In Hindu mythology, a representation of the deity Shiva in a form that is half-male and half-female, symbolizing the union of masculine and feminine principles.
From Sanskrit ardha (half) and nari (woman), literally meaning 'half-woman,' referring to the androgynous form where one half represents Shiva (male) and one half represents Shakti (female).
Ardhanari is an ancient symbol of complementary opposites that predates modern understanding of gender—it shows that Hindu philosophy was meditating on the unity of opposites thousands of years before we had scientific frameworks for it.
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