Ardha Narishvara Stotram

About this stotra

Shri Ardhanareeshwara Stotram was composed by Sri Adi Shankara bhagavatpada. Creator and Creation are One ~ Ardhanarishwara, composite of Shiva and Shakti together in one body. This form reminds us that Shiva is beyond gender, yet encompasses both genders. Shiva represents the unmanifest and Shakti the manifest; Shiva the formless and Shakti the formed; Shiva consciousness and Shakti energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole but in each and every individual.
The Ardhanarishwara form also illustrates how the female principle of God, Shakti, is inseparable from the male principle of God, Shiva. Ardhanarishwara in iconography is depicted as half-male and half-female, split down the middle. `Ardhanarishwara` is a combination of three words `Ardha`, `Nari` and `Ishwara` means `half`, `woman` and `lord` respectively, which when combined means the lord whose half is woman. The Ardhanarishwara represents a constructive and generative power. God is beyond the concept of any sex. God can be male, female, and even neuter too. So god existing in this intrinsic condition is referred as Ardhanarishwara. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same supreme power. One should chant Shri Ardhanarishwara Stotram for a happy and prosperous family life.
The benefit of chanting the Ardhanareeshwara stotram is as follows:
He who reads this stotram containing eight verses with bhakti will obtain all he desires, honor, a long life, and all auspicious things for eternity. One who repeats it again and again will attain all powers and perfection.
Appearance
Ardhanarishvara is an androgynous form of Lord Shiva, the composite of Shiva and Parvati, the half-male and half-female fused from the center. As seen in many temples across the Indian continent and Southeast Asia, the right half represents the male(Shiva) and the left half female (Parvati). The right half of the figure is adorned with the traditional ornaments of Shiva, the hair piled in a hair dress of matted locks, half of a third eye being visible on the forehead, a tiger skin covering the loins, Ganga flowing from the hair and serpents being used as ornaments around the neck. The left half of the figure showing the well combed and knotted hair, half of a tilak on the forehead, the eye outlined in black, a well-developed breast, a silk garment caught with girdles, an anklet, and the foot tinted red with henna. This is how the figure looks. Showing the similarities and differences between the male and female, still standing strong on the ground that both of them are equal. The symbolic intent signifying that males and females are inseparable.
The Origin of Ardhanarishvara
Among the many legends for the origin of Ardhanarishvara, some of them say that it emerged due to the stubbornness of Sage Bhringi to not worship Parvati. Sage Bhring believed himself to be the greatest acolyte of Lord Shiva but that he refused to worship Shiva along with Parvati. He was ready to solely dedicated himself to Lord Shiva but would not worship his consort Parvati. Here Goddess Parvati urged Shiva to unite themselves together, creating the form of Ardhanarishvara with one half of Shiva and the other half of Parvati through the central axis. Even after this fusion between them, Rishi Bhringi refused to worship Parvati. He took the form of Beetle and circumambulated Shiva only which further enraged Parvati. Parvati then cursed Bhringi to lose all the blood and muscles which are believed to have come from mother in Hindu embryology. Bhringi was all but the only skeleton now which is believed to have come from their father, which made him realize the significance of Prakriti and Purusha. He pleaded forgiveness from Parvati and was given the third leg as a reward for pleading to sustain his body. But according to Shiva Purana, Lord Bramha, the creator of the universe was disappointed as the world was not moving at the pace and the number he had created remained constant. Being left with no other choice he went to Lord Shiva for help. This is when Shiva took this Ardhanarishwar form to make him understand the succession of generations through copulation. Afterward, Ardhanarishwar split into Purusha and Prakriti thus continuing the creation, suggesting that Shiva is nothing without Shakti, and creation, as well as the continuation of life, is impossible without both of them.
Symbolism of Ardhanarishvara
The parable of Ardhanarishvara has an intense meaning which symbolizes the quintessential balance between the male and female energies in the universe. The forces are inseparable and complementary to each other suggesting that they must work together to maintain the equilibrium.