MEANING

gaura--shines, ardha--in one half, chAmpeya--golden yellow,

like 'chAmpeya' flower (Mesua ferrea); while the other half shines

bright white like karpUram--camphor; One side of the head is

dhammilla--ornate with braided hair; the other sports jaTAmakuTam--

unkempt crest; I bow to this shivA (pArvatI) and shivaH, in the form

of ardhanArIshvara.

ambAL on the left half is charchita--smeared with kastUri--musk

and kungkumam--vermilion; while shiva on the right is punjavi

charchita--smeared with heaps of chitAraja--ashes from the funeral

pyre; In one half she is kRitasmarAya--pleasing to reflect on;

in the other he is vikRitasmarAya--ugly, deformed, transformed.

I bow to this shivA and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

ambAL on the left side wears kangkaNa--bangles/bracelets on her

wrists and nUpura--anklets on her feet; they jhaNat-kvaNat--jingle as

she moves; shiva on the right wears on his pAda-abja--lotus feet,

phaNina--a hooded serpent for his nUpura--anklets. hemAnga--of

gold-worn parts on the left; bhujAnga--of snake-worn parts on the

right. I bow to this shivA and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

ambAL on the left has nIlotpala--blue lotus, lochana--eyes;

shiva on the right has pangkeruha vikAsi--blossomed in mud,

lochana--eyes. ambAL is sama-IkShaNa--pleasing and harmonious to

look at; shiva is viShama-IkShaNa--poisonous and dissimilar to look

at. I bow to this shivA and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

ambAL is kalita--adorned with, mandAra mAlA--garland of hibuscus

flowers on her laka--forehead; shiva has a kapAla-mAlA-anggita-

kandha--a garland of skulls worn neck. She is dressed divyAmbara--

in divine, royal clothes; He is digambara--practically naked, dig

ambara--having only the directions for his clothing. I bow to this

shivA and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

She has kuntala--locks of hair, that look like aMbhodhara--clouds

that are shyAmala--dark with water; His jaTa--twisted locks of hair,

are taTit--raised like the banks of a river, and prabhAt--shining, like

Amra--the ripe mango fruits of golden hue. She is nirIshvara--

godless, that is with no God above her; He is nikhileshvara--the

immanent God of everything. I bow to this shivA and shivaH, in the

form of ardhanArIshvara.

She performs her lAsyaka--dance in dramatic delight, at the

prapancha—universal sRiShti--creation, that is unmukha--springing

up, at her dance; He performs tANDava--a frantic dance, which is

saMhAraka--destructive, of samasta--everything, and the universe

subsides back in it. She is janani--mother, of the jagat--world, so

jagajjanani; He is jagadeka pitRu--the sole father of the world; I bow

to this shivA and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

Her kuNDala--ear rings are, pradIpta--sparkling, studded with

ujjvala--blazing, ratna--precious stones; His bhUshaNam--ornament,

is only sphuran--trembling, mahApanaga--great serpents. She is

anvita--inherent, shivam--auspiciousness, happiness; He is anvita--

inherent, shivam--auspiciousness, happiness too. I bow to this shivA

and shivaH, in the form of ardhanArIshvara.

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