Ardha Narishvara Stotram With Lyrics, Audio, Meaning, Significance in Sanskrit, English and other languages

Ardha Narishvara Stotram

चाम्पेयगौरार्ध शरीरकायै कर्पूरगौरार्ध शरीरकाय ।
धम्मिल्लकायै च जटाधराय नमः शिवयै च नमः शिवाय ॥1॥

cāmpeyagaurārdha śarīrakāyai karpūragaurārdha śarīrakāya .
dhammillakāyai ca jaṭādharāya namaḥ śivayai ca namaḥ śivāya ..1..

I bow to the form
Where half of the form of Goddess Parvati was with the complexion of the Champaka flowers and
the other half of God Shiva is present with a complexion like that of camphor
The form, where the half of the head (of Parvati) is braided beautifully with a chignon, while the other half (of God Shiva) is with the matted hair
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

कस्तूरिका कुङ्कुमचर्चितायै चितारजःपुञ्जविचर्चिताय ।
कृतस्मरायै विकृतस्मराय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||2||

kastūrikā kuṅkumacarcitāyai citārajaḥpuñja vicarcitāya .
kṛtasmarāyai vikṛtasmarāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..2..

I bow to the form
The side of Goddess Parvathi is smeared with Kasturi’s scents (Kasturi musk) and other Kumkumas.
While the half of God Shiva is smeared with the Chitha Bhasma (ashes from the funeral pyre)
The form that’s with splendid looks (with adorned jewels and clothes) on the side of Parvati and with the dreadful looks (due to elephant skin, tiger skin, and serpents) on the side of Shiva
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

झणत्क्वणत्कङ्कणनूपुरायै पादाब्जराजत्फणिनूपुराय ।
हेमाङ्गदायै भुजगाङ्गदाय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||3||

jhaṇatkvaṇatkaṅ kaṇanūpurāyai pādābjarājat phaṇinūpurāya .
hemāṅgadāyai bhujagāṅgadāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..3..

I bow to the form
In which the half of Goddess Parvati is adorned with the pleasant sound making ornaments worn on the wrists (Kankanas) and those of ankles (Nupuras)
While in the other half, the lotus feet of God Shiva adorned with the serpents as the anklets
The excellent form, where the half of Parvati is with the ornaments of Gold, while the other half (of Shiva) is adorned with serpents as ornaments
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

विशालनीलोत्पललोचनायै विकासिपङ्केरु हलोचनाय ।
समेक्षणायै विषमेक्षणाय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ॥4॥

viśālanīlot palalocanāyai vikāsipaṅkeru halocanāya .
samekṣaṇāyai viṣamekṣaṇāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..4..

I bow to the form
Where the eyes of Goddess Parvathi are with a great look, long, extended, and looking like the blue lotuses (neelothphala flower) and
The eyes of God Shiva are looking bright like the blossomed red lotuses
The composite form of the two-eyed Goddess and the three-eyed God
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

मन्दारमाला कलितालकायै कपालमालाङ्कितकन्धराय ।
दिव्याम्बरायै च दिगम्बराय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||5||

mandāramālā kalitālakāyai kapālamālāṅkita kandharāya .
divyāmbarāyai ca digambarāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..5..

I bow to the form
In which the hair of Goddess Parvati is decorated with the garland of Hibiscus flowers and
the neck of the God Shiva is adorned with the garland of skulls
O the extraordinary form in which the goddess side is with the great garments, while the other half of God Shiva is without any clothing
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

अम्भोधरश्यामलकुन्तलायै तडित्प्रभाताम्रजटाधराय ।
निरीश्वरायै निखिलेश्वराय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||6||

ambhodharaśyāmal̤akuntal̤āyai taḍitprabhātāmra jaṭādharāya .
nirīśvarāyai nikhileśvarāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..6..

I bow to the form
Where the hair of Goddess Parvathi is with the black colour like that of water-bearing dark clouds
While the hair locks of God Shiva are looking shining in the colour of copper
O the one who doesn’t have a superior being over him, who is the great God and the God of the entire cosmos
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

प्रपञ्चसृष्ट्युन्मुखलास्यकायै समस्तसंहारक ताण्डवाय ।
जगज्जनन्यै जगदेकपित्रे नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||7||

prapañcasṛṣṭyun mukhalāsyakāyai samastasaṃhāraka tāṇḍavāya .
jagajjananyai jagadekapitre namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..7..

I bow to the form
By which the creation of the cosmos begins with the gentle smile on the face of Goddess Parvati and
By which the entire cosmos will get reunited back to the Shivaa by the tandava dance
O the Mother and the Father of the Cosmos
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

प्रदीप्तरत्नोज्ज्वल कुण्डलायै स्फुरन्महापन्नगभूषणाय ।
शिवान्वितायै च शिवान्विताय नमः शिवायै च नमः शिवाय ||8॥

pradīptaratnojjvala kuṇḍalāyai sphuranmahāpannaga bhūṣaṇāya .
śivānvitāyai ca śivānvitāya namaḥ śivāyai ca namaḥ śivāya ..8..

