Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 33

अर्धनारीश्वरप्रादुर्भावः

Manifestation of Ardhanārīśvara and the Impulse for Procreative Creation

Devanagari script

इदं स्तोत्रवरं पुण्यं ब्रह्मणा समुदीरितम् । अर्धनारीश्वरं नाम शिवयोर्हर्षवर्धनम्

Transliteration

idaṃ stotravaraṃ puṇyaṃ brahmaṇā samudīritam | ardhanārīśvaraṃ nāma śivayorharṣavardhanam

Translation

Dieser höchst vortreffliche und heilige Hymnus wurde von Brahmā verkündet. Er heißt „Ardhanārīśvara“ und mehrt die Freude der Zwei — Śiva und Pārvatī (Seine Śakti).

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म) / Viṣaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Prathamā (or Dvitīyā) Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• stotra-varam: excellent hymn
• stotra-varam: Karta (कर्ता) / Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: stotra (प्रातिपदिक) + vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Prathamā (or Dvitīyā) Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: varaṃ stotram (excellent hymn)

• puṇyam: meritorious; holy
• puṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Prathamā (or Dvitīyā) Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa (qualifies stotravaram)

• brahmaṇā: by Brahmā
• brahmaṇā: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• samudīritam: uttered; proclaimed
• samudīritam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + ud + īr (ईर्/ईर्-प्रेरणे धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त/PPP), Napuṃsaka, Prathamā, Ekavacana; passive sense

• ardha-nārī-īśvaram: Ardhanārīśvara
• ardha-nārī-īśvaram: Karma (कर्म) / Viṣaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + nārī (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa (ṣaṣṭhī/karma-dhāraya nuance): nāryāḥ ardhaṃ yasya saḥ īśvaraḥ (Lord whose half is woman)

• nāma: named; called
• nāma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; nāma-śabda (particle indicating designation/नाम-निर्देशक)

• śivayoḥ: of Śiva and (his) consort (the two Śivas)
• śivayoḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/षष्ठी), Dvivacana (द्विवचन)

• harṣa-vardhanam: increasing joy
• harṣa-vardhanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: harṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vardhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka, Prathamā (or Dvitīyā) Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: harṣasya vardhanam (increasing joy); viśeṣaṇa (of stotra/ardhanārīśvaraṃ nāma)

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Ardhanārīśvara

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Frames the Ardhanārīśvara-stotra as a merit-giving act; supports temple recitation as a means to please the Divine Couple and gain grace.

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: इदं स्तोत्रवरं पुण्यं ब्रह्मणा समुदीरितम् । अर्धनारीश्वरं नाम शिवयोर्हर्षवर्धनम्

Type: stotra

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: nurturing

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Parvati
• Brahma
• Ardhanarishvara

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It announces the sanctity and authority of the Ardhanārīśvara hymn—spoken by Brahmā—and highlights the Shaiva Siddhānta vision that auspiciousness and liberation arise through the harmonious unity of Śiva (Pati) with His Śakti, whose grace uplifts the bound soul (paśu).

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Ardhanārīśvara is a Saguna revelation of the one Supreme Śiva, showing that Śiva’s worship is inseparable from Śakti. In Linga-worship too, the formless Absolute is approached through a sacred form; this verse frames the hymn as a devotional means to please Śiva together with His divine power.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A direct takeaway is stotra-japa (reverent recitation) of the Ardhanārīśvara hymn with bhakti; it may be performed alongside Panchākṣarī mantra japa ("Om Namaḥ Śivāya") and traditional Śaiva observances like bhasma (tripuṇḍra) and rudrākṣa, as supportive aids to devotion and steadiness of mind.