Shiva is the Lord of Tapas. The power is the power of Tapas.
The Devi is the Divine Shakti—the Consciousness and Power of the Divine, the Mother and Energy of the worlds. All powers are hers. Sometimes Devi-power may mean the power of the universal World-Force; but this is only one side of the Shakti.
Sri Aurobindo
As a mark of commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of India’s Independence and 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry organized a lecture-cum-demonstration program on "ArdhanaariNateshwara" - The divine form of lord Shiva at Matriniketan, Union Territory of Puducherryon 29th July, 2023.
Dr. Kishor Kumar Tripathy, Member Secretary, AuroBharati, Sri Aurobindo Society welcomed the dignitaries and the audience and said that Indian culture synthesizes the concept of Shiva and Shakti as a constructive and generative power. Ardhanareeshvara symbolizes male and female principles cannot be separated. It conveys the unity of opposites in the universe. He said that Ardhanarishvara is an androgynous deity composed of Shiva and his consort Shakti. The male half stands for Purusha and female half is Prakriti and representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. On this occasion, Dr.Tripathy recited some of the famous stotram including Vishvanathashtakam, Ardhanarishvarastotram by Adiguru Shankaracharya and ArdhanarisvaraAshtottaraStotram from the Skanda Mahapurana.
On this occasion, Dr. Alok Pandey, a senior Sadhak from Sri Aurobindo Ashram spoke on ‘Ardhanarishvara.’ Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pandey emphasized on the concept of Sat-Chit-Ananda. He mentioned the mythological aspects of creation focussing on a beautiful story. Brahma started creating a self-replicating force, but it faced a problem - it wasn't progressing. Brahma asked help from Shiva, who released his cosmic energy called 'Shakti'. This energy gave rise to Gauri. Blessed with divine instructions, Gauri began shaping the well-made aspects of nature. Through Gouri'sskillful work, the static creation transformed into beautiful and dynamic.
The process begins in the emotional states and progresses through come across with gods and goddesses, in the final analysis leading to a connection with Shiva. He mentioned about the different forms of Sati and Parvati with beautiful examples from the Indian scriptures. The divine form of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati is called ‘Ardhanarishwara.’The idea of interconnection and unit between the male and female energies in the universe holds complete cultural and philosophical significance. He further emphasized the educational and psychological aspects of Ardhanarishwaraby connecting several important factors related to women, gender studies and sustainability.At the end of the lecture, significant discussions were also continued.
A beautiful performance on "ArdhanaariNateshwara" - The divine form of Lord Shiva was also performed by Sayali Patwardhan, Vicki Raj Kadale, JahnaviDande, Ananya Balaji & Anjali Bagal. Vicki Raj Kadale portrayed the dance form visual of ArdhanarishwaraAkruti", showing the balanced form of Shiva and Parvati. SayaliPatwaradhan, Ananya Balaji, and JahnaviDande presented "Shiva SambhuSwayambhu" with captivating expressions. Anjali Bagal, the senior dancerrepresented a caring maternal connection with Kartikeya and Ganesh, delivering a performance filled with affection and admiration. The performances ended with a powerful impact, leaving everyone surprised by the beautiful dances of Lord Shiva’s different forms and the impressive teamwork.
