of man and woman rising above the craving of the flesh and serving as a symbol of hospitality and parenthood".^[20] The dual unity of Ardhanarishvara is considered "a model of conjugal inseparability". Padma Upadhyaya comments, "The idea of ... Ardhanārīśvara is to locate the man in the woman as also the woman in the man and to create perfect homogeneity in domestic affairs".^[19]

Often, the right half of Ardhanarishvara is male and the left is female. 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, valour and systematic thought.[12]^[64] The female is often not equal in the Ardhanarishvara, the male god who is half female; she remains a dependent entity.^[65] Ardhanarishvara "is in essence Shiva, not Parvati". This is also reflected in mythology, where Parvati becomes a part of Shiva. It is likewise reflected in iconography: Shiva often has two supernatural arms and Parvati has just one earthly arm, and his bull vahana – not her lion vahana – typically accompanies them.^[66]

Worship

Ardhanarishvara is one of the most popular iconographic forms of Shiva. It is found in more or less all temples and shrines dedicated to Shiva all over India and South-east Asia.

Thiruchengode,^[70][71] while five others are located in Kallakkurichi taluk, all of them in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.^[72]

The Linga Purana advocates the worship of Ardhanarishvara by devotees to attain union with Shiva upon dissolution of the world and thus attain salvation.^[61] The Ardhanarinateshvara Stotra composed by Adi Shankaracharya is a popular hymn dedicated to the deity.^[73] The Nayanar saints of Tamil Nadu exault the deity in hymns. While the 8th-century Nayanar saint Sundarar says that Shiva is always inseparable from the Mother Goddess,^[5] another 7th-century Nayanar saint Sambandar describes how the "eternal feminine" is not only his consort, but she is also part of him.^[5] The renowned Sanskrit writer Kalidasa (c. 4th–5th century) alludes Ardhanarishvara in invocations of his Raghuvamsa and Malavikagnimitram, and says that Shiva and Shakti are as inseparable as word and meaning.^[7] The 9th-century Nayanar saint Manikkavacakar casts Parvati in the role of the supreme devotee of Shiva in his hymns. He alludes to Ardhanarishvara several times and regards it the ultimate goal of a devotee to be united with Shiva as Parvati is in the Ardhanarishvara form.^[55]

See also

• Shatkona, a six-pointed star, with a meaning similar (if not the same) as Ardhanarishvara.
• Harihara: composite form of the gods Shiva and Vishnu
• Jumadi: a regional composite form of Shiva and Parvati
• Vaikuntha Kamalaja: composite form of Vishnu and Lakshmi

