Editing Ardhanarishvara (section)

==Origins and early images==
[[File:Kushana Ardhanareswar.jpg|thumb|upright|An early [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] head of Ardhanarishvara, discovered at Rajghat, now in the [[Mathura Museum]]]]

The conception of Ardhanarishvara may have been inspired by [[Vedic]] literature's composite figure of [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]]-[[Yami]],{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=44}}<ref name = "swami58">Swami Parmeshwaranand p. 58</ref> the Vedic descriptions of the primordial Creator Vishvarupa or [[Prajapati]] and the fire-god [[Agni]] as "bull who is also a cow,"<ref name ="Kramrisch200"/><ref name = "Srinivasan57"/> the [[Brihadaranyaka Upanishad|''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'']]'s [[Ātman (Hinduism)|Atman]] ("Self") in the form of the androgynous cosmic man [[Purusha]]{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=44}}<ref name = "Srinivasan57"/> and the androgynous myths of the [[Ancient Greece|Greek]] [[Hermaphroditus]] and [[Phrygians|Phrygian]] [[Agdistis]].<ref name ="Kramrisch200"/><ref name = "Daniélou63ff"/> The ''Brihadaranyaka Upanishad'' says that Purusha splits himself into two parts, male and female, and the two halves copulate, producing all life – a theme concurrent in Ardhanarishvara's tales.<ref>Srinivasan pp. 57, 59</ref> The [[Shvetashvatara Upanishad|''Shvetashvatara Upanishad'']] sows the seed of the [[Puranas|Puranic]] Ardhanarishvara. It declares [[Rudra]] – the antecedent of the Puranic Shiva – the maker of all and the root of Purusha (the male principle) and [[Prakriti]] (the female principle), adhering to [[Samkhya]] philosophy. It hints at his androgynous nature, describing him both as male and female.<ref>Srinivasan pp. 57–8</ref>

The concept of Ardhanarishvara originated in [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] and Greek cultures simultaneously; the iconography evolved in the Kushan era (30–375 CE), but was perfected in the Gupta era (320-600 CE).<ref name = "swami55ff">Swami Parmeshwaranand pp. 55–6</ref>{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=146}} A mid-first century Kushan era [[Stele|stela]] in the [[Mathura Museum]] has a half-male, half-female image, along with three other figures identified with [[Vishnu]], [[Gaja Lakshmi]] and [[Kubera]].<ref name = "swami58"/><ref>See image in Goldberg pp. 26–7</ref> The male half is [[ithyphallic]] or with an ''urdhvalinga'' and makes an ''[[Abhayamudra|abhaya mudra]]'' gesture; the female left half holds a mirror and has a rounded breast. This is the earliest representation of Ardhanarishvara, universally recognized.<ref name = "swami58"/><ref name = "Goldberg30"/> An early Kushan Ardhanarishvara head discovered at Rajghat is displayed at the [[Mathura Museum]]. The right male half has matted hair with a skull and crescent moon; the left female half has well-combed hair decorated with flowers and wears a patra-kundala (earring). The face has a common [[third eye]]. A terracotta seal discovered in [[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]] has half-man, half-woman features.<ref name = "swami58"/> Early Kushan images show Ardhanarishvara in a simple two-armed form, but later texts and sculptures depict a more complex iconography.<ref name = "Srinivasan57"/>

Ardhanarishvara is referred to by the Greek author [[Stobaeus]] ({{Circa|500 AD}}) while quoting [[Bardasanes]] ({{Circa|154}}–222 AD), who learnt from an Indian embassy's visit to [[Syria]] during the reign of [[Elagabalus]] (Antoninus of Emesa) (218–22 AD).{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=44}}<ref name = "swami55ff"/> A terracotta androgynous bust, excavated at [[Taxila]] and dated to the [[Saka]]-[[Parthian Empire|Parthian]] era, pictures a bearded man with female breasts.<ref name = "swami55ff"/>{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=146}}

Ardhanarishvara is interpreted as an attempt to [[Syncretism|syncretise]] the two principal Hindu sects, [[Shaivism]] and [[Shaktism]], dedicated to Shiva and the [[Mahadevi|Great Goddess]]. A similar syncretic image is [[Harihara]], a composite form of Shiva and Vishnu, the Supreme deity of the [[Vaishnava]] sect.<ref name = "garg">Garg (ed), pp. 598–9</ref>{{sfn|Chakravarti|1986|p=43}}<ref name = "Dehejia37ff">Dehejia pp. 37–9</ref><ref name="Pande">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704072150/http://www.alkapande.com/paper1.htm|archive-date=4 July 2008|url=http://www.alkapande.com/paper1.htm|title=The Icon of Creation – Ardhanarisvara|last=Pande|first=Dr. Alka|work=Official site of author|access-date=6 February 2011}}</ref>