Question on Dikshitar kriti "Ardhaneeshwaram"

[Guest guest]

In the kriti Ardhanareeswaram, Dikshitar mentions in the madhyamakala

sahitya of the anupallavi, "ardhanArIShvarI priyakaram" (beloved of

ardhanArIShvarI). Could some one clarify this for me? To my

understanding, Lord Ardhanareeswara is partially Shiva and Shakti

(union of paramAtmA and jIvAtmA), correct? How does "He" have a

consort?

 

Thank you.

[Guest guest]

, "vigsah" <vigsah> wrote:

> In the kriti Ardhanareeswaram, Dikshitar mentions in the

madhyamakala

> sahitya of the anupallavi, "ardhanArIShvarI priyakaram" (beloved of

> ardhanArIShvarI). Could some one clarify this for me? To my

> understanding, Lord Ardhanareeswara is partially Shiva and Shakti

> (union of paramAtmA and jIvAtmA), correct? How does "He" have a

> consort?

>

> Thank you.

 

 

Even though ardha-naari is a unified form of shiva-dampati, when you

address as ardhanaarishvara [ardhanaariishvaram is dvitiya vibhakti

of the same, in tamil iraNDam veRRumai ardhanaariishvararai] it is in

masculine gender. Which implies you are calling out to the masculine

aspect of that form of God. That is makes it possible for him have a

consort (which is right there on his left side]. Typically, most

languages are gender-biased and have very few neuter forms.

 

 

Such a complexity will not arise for the same deity under a different

name called shankara-naarayanan, as naarayana is same as ambaaL.

 

 

I should also add that shiva in most forms is ardha-naari. Take for

example the linga, the base or pedestal is ambaaL.

 

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Sri Ramalinga adigaLara a Tamil saint, uses this mother-father (Tamil

ammai appan) in a beautiful way in the verse thaDiththavOr

maganai ..., which says

 

When a father gets angry and punishes his unruly child, its mother

will instantly rush to console and comfort the child. If the mother

punishes then the father will hold the child tight and comfort it. We

see this everywhere. But this does not apply to me O shiva-dampati!

cosmic dancer! my mother-father. Since you are the only one I have

got, since you are my mother and father, what can I do if you

continue to punish me. I have none else to comfort me. So please stop

beating me, and now come and console me. (aDiththathu pOthum

aNaiththiDal vENDum)

 

 

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Isn't it beautiful! It will veil one's eyes with tears - what an

emotion! vaLLalar's poetry is very simple and very beautiful. It as

beautiful as he himself describes lord in verses like "paarthaalum

paDithhaalum" and "thEn paDikkum paaTTaam", etc.

 

You can a find a lot of his works (in audio) at vallalar.org.