31/05/2021
THE STORY OF ARDHNARISHVARA
Ardhanarishvara is a composite androgynous form of Shiva and his consort Parvati. This form is shown as a fusion of half-male and half-female forms, split down in the center. The right half is depicted as Shiva, while the left half shows the female form of Parvati. The very name Ardhanarishvara implies "the Lord who is half-woman".
Shiva, in yoga, is seen as the Adi Yogi, which means he is the first yogi, and the Adi guru, which means the first guru (teacher). As he became the first guru, naturally he developed disciples and devotees. The first seven disciples that he taught yoga to are known as "Saptarishis' ("Sapt" means "seven" and "rishi" means "sages". Out of that seven one, great rishi was Bhringi.
Once, the Gods and the Rishis (sages) gathered at Shiva's abode and paid their respects to Shiva and Parvati. However, one particular Rishi, Bhringi, had vowed to worship only Shiva as the supreme deity. He was intensely devout to Shiva. He, therefore, ignored Parvati and continued his worship of Shiva, offering circumambulations to him. A furious Parvati cursed Bhringi that he would lose all parts that came from his mother. According to tantras, the tough parts are bones and nerves from the father, and soft parts such as flesh, blood comes from the mother. As per the curse, he lost all his flesh and blood from his body and became a skeleton.
Bhringi could not stand erect in this form, and so the compassionate Shiva blessed him with a third leg for support. Deeply hurt, Parvati decided to leave Mt. Kailash and performed severe austerities and penance towards the lord to attain equality. Shiva was pleased and granted her the boon of uniting with him forever, thereby compelling Bhringi to worship her as well as himself in the form of Ardhanarishvara.
However, the sage assumed the form of a beetle, circumambulating only the male half, drilling a hole in the naval area of the deity, which separated the male half from the female half. Though not entirely pleased, Parvati was amazed by his devotion to her Lord, reconciled with Bhringi, and blessed him.
The Ardhanarishvara form of Lord Shiva teaches us that both that female and male part is half (equal) to make it one and within. The male portion generally described as matter and the female as energy. Each incomplete without the other!
“There's no Shiva without shakti (the Sacred Feminine), there's no shakti without Shiva.”
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