Ardha-Narishwara

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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