Ardhanareeshwara concept: Brain and psychiatry

Abstract

Ardhanareeshvara 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 a woman. It is believed that the God is Lord Shiva and the woman part is his consort Goddess Parvati or Shakti. The Ardhanareeshvara represents a constructive and generative power. Ardhanareeshvara symbolizes male and female principles cannot be separated. It conveys the unity of opposites in the universe. The male half stands for Purusha and female half is Prakriti. Ardhanareeshvara harmonizes the two conflicting ways of life: The spiritual way of the ascetic as represented by Shiva, and the materialistic way of the householder symbolized by Parvati. It conveys that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same. A human being is not a pure unisexual organism. Each human organism bears the potentiality of both male and female sex. Neurohormonal mechanisms have been found to be greatly influencing the sexual behavior. The modern world has come to understand the concept of “Ardhanareeshwara” as it aspires to resolve the paradox of opposites into a unity, not by negation, but through positive experiences of life. The matching of opposites produces the true rhythm of life.

Transsexualism in hindu mythology

“…Different Puranas have different reasons behind Arthanarishwarar the perfect combination of Purusha and Prakriti, symbolizes that the male and female principles are inseparable. [ 3 ] A similar union between Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity and Vishnu, her husband Vishnu, forms the androgynous Lakshmi–Narayan.…”

Fractured narratives of psy disciplines and the LGBTQIA+ rights movement in India: A critical examination

“…He has illustrated in the article, several instances of unethical treatments by psychiatrists using religion as a tool to dissuade clients from homosexuality (77). The article by Raveesh published in 2013 endorses affirmative psychotherapy taking cognisance of high risk for anti-homosexual bias in psychotherapy with LGBTQIA+ clients (78). A study of mental-health status of men who have sex with men (MSM) 4 in Ahmedabad city in 2014 concluded that psychiatric morbidity was high among the MSM population (79).…”

Homosexuality – leaves from antiquity: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population: A Tamil perspective

“…Lord Shiva and his consort, Goddess Parvathi are seen to be complementary halves of one whole. [8] Parallels can be drawn between this ancient concept and current scientific knowledge of the potentiality of every human organism to develop into either male or female. Ancient Indian mythology also describe a king called Bhagiratha who was supposed to have born out of the union of two women.…”