Theology abounds in terms such as Uma-Maheshwar,Lakshmi-Narayana,
Radha-Krishna, Sita-Rama, Shiva-Shakti,Purusha-Prakriti,
Ardhanarishwar, spirit and matter.

These are all indicative of the fact that existence is a mixture of the sentient
and the insentient.The divine power is addressed as Amba ,Bhavani Kalyani
,Durga, Chamundi,Saraswati, Bhagavati, Meenakshi, Kamakshi, Lakshmi, Kali
etc.The male and the female elements coexist even in the vegetable kingdom which
is still in the primitive stage of evolution. In the feathered kingdom as well
as in the animal kingdom, the male and the female do jointly contribute to the
formation of the progeny. If humanity was viewed as a unit it is found to be
constituted with half-man , half-woman. The entire creation is evidently the
embodiment of the masculine and the feminine principles.

Shiva is therefore adored as Ardhanarishwar (ardha = half;
nari=woman;Ishwar=Lord). The sentient and the insentient are the two
categories that constitute nature. Nothing exists outside the pale of
these two.

Life in its original state is called Shiva. The apparently
insentient body or the vehicle through which it manifests itself is
called shakti. It is because of the interplay of life and matter that
nature is able to reveal itself in all its splendour and glory.

chamunda