The Stem and the Petal

Celebrating the Shakti of Shakti अर्धनारीश्वर

A language teacher was giving a truly passionate lecture about a rose. Observe the petals! Feel the velvet! Admire the crimson red colour! Inhale the sweet aroma! This, my dear students, is the perfect symbol of beauty and freshness! At the end of class, when students were lost in his description of the rose petals, he added - my beloved students - If a rose is full of life, it is the strong stem which holds the flower firmly with love and care! He concluded - this interdependence of life and strength is truly the essence of the universe! The universe is a rich blend of the masculine and feminine!

In Sanskrit it is said स्त्यायति गर्भो यस्यामिति स्त्री - Feminine is that in which life is gathered! What a marvellous expression! If there is life within each one of us, all the credit goes to the feminine energy! Again, in Sanskrit it is said - पिपर्ति पूरयति बलमिति पुरुषः - Masculine is that which fills strength! This expression too is excellent! Imagine the world full of life, but, each one lacking strength to be functional! This blend of Feminine and Masculine, that is, a mixture of life and strength adds meaning to every creature on the planet!

This in ancient Indian scriptures is known as अर्धनारीश्वर - If Shakti provides us with life, Shiva fills us with strength! A blade of grass was full of life! Everyone called it small and weak! The grass felt helpless! However, Mother Nature had different plans - She let cows graze the grass! As a result, the cows started to provide milk to the entire world! The life of grass and the strength of cow’s milk became an exhibition of अर्धनारीश्वर! Each one of us is an expression of life at birth! It is our desire to be associated with strength that adds purpose and joy to life!