Ardhanarishtra- understanding the two sects of Shivaism and Shaktism

The concept of Ardhanarishtra is a combination of "Ardha" that means half,"Nari" which means woman and "Shtra" means holy lord and when combined means the lord who is half man and half woman. The Ardhanarishtra represents a constructive and generative power which symbolizes make and female principles that cannot be separated. Now,Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati create cosmic energy. Goddess Parvati,in her previous births was Goddess Shakti. In Hindu scriptures, it is stated that Lord Shiva was Shava that means a dead body without Shakti, which further dissects into the fact that all the power of creation,maintenance and dissolution rests with Goddess Shakti and therefore, when Shiva and Shakti become one i.e. Ardhanarishtra,they become a strong generative and constructive force.

Traditionally, the assumption has been that individuals are biologically male or female and psychologically are either masculine or feminine,better put energy wise.I will now interlink the concept of traditional twin flames. It is a well-known fact that the frequencies of the twin souls, which are also known to be same souls in two different incarnated bodies create this divine relationship. Simply put, when the twin souls conjoin, the basic essence of creation is completed. Let me know revisit the story behind the formation of Adhanarishtra.

Unraveling the story further, there was a great rishi called Bringi,who was a great devotee to Lord Shiva,however,he neglected worshipping Parvati Devi. Bringi always prayed to Lord Shiva and the time when Parvati noticed his neglect towards her,Parvati Devi shifted herself and seated next to Lord Shiva. This made Bringi Muni take the form of a bee and he circumambulated around the Lord alone. Enraged by this act of Bringi,the Devi cursed him to lose all his Shakthi i.e. the flesh,the bones that come from a mother when a child takes birth, Bringi lost his flesh and bones upon this curse and became a skeleton.

Bringi Muni couldn't stand erect and on pity,Lord Shiva blessed him with the third leg. This infuriated Parvati Devi and she left Mount Kailash and came to Bhooloka and performed severe austerities and penance towards the Lord to attain equality.

Lord Shiva,hence blessed Parvati devi to reside by his left side and hence,the formation of Ardhanarishtra occured. On this formation,they taught the Bringi muni that both male and female are equal by quoting that " There is no Shiva without Shakti and there is no Shakit without Shiva", but Bringi muni was yet denied from his lost flesh and blood.

This austerity observed by Devi Parvati is named Kedar Gouri Vratha which means observing a fast by families increases and results in unity and love between couples and they stay forever together. Hence in modern age it is said that certain qualities being inherently “masculine” (i.e., assertive, dominant) and others being “feminine”(i.e., intuitive, caring). What shifts that paradigm, though, is the understanding that those polarities can be completely divorced from our construct of gender and that we all contain myriad, often dynamic, combinations of both.