I bow to the form
Of which the Parvathi’s form is looking resplendent with the precious gem studded earrings
And the form of God Shiva is looking great wearing the great serpents as his ornaments
O the one who united with Shiva (Goddess Parvathi) and the one who united with Shivaa (God Shiva)
I bow to you, Goddess Parvathi and God Shiva in the form of Ardhanareeswara

फलश्रुतिः
एतत्पठेदष्टकमिष्टदं यो भक्त्या स मान्यो भुवि दीर्घजीवी ।
प्राप्नोति सौभाग्यमनन्तकालं भूयात्सदा तस्य समस्तसिद्धिः ॥

phalaśrutiḥ
etatpaṭhedaṣṭakamiṣṭadaṃ yo bhaktyā sa mānyo bhuvi dīrghajīvī .
prāpnoti saubhāgyamanantakālaṃ bhūyātsadā tasya samastasiddhiḥ ..

One who recites this Ashtakam with great interest or devotion
They will become great beings, receive great honor, and long life in the bhuloka
And for those will be granted good fortune and auspiciousness the way long
And will also be granted all the siddhi’s.

Description

Shri Ardhanareeshwara Stotram was composed by Sri Adi Shankara bhagavatpada. Creator and Creation are One ~ Ardhanarishwara, composite of Shiva and Shakti together in one body. This form reminds us that Shiva is beyond gender, yet encompasses both genders. Shiva represents the unmanifest and Shakti the manifest; Shiva the formless and Shakti the formed; Shiva consciousness and Shakti energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole but in each and every individual.

The Ardhanarishwara form also illustrates how the female principle of God, Shakti, is inseparable from the male principle of God, Shiva. Ardhanarishwara in iconography is depicted as half-male and half-female, split down the middle. `Ardhanarishwara` is a combination of three words `Ardha`, `Nari` and `Ishwara` means `half`, `woman` and `lord` respectively, which when combined means the lord whose half is woman. The Ardhanarishwara represents a constructive and generative power. God is beyond the concept of any sex. God can be male, female, and even neuter too. So god existing in this intrinsic condition is referred as Ardhanarishwara. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same supreme power. One should chant Shri Ardhanarishwara Stotram for a happy and prosperous family life.

The benefit of chanting the Ardhanareeshwara stotram is as follows:
He who reads this stotram containing eight verses with bhakti will obtain all he desires, honor, a long life, and all auspicious things for eternity. One who repeats it again and again will attain all powers and perfection.

Lord Ardhanareeshwara

Appearance
Ardhanarishvara is an androgynous form of Lord Shiva, the composite of Shiva and Parvati, the half-male and half-female fused from the center. As seen in many temples across the Indian continent and Southeast Asia, the right half represents the male(Shiva) and the left half female (Parvati). The right half of the figure is adorned with the traditional ornaments of Shiva, the hair piled in a hair dress of matted locks, half of a third eye being visible on the forehead, a tiger skin covering the loins, Ganga flowing from the hair and serpents being used as ornaments around the neck. The left half of the figure showing the well combed and knotted hair, half of a tilak on the forehead, the eye outlined in black, a well-developed breast, a silk garment caught with girdles, an anklet, and the foot tinted red with henna. This is how the figure looks. Showing the similarities and differences between the male and female, still standing strong on the ground that both of them are equal. The symbolic intent signifying that males and females are inseparable.

The Origin of Ardhanarishvara
Among the many legends for the origin of Ardhanarishvara, some of them say that it emerged due to the stubbornness of Sage Bhringi to not worship Parvati. Sage Bhring believed himself to be the greatest acolyte of Lord Shiva but that he refused to worship Shiva along with Parvati. He was ready to solely dedicated himself to Lord Shiva but would not worship his consort Parvati. Here Goddess Parvati urged Shiva to unite themselves together, creating the form of Ardhanarishvara with one half of Shiva and the other half of Parvati through the central axis. Even after this fusion between them, Rishi Bhringi refused to worship Parvati. He took the form of Beetle and circumambulated Shiva only which further enraged Parvati. Parvati then cursed Bhringi to lose all the blood and muscles which are believed to have come from mother in Hindu embryology. Bhringi was all but the only skeleton now which is believed to have come from their father, which made him realize the significance of Prakriti and Purusha. He pleaded forgiveness from Parvati and was given the third leg as a reward for pleading to sustain his body. But according to Shiva Purana, Lord Bramha, the creator of the universe was disappointed as the world was not moving at the pace and the number he had created remained constant. Being left with no other choice he went to Lord Shiva for help. This is when Shiva took this Ardhanarishwar form to make him understand the succession of generations through copulation. Afterward, Ardhanarishwar split into Purusha and Prakriti thus continuing the creation, suggesting that Shiva is nothing without Shakti, and creation, as well as the continuation of life, is impossible without both of them.

Symbolism of Ardhanarishvara
The parable of Ardhanarishvara has an intense meaning which symbolizes the quintessential balance between the male and female energies in the universe. The forces are inseparable and complementary to each other suggesting that they must work together to maintain the equilibrium.

Other Shiva Shlokams

Ardha Narishvara Stotram – Shiva – Lyrics In Sanskrit, English with Translation, Meaning, Audio and Significance