Notes

1. ^ Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (2008 revision)
2. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 69.
3. ^ ^{a b c d} Garg (ed), pp. 598–9
4. ISBN 0-8160-5923-3
   .
5. ^ ^{a b c d e} Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 57
6. ^ Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 60
7. ^ ^{a b c} Collins p. 80
8. ^ ^{a b c} Chakravarti 1986, p. 44.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e} Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 58
10. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kramrisch pp. 200–3, 207–8
11. ^ ^{a b c d} Srinivasan p.57
12. ^ ^{a b c} Daniélou pp. 63–7
13. ^ Srinivasan pp. 57, 59
14. ^ Srinivasan pp. 57–8
15. ^ ^{a b c} Swami Parmeshwaranand pp. 55–6
16. ^ ^{a b} Chakravarti 1986, p. 146.
17. ^ See image in Goldberg pp. 26–7
18. ^ ^{a b c d} Goldberg p. 30
19. ^ ^{a b} Chakravarti 1986, p. 43.
20. ^ ^{a b c d} Dehejia pp. 37–9
21. ^ ^{a b c} Pande, Dr. Alka. "The Icon of Creation – Ardhanarisvara". Official site of author. Archived from the original on 4 July 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
22. ^ Rao p. 323
23. ^ ^{a b c d} Collins p.77
24. ^ Rajarajan, R. K. K. (January 2000). "Dance of Ardhanari as Pattini-Kannaki with special reference to the Cilappatikaram". Berliner Indologische Studien.
25. ^ Rajarajan, R. K. K. "Dance of Ardhanārī. A Historiographical Retrospection". Convegni.
26. ^ Rajarajan, R. K. K. Masterpieces of Indian Literature and Art - Tears of Kaṇṇaki: Annals and Iconology of the 'Cilappatikāram'.
27. ^ ^{a b} Goldberg pp. 145–8
28. ^ ^{a b c d e} Rao pp. 324–5
29. ^ ^{a b c} Goldberg p. 12
30. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Goldberg p. 13
31. ^ Rao pp. 327–8
32. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Ardhanārīśvara". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica. 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2011.
33. ^ ^{a b} Kramrisch 1994a, p. 218.
34. ^ Ghurye, G.S., 1952. Ascetic Origins. Sociological Bulletin, 1(2), pp.162-184.
35. ^ Kramrisch 1994a, p. 26.
36. ^ Pensa, Corrado. "Some Internal and Comparative Problems in the Field of Indian Religions." Problems and Methods of the History of Religions. Brill, 1972. 102-122.
37. ^ Pattanaik, Devdutt. Shiva to Shankara: Decoding the phallic symbol. Indus Source, 2006.
38. ^ ^{a b c d} Rao pp. 325–6
39. ^ Rao pp. 329–30
40. ^ ^{a b} Rao pp. 330–2
41. ^ Srinivasan p.266
42. ^ Daniélou p. 147
43. ^ Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 61
44. ^ ^{a b} Collins p. 78-9
45. ^ Goldberg p. 157
46. ^ ^{a b} Collins p.76
47. ^ ^{a b c} Swami Parmeshwaranand pp. 60–1
48. ^ Rao pp. 321–2
49. ^ Collins p.77-8
50. ^ Collins pp. 76–7
51. ^ Kramrisch p. 205
52. ^ Rao pp. 327–8: The male half of the four-armed Ardhanarishvara at Badami wears snake ornaments and a knee-length deerskin dress and holds a parashu. His jatamukuta is adorned by the crescent moon as well as a skull. The female side wears gold ornaments and an ankle-length silk garment, and carries a nilotpala. Together with the remaining arms, Ardhanarishvara plays a veena. The skeleton figure identified with Bhringi stands beside him. The bull stands behind the deity.
53. ^ Rao pp. 322–3
54. ^ ^{a b} Pattanaik, Devdutt (Sep 16, 2005). "Ardhanareshwara". Official site of Devdutt Pattanaik. Archived from the original on 21 November 2010. Retrieved 6 February 2011.
55. ^
    ISBN 81-208-0394-9
    .
56. ^ Goldberg p.115
57. ^ Rao pp. 332
58. ^ ^{a b} Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 59
59. ^
    ISBN 0-89281-354-7
    .
60. ISBN 0-304-70423-7
    .
61. ^ ^{a b} Srinivasan p. 158
62. ^ Srinivasan p. 59
63. ^ Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (2003). Dancing with Siva: Hinduism's Contemporary Catechism. Himalayan Academy Publications. p. 758.
64. ^ Goldberg p. 156
65. doi:10.1093/jaarel/lfi130
    .
66. JSTOR 4129920
    .
67. ^ Goldberg p. 1
68. ^ ^{a b} Yadav p. 161
69. ^ Swami Parmeshwaranand pp. 55, 61
70. ^ ^{a b} Moorthy, K. K. (1991). "Tiruchengodu - Ardhanareeswarar Tirukovil". The Temples of Tamilnadu. Tirupathi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
71. ^ "Site about Tiruchengode temple". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
72. ISBN 978-0-226-34046-3
    .
73. ^ Goldberg p. 4

References

• Collins, Charles Dillard (1988). The iconography and ritual of Śiva at Elephanta. SUNY Press.
  ISBN 0-88706-773-5
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• Chakravarti, Mahadev (1986). The concept of Rudra-Śiva through the ages. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
  ISBN 81-208-0053-2
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• Dehejia, Harsha V. (1997). Pārvatīdarpaṇa: an exposition of Kāśmir Śaivism through the images of Śiva and Parvati. Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
  ISBN 81-208-1484-3
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• Goldberg, Ellen (2002). The Lord who is half woman: Ardhanārīśvara in Indian and feminist perspective. SUNY Press.
  ISBN 0-7914-5325-1
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• Garg, Ganga Ram, ed. (1992). Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world. Vol. 3: Ar-Az. Concept Publishing Company.
  ISBN 81-7022-376-8
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• Kramrisch, Stella (1981). The Presence of Siva. Princeton University Press.
  ISBN 0-691-01930-4
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• Rao, T.A. Gopinatha (1916). Elements of Hindu iconography. Vol. 2: Part I. Madras: Law Printing House.
• Srinivasan, Doris Meth (1997). Many Heads, Arms, and Eyes: Origin, Meaning, and Form of Multiplicity in Indian Art. BRILL.
  OCLC 208705592
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• Swami Parmeshwaranand (2004). "Ardhanārīśvara". Encyclopaedia of the Śaivism. Vol. 1. Sarup & Sons.
  ISBN 81-7625-427-4
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• Yadav, Neeta (2000). Ardhanārīśvara in art and literature. D.K. Printworld.
  ISBN 81-246-0169-0
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• Kramrisch, Stella (1994a), The Presence of Śiva, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press,
  ISBN 978-0691019307

External links

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• Ardhanari