shrI shankara jayantI

[Jaldhar H. Vyas]

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>