# अर्धनारीश्वर (ardhanārīśvara)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ardhanarishvara

अर्धनारीश्वर (ardhanārīśvara) is a Sanskrit word meaning a form of Shiva depicted as half female and half male.

- **SLP1:** `arDanArISvara`  **IAST:** ardhanārīśvara  **Devanagari:** अर्धनारीश्वर
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ardhanarishvara
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/ardhanarishvara/declensions.md
- **Other headwords romanised the same way:** आर्धनारीश्वर (ārdhanārīśvara)

## Meanings by context

### Androgynous form of Shiva (3 definitions)
- a form of Shiva depicted as half female and half male  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 92,1] अर्ध (ardha) — नारी (—nārī) श (śa) or अर्ध (ardha) — नारी (—nārī) श (śa) ्वर (śvara), m. ‘the lord who is half female (and half male)’, a form of Śiva. [ ID=16183 ]
- that form of Shiva in which he appears half male and half female  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > अर्धनारीश्वर (ardhanārīśvara) [Printed book page 067-03 ] अर्ध - नारीश्वर (ardha-nārīśvara) m. that form of Śiva in which he appears half male and half female. [ ID=3473.1 ]
- An image of Shiva in a composite form with Shakti, showing specific dress and ornaments.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > अर्धनारीश्वर (ardhanārīśvara) [Printed book page 1-111 ] Ardhanārīśvara — Śiva became this by worshipping Śakti: 1 Image of; with details of dress and ornaments. 2 [ Footnote: 1) Br. II. 27. 98; IV. 5. 30; 44. 48.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 60. 25; 192. 28; 260. 1-10.] [ ID=867 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546