Who Is Ardhanareeshwar?

Hindu Religion, its scriptures and traditions have always worshiped male and female elements and related gods with equal devotion. Ardhanareeshwar or Ardhanarishvara is a deity depicting Hindus’ respect for the feminine and masculine elements of god and nature. Ardhanareeshwar is a combined form of Shiva and Parvati where the right half shows male god Shiva and left half shows Parvati in most statues built by Shaivaites (Shaiva margi). In shakti traditions particularly in South India, Right or the dominant half is shown as parvati and left or peaceful half is shown as Shiva. 

The blog is dedicated and explores the greatness of Ardhanarishwar meaning, spiritual significance, symbolism, the rudraksha attached to the deity and blessings devotees can get by praying to the god.

Ardhanareeshwar Meaning, Significance, and Symbolism of Shiva

The union of the Purusha and Prakriti, Ardhanareeshwar, is prayed by Shiva followers and Hindus seeking balance in their lives. The name of the lord is made up of three words Ardha, Naree (also called Nari/Naari) and Ishwar. Ardha in the gods name means half, Naree means feminine or female and Ishwar means god or lord. The god Ardhanareeshwar meaning when translated into english means, “The Half Woman God”. 

The significance of the god Ardhanareeshwar in Hinduism does not stop at its name. Ardhanareeshwar is a highly worshipped deity and those who are seeking balance and art of living in the present moment need to pray to this god. The god sends a powerful message to all the living beings on the planet that they need to balance the feminine and masculine inside them. A person or any other element in the universe is incomplete without both elements and must seek balance. Let’s understand the meaning and symbolism of Ardhanareeshwar in detail.

1. Ardhanareeswar Symbolism

The deeper and meaningful elements in the Ardhanareeshwar Symbolism is an important meaning you as a devotee needs to understand. The pictures, idols and iconography of the god is rich in detail with the god  often resting in tribhanga position. The details of the looks of god are explained in the table below for devotees ease.

S.N.	God’s Features	Shiva (Right Side)	Parvati (Left Side)
1.	Appearance	Matted hair (Dreadlocks) and tiger skin.	Crowned hair and Sari/Saree.
2.	Divine Accessories	Trident and drum.	Lotus and  mirror.

1.1 What’s the meaning of Shiva and Parvati Symbolism?

The whole meaning of Ardhanareeshwar is staying in balance with all the elements, the feminine and masculine, inner peace and outer world, and material wishes with spiritual wishes. Each individual half of the Lord Ardhanareeshwar has a symbolism and meaning of its own that devotees need to understand. The comparison and contrast of two halves of Lord Shiva: 

S.N.	Shiva (Right Side)	Parvati (Left Side)
1.	Main meaning: Asceticism, detachment and wisdom	Main Meaning: Compassion, fertility and creativity
2.	Trident means destruction of Ego.	The blue lotus in the hand of goddess means beauty of creation.
3.	Tiger skin adorned by god means control or victory over animal instinct.	Saree Jewellery and mirror means reflection of abundance in prakriti (nature).

2. Ardhanareeshwar Meaning in Hinduism: Half Shiva Half Parvati Explained

The spiritual meaning in the half shiva and half Parvati is deep and explains several layers to devotees. It signifies that human and all beings are made of two parts, male and female combined. There are several popular stories in Hindu scriptures but the famous one in Shiva Purana which explains the god’s meaning is related to Brahma.

In the beginning, Lord Brahma faced a challenge to create a self-sustaining or balanced universe because he only created male beings. To solve this and to teach balance to Brahmas, Shiva appeared as Ardhanareeshwar, splitting his form to separate Shakti, ensuring that creation could proceed through the union of the two. The concept is deep and it means: 

• Union of Opposites: Ardhanareeshwar signifies the combination of Shiva’s consciousness and Parvati’s energy (Shakti), showing that the universe is a mix of both Purusha (masculine) and Prakriti (feminine).
• Balance and Harmony: The god’s image teaches that true strength and spiritual growth require harmony between logic and intuition, strength and compassion.
• Transcending Duality: By embodying both genders, Ardhanareeshwar invites devotees to look beyond superficial distinctions toward the ultimate unity of all beings.

How to get blessing and pray to Ardhanareeshwar with Rudraksha

It should be clear by now that devotees who are in trouble find balance in life. Additionally, individuals and followers seeking material wealth and spiritual growth can get growth in finance and liberation through prayer to the god. Getting the blessings and balance from Ardhanareeshwar god can be attained through use of specific Rudraksha beads. The puranic and vedic sources attach the god with 2 Mukhi Rudraksha and Gauri Shankar Rudraksha.

2 Mukhi Rudraksha

The 2 Mukhi Rudraksha is one form of Ardhanareeshwar. It’s governed by the Moon, which controls emotions and the mind.

• Significance of Rudraksha: It is the bead of unity, it helps wearers receive benefits of balance from Ardhanareeshwar. Furthermore, it helps harmonize the wearer’s relationship with their spouse, business partners, or family.

Who should wear it: Individuals seeking mental peace, emotional stability, or those looking to cure a strained relationship should wear the original 2 Mukhi Rudraksha to gain Ardhanareeshwar gods direct blessing.

Gauri Shankar Rudraksha

The Gauri Shankar Rudraksha consists of two Rudraksha Beads naturally joined together on the tree. It is distinct from the 2 Mukhi but shares a similar energy of union.

• Significance of Rudraksha: It symbolizes the divine dance of Shiva and Parvati. It is considered a potent energy provider of marital bliss and family harmony with the capacity to shower blessings of Ardhanareeshwar god.
• Who should wear it: Couples struggling with fertility issues or those wishing to improve domestic happiness often turn to this Rudraksha. Praying to Ardhanareeshwar god during meditation with Gauri Shankar bead is believed to help to balance the Ida and Pingala Nadis (energy channels mentioned in yoga and vedas).

Benefits of Wearing two Mukhi and Gauri Shankar Rudraksha 

Let’s revisit and recap the benefits of wearing 2 Mukhi and Gauri Shanakar beads related to Ardhanareeshwar:

• Enhance Balance: It helps improve balance of masculine and feminine energies within oneself.
• Help Relationships: Especially in marriages or partnerships, it helps in promoting understanding and peace.
• Aid Spiritual blessing: It deepens meditation, encourages self-realization, and helps transcend duality.
• Boosts Mental Calm: It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and emotional turbulence.

The benefits of Rudraksha for Ardhanareeshwar praying are legendary, with saints and yogis recommending them for family and individuals both.

Conclusion

The Ardhanareeshwar form of Shiva god helps know the true strength lies in maintaining a balance. For devotees like you who are seeking balance, improving relationships, gaining deeper meditation and aligning with the energy of Ardhanareeshwar is highly important. 

Contact us at Rudraksha Bhandar to improve your devotion and connection with Lord Ardhanareeshwar with genuine nepali 2 mukhi Rudraksha and Gauri Shankar Rudraksha.