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चाम्पेयगौरार्धशरीरकायै कर्पूरगौरार्धशरीरकाय ।
धम्मिल्लकायै च जटाधराय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ॥ १ ॥
So starts the ‘Ardhanareeshvara stotram’ by Sri Adi Shankaracharya
चाम्पेयगौरार्धशरीरकायै कर्पूरगौरार्धशरीरकाय ।
धम्मिल्लकायै च जटाधराय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ॥ १ ॥
So starts the ‘Ardhanareeshvara stotram’ by Sri Adi Shankaracharya
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which means
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.
#tweet4Bharat
which means
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.
#tweet4Bharat
3/13
Ardhanareeshvara is a combination of three words ardha (half), nari (woman), Ishwara (Lord), which when combined mean the Lord whose half is a woman, representing Lord Shiva and His consort Goddess Parvati or Shakti.
Ardhanareeshvara is a combination of three words ardha (half), nari (woman), Ishwara (Lord), which when combined mean the Lord whose half is a woman, representing Lord Shiva and His consort Goddess Parvati or Shakti.
4/13
This form taken by Lord Shiva is the perfect balance of male and female energies, epitomising creation and working harmoniously for the welfare of the Universe.
It is said that at the beginning of creation, Brahma, the creator, confronted the decline in the pace of creation
This form taken by Lord Shiva is the perfect balance of male and female energies, epitomising creation and working harmoniously for the welfare of the Universe.
It is said that at the beginning of creation, Brahma, the creator, confronted the decline in the pace of creation
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after creating only male beings. Shiva then appears in the form of Ardhanareeshvara - the half-feminine, half-masculine form personified not just the fundamental nature of Shiva, but also embodied all the aspects of the universe.
after creating only male beings. Shiva then appears in the form of Ardhanareeshvara - the half-feminine, half-masculine form personified not just the fundamental nature of Shiva, but also embodied all the aspects of the universe.
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Brahma realised his folly and prays to the goddess to help continue with the creation. With the Goddess’ female power, Brahma was able to continue with creation without any impediments.
Brahma realised his folly and prays to the goddess to help continue with the creation. With the Goddess’ female power, Brahma was able to continue with creation without any impediments.
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The male half stands for Purusha, the female half is Prakriti - the masculine and feminine qualities. The imagery of Ardhanareeshvara is found in many temples in India.
The male half stands for Purusha, the female half is Prakriti - the masculine and feminine qualities. The imagery of Ardhanareeshvara is found in many temples in India.
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For many centuries, in Indic art and temple sculptures, the Ardhanareeshvara form has depicted the male and the female energies as complementing one another.
An early Kushan head of Ardhanareeshvara, discovered at Rajghat, now in the Mathura Museum
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari…
For many centuries, in Indic art and temple sculptures, the Ardhanareeshvara form has depicted the male and the female energies as complementing one another.
An early Kushan head of Ardhanareeshvara, discovered at Rajghat, now in the Mathura Museum
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari…
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10th century Chandella Dynasty. Khajuraho, Chhatarpur District, MP
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari…
10th century Chandella Dynasty. Khajuraho, Chhatarpur District, MP
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanari…
11/13
Gender equality in the modern world has come to wrongly mean for the woman to be like man. In such a scenario, there is little room for the feminine expression. We are bound to live incomplete, asymmetrical lives if we ...
Gender equality in the modern world has come to wrongly mean for the woman to be like man. In such a scenario, there is little room for the feminine expression. We are bound to live incomplete, asymmetrical lives if we ...
12/13
don’t allow for both the masculine and the feminine to not just find their place but also thrive in our lives. It is vital to consciously nurture and celebrate the feminine qualities in a society. And so, to experience gender equality in a holistic way, ...
don’t allow for both the masculine and the feminine to not just find their place but also thrive in our lives. It is vital to consciously nurture and celebrate the feminine qualities in a society. And so, to experience gender equality in a holistic way, ...
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we must be guided by the Ardhanareeshvara form. It is essential that we imbibe and appreciate the masculine and the feminine in each of us, in our families, in our societies, and in the universe.
#tweet4Bharat #GenderEquality
we must be guided by the Ardhanareeshvara form. It is essential that we imbibe and appreciate the masculine and the feminine in each of us, in our families, in our societies, and in the universe.
#tweet4Bharat #GenderEquality
