http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanarishvara Ardhanarishvara is one of the most popular iconographic forms of Shiva. It is found in more or less all temples and shrines dedicated to Shiva all over India and South-east Asia. There is ample evidence from texts and the multiple depictions of the Ardhanarishvara in stone to suggest that a cult centred around the deity may have existed. The cult may have had occasional followers, but was never aligned to any sect. This cult focussing on the joint worship of Shiva and the Goddess may even have had a high position in Hinduism, but when and how it faded away remains a mystery.Though a popular iconographic form, temples dedicated to the deity are few.A popular one is located in Tiruchengode,while five others are located in Kallakkurichi taluk, all of them in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The Linga Purana advocates the worship of Ardhanarishvara by devotees to attain union with Shiva upon dissolution of the world and thus attain salvation. The Ardhanarinateshvara Stotra is a popular hymn dedicated to the deity. The Nayanar saints of Tamil Nadu exault the deity in hymns. While the 8th-century Nayanar saint Cuntarar says that Shiva is always inseparable from the Mother Goddess,another 7th-century Nayanar saint Campantar describes how the "eternal feminine" is not only her consort, but she is also part of him.The renowned Sanskrit writer Kalidasa (c. 4th--5th century) alludes Ardhanarishvara in invocations of his Raghuvamsa and Malavikagnimitram, and says that Shiva and Shakti are as inseparable as word and meaning. The 9th-century Nayanar saint Manikkavacakar casts Parvati in the role of the supreme devotee of Shiva in his hymns. He alludes to Ardhanarishvara several times and regards it the ultimate goal of a devotee to be united with Shiva as Parvati is in the Ardhanarishvara form. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-0aNq2349E Song: Ardhanarishwara Stotram Artist: Dr. K.S. Sridhar, R. Vijayalakshmi & A. Sundaramurthy Album: Sri Shiva Sahasranamavali and Other Shiva Sthotras 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. 1 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her whose body is smeared with musk and saffron, To Him whose body is smeared with ashes of a burning ghat, To Her whose prettiness radiates love, And to Him who destroyed the God of love. 2 My salutations to both Prvathi and Shiva, To Her who has tinkling pretty anklets, To Him who has the king of snakes as anklet, To Her who shines with golden anklets, And to Him who has snakes as anklets. 3 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her who has eyes as wide as the blue lotus, To Him who has eyes as wide as a fully opened lotus, To Her who has even number of eyes, And to Him who has odd number of eyes. 4 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her whose hair is decorated with divine flowers, To Him who wears a garland of skulls, To Her who dresses in great silks, And to Him wearing the eight directions. 5 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her who has black hair like the swollen cloud, To Him who has copper matted locks like lightning, To Her who is the goddess of the mountains, And to Him who is the Lord of the universe. 6 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her whose dance marks the creation of the world, To Him whose dance destroys everything, To Her who is the mother of the universe, To Him who is the father of the universe. 7 My salutations to both Parvathi and Shiva, To Her with glittering earrings of gems, To Him who wears a great serpent as an ornament, To Her who is divinely merged with Shiva, And to Him who is divinely merged with Parvathi. 8

• published: 11 Dec 2013
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