There are many forms or avatars of Lord Shiva, and Lord Ardhanarishvara is one of them. In this androgynous form, he is seen merged with Goddess Parvati. Thus, one half is Shiva, and the other half is Parvati. ‘Ardha’ denotes ‘half’, ‘nari’ means ‘woman’, and ‘ishvara’ denotes ‘lord’. Shiva is the right half, while Parvati is the left half.
Ardhanarishwara depicts the equality of masculine and feminine energies. The male half represents “Purusha,” and the female half represents “Prakriti.” These are the male and female energies of the cosmos. They also represent Shiva and Shakti, the male and female principles of God.
There are many stories that narrate the origin of Ardhanarishvara.
As per the Shiva Purana, Lord Brahma created several male beings during the act of creation. They were the Prajapatis. But they were unable to reproduce. Brahma then meditated on Lord Shiva, who appeared to him as the androgynous Ardhanariswara. Brahma realized that females were essential for creation, and Goddess Parvati created a female using her powers. After this, creation continued, and the world was regenerated with new beings.
There are several names for Ardhanarishvara. They are Ardhanarisha, Ardhagureeshwara, Ardhayuvateeshwara, Gaureeshwara, Parangada, Naranari, and Ammiappan.
Other legends of Ardhanarishvara
Once, there was a demon called Andhaka. He was smitten when he saw Goddess Parvati and wanted to marry her. But Lord Vishnu came to her rescue and took her to his abode.
But the demon went after her. To ward him off, Parvati assumed her Ardhanarishvara form. On seeing her half-male and half-female form, the demon supposedly lost his desire for her. Vishnu, too, was amazed on seeing this form.
In Tamil mythology, there is another story. Once, the Gods and sages (rishis) went to Mount Kailasa to pay their respects to Lord Shiva and his consort, Parvati. However, Sage Bhringi worshipped only Shiva and was indifferent to Goddess Parvati. Parvati was annoyed and cursed the sage to lose his flesh and blood. Without flesh and blood, his body became a mere skeleton. As he could not stand upright, Shiva gave him a third leg for support.
Hurt and disappointed, Parvati performed severe austerities. A pleased Shiva then granted her the boon of being united with him eternally. Now, Bhringi had to worship her as well when Shiva became Ardhanarishvara. But Bhringi outsmarted them by turning into a beetle and circumambulating around the Shiva half alone by drilling a hole in the navel of the deity. Parvati was moved by his great devotion and forgave him.
The Skanda Purana says that Parvati wanted to be with Shiva forever and embraced him "limb-to-limb", forming Ardhanarishvara.
According to the Matsya Purana, Brahma was pleased when Parvati did penance to him and gave her a golden complexion. This made her attractive to Shiva, who merged with her and formed Ardhanarishvara.
The Kalika Purana says that Parvati suspected Shiva’s fidelity after seeing her own reflection in Shiva's breast. They started arguing but made up quickly. Parvati wanted to stay with Shiva eternally, becoming one with him in the same body, thereby forming Ardhanarishvara.
In another story, Parvati felt jealous when she saw Ganga on Shiva's head. To please her, Shiva seated her on his lap, but Parvati was still angry. So he united with her and became Ardhanarishvara.
There is also a Tamil legend that says that once, Goddess Uma (an avatar of Parvati), closed Shiva’s eyes playfully, plunging the world into darkness. All living creatures suffered due to the darkness. Uma realized her mistake and left Kailas. She worshipped the Linga to get redemption from her sin and reunite with Shiva. Lord Vishnu manifested before her and told her about the austerities she would have to perform to realize her aims. So she began doing penance. Around this time, the demon, Mahishasura, started causing problems. Uma took the avatar of Goddess Durga to slay him. When she killed him, Shiva manifested as the Fire on top of the hill. He also united with her and gave darshan as Ardhanarishvara. Devotees celebrate this event as Deepavali.
To get the blessings of Lord Ardhanarishvara, devotees perform Ardhanarishvara Pooja and Ardhanarishvara Homa.
Ardhnarishwar Pooja/Homa Benefits:
- Helps to eliminate sins and bad karma
- Brings spiritual progress and grants wishes
- Creates peace and harmony in marital relationships
- ·Brings the blessings of Shiva and Parvati
