Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 392: Shri Srikantardha saririni (OM shrIkaNThArdhasharIriNyai namaH)

In Namams 381 to 474, the Divine Mother’s Jnana Yoga worship methods are discussed in details.

The Divine Mother is half of the body of Srikanta (Lord Shiva). She is in the form of Ardhanariswari (half male and half female God). 

The Divine Mother has half body from Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva and Shakti are one; but due to different tasks they perform, they are thought as different. When their tasks are completed, they become one again. This is the concept of Ardhanariswari. 

Sri Rama’s life history shows that at 16 years he understood Ardhanariswari concept. Lord Shiva and the Divine Mother do not have birth or death; They are eternal to show Srikandardha saririni (Ardhanariswari concept) to the universe. Lord Shiva is holding the poison in his throat, so His throat gets blue in colour and the name Srikantan. Shri Ramakrishna gave an example that the snake having poison in its teeth; it is there as its safe guarding measure. If that poison gets to any universal being, it will kill that being, but Lord Shiva is able to hold the poison in his throat. This is one of the forms the Divine Mother is sharing with Lord Shiva. 

In world languages, Ardharnariswarai concept is there in the letters, vowels and consonants. This Ardhanariswari concept is relevant in human life as well. The soul is Shiva based; the body is the Divine Mother based.  This is applicable to whole universe, which represents again the Divine Mother’s form. When we search inside the universe, we can understand the knowledge based Lord Shiva. So the Adhanarisvara concept is there. We cannot separate the heat and the fire; white colour from milk. Similarly Lord Shiva and the Divine Mother cannot be separated. So She is Srikantardha saririni. 

Sri has many meanings; here it is meant as poison. However, we know that the poison in Lord Shiva’s throat adds beauty to Him. He drank the poison to save the universe. 

The Divine Mother takes half of Lord Shiva’s body with Her red colour on left side and white colour in the right side of the Ardhanariswari form. The Divine Mother gets Her right half body darkened like Srikanta due to poison in His throat. Vayu Purana says that the Divine Mother is pictured as Gauri white in Her right half; and kali (black, dark) in Her left Half to represent the Ardhanariswari form.

 

The Ardharnariswara unison of Lord Shiva and the Divine Mother.

C  N Nachiappun          

Singapore, 20 February 2021.

References:

1.       The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.       Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.       The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Chithbavandar