shrI shankara jayantI

E. Lisot lisot at UTDALLAS.EDU
Wed Apr 21 10:00:44 CDT 1999


Jaldhar H. Vyas,

Thank you for your response.

I will look to get a copy of the ardhanarishvara stotra. Yes, I realize that
the image of Ardhanarishwara is not particular to Advaita (it is not even
particular to Indian texts as the image is found in many other cultures
worldwide) it just seems to be an appropriate visual symbol for the conceptual
ideal of non-dualism...I appreciate the guidance to find what Shakara wrote
concerning this image.

Thank you again,

E. Lisot

Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:

> On Tue, 20 Apr 1999, E. Lisot wrote:
>
> > Om Namah Shivaya,
> >
> > April 20,
> >
> > The Hermaphrodite image is one that seems to have a great relationship
> > to Advaita Vedanta. In which the "dual" aspects of God as female and
> > male become one....like the individual self being one with the Universal
> > Self. . Does any one know if Shankara ever referred to this image? In
> > what text?...I don't know the sanskrit name, but I am familiar with the
> > statues of Shiva/Parvati which are like this. I was reminded of it by
> > the posting of the  kalaham between ambaaL and Ishwara by shrI
> > nIlakaNtha dIkshitA.
> >
>
> The Sanskrit name is Ardhanarishwara.  In the list of works of
> Shankaracharya posted by Dr. Marur, there is a ardhanarishvara stotra
> mentioned.  There is nothing singularly Advaitic about the Ardhanarishwara
> for,  It is one of the cannonical forms of Shiva-Shakti mentioned in
> Shaivagamas (Which can and usually are interpreted from dvaita or
> vishistadvaita viewpoint.)
>
> --
> Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>



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