Meaning of Ardhangini - When a man loves a woman

Ancient heroes and men had different forms of power. Samson, the legendary warrior of Israel had his strength locked up in his uncut hair. The Greek God Zeus had his lightning bolts. Ancient Indian texts explain the concept of Ardhangini where the strength of a man is derived from the woman who loves him.

Love in the times of Deity

Love is an emotion created by Gods and Goddesses. Love manifests in various forms like between mother and child or between siblings. But the strongest of them all is between a man and a woman. Lord Shiva and Parvati are acknowledged as the greatest lovers of all times. Since her childhood, Parvati wanted to be with Lord Shiva. But he was in grief due to the loss of Goddess Sati. To win him over, she decided to do the most toughest of penances.

Lord Shiva had duties and responsibilities towards the universe. They could not stay together as man and woman. He used to visit her after long intervals. Every time when she desired him, Parvati would let her hair loose.

Lord Shiva and Parvati are depicted as Ardhangini or half male and half female form. Concept of oneness in love. Two bodies but one soul. They used to be separated by great distance but understood each other just by thought. Their meetings used to be brief. But for those times, Lord Shiva used to consummate love with Goddess Parvati.

Meaning of Love in the present

When a man loves a woman be it Gods themselves or the mere human being it is one emotion that is the amalgamation of all the emotions. To surrender to be part of each other is what defines love. The concept of love is sometimes lost to the present generation where they do not understand that love is to rise together and fall too in order to make the other one strong but never be the weakness. The day this concept of Ardhangini (two bodies and one soul) is understood that day love in its true sense could be felt.

When a man loves a woman, he surrenders to her. He begins to understand her. A woman is epitome of emotions and sensitivity. She responds back to her man. And as a man starts getting closer to his love, he feels oneness. Two bodies with one soul. 

They will start thinking alike. Anticipating each other's needs. Responding to unspoken words. Pampering each other. But how to know if they have reached the true form of Ardhangini. Alas there is no way of defining it. It is different from person to person and relationships take time. Lets just say there will be a tipping point when each other will just know.

Similar to thoughts, Ardhangini also stands for power. Where does a male get all those powers. Ancient times the menfolk used to go out together for hunting, soldiers going for war. Ardhangini depicts the power of a male and how he derives this power from the woman  who loves him. Yes, the idea of Ardhangini can be debatable. But the idea that a male is left without power once his love leaves him is present in the holy books.

Woman empowers her man to reach great heights and achieve impossible goals. She encourages and at times pushes him towards the unknown. A woman will be adamant at times, but it will be only because she is thinking of his benefits. With so much love and affection, it will only be a matter of time that her man is ready to conquer the world.