Editing Ardhanarishvara (section)

===Male half===

The male half wears a ''jata-mukuta'' (a headdress formed of piled, matted hair) on his head, adorned with a crescent moon. Sometimes the ''jata-mukuta'' is adorned with serpents and the river goddess [[Ganges in Hinduism|Ganga]] flowing through the hair. The right ear wears a ''nakra-kundala'', ''sarpa-kundala'' ("serpent-earring") or ordinary kundala ("earring"). Sometimes, the male eye is depicted smaller than the female one and a half-moustache is also seen.<ref name = "Rao324ff"/><ref name = "Goldberg4"/> A half third eye (''trinetra'') is prescribed on the male side of the forehead in the canons; a full eye may also be depicted in middle of forehead separated by both the sides or a half eye may be shown above or below Parvati's round dot.<ref name = "Rao324ff"/><ref name = "Goldberg5"/> A common elliptical halo (''prabhamandala''/''prabhavali'') may be depicted behind the head; sometimes the shape of the halo may differ on either side.<ref name = "Goldberg5"/>

In the four-armed form, a right hand holds a ''[[parashu]]'' (axe) and another makes an ''abhaya mudra'' (gesture of reassurance), or one of the right arms is slightly bent and rests on the head of Shiva's bull mount, [[Nandi (bull)|Nandi]], while the other is held in the ''abhaya mudra'' gesture. Another configuration suggests that a right hand holds a ''[[trishula]]'' (trident) and another makes a ''[[Varadamudra|varada mudra]]'' (gesture of blessing). Another scripture prescribes that a trishula and ''[[akshamala]]'' (rosary) are held in the two right hands. In the two-armed form, the right hand holds a [[kapala]] (skull cup) or gestures in a ''varada mudra''.<ref name = "Rao324ff">Rao pp. 324–5</ref><ref name = "Goldberg4">Goldberg p. 12</ref> He may also hold a skull.<ref name = "matsya"/> In the [[Badami]] relief, the four-armed Ardhanarishvara plays a [[veena]] (lute), using a left and a right arm, while other male arm holds a ''parashu'' and the female one a lotus.<ref name = "Rao327ff">Rao pp. 327–8</ref>

[[File:Ardhanari.png|thumb|upright|A three-armed bronze Ardhanarishvara]]
The Shiva half has a flat masculine chest, a straight vertical chest, broader shoulder, wider waist and muscular thigh.<ref name = "Goldberg4"/> He wears a [[Upanayana|''yagnopavita'']] (sacred thread) across the chest, which is sometimes represented as a ''naga-yagnopavita'' (a snake worn as a ''yagnopavita'') or a string of pearls or gems. The ''yajnopavita'' may also divide the torso into its male and female halves. He wears ornaments characteristic of Shiva's iconography, including serpent ornaments.<ref name = "matsya"/><ref name = "Rao324ff"/><ref name = "Goldberg5"/><ref name="britannica"/>

In some North Indian images,<ref name = "Goldberg5"/> the male half may be nude and also be ithyphallic (''urdhavlinga'' or ''urdhavreta'': with an erect phallus), however, connotes the very opposite in this context.{{sfn|Kramrisch|1994a|p=218}} It contextualizes "[[Coitus reservatus|seminal retention]]" or practice of [[Celibacy#Hinduism|celibacy]]<ref name="govind52">Ghurye, G.S., 1952. Ascetic Origins. Sociological Bulletin, 1(2), pp.162-184.</ref> (illustration of ''Urdhva Retas''),{{sfn|Kramrisch|1994a|p=26}}<ref name="brill72">Pensa, Corrado. "Some Internal and Comparative Problems in the Field of Indian Religions." Problems and Methods of the History of Religions. Brill, 1972. 102-122.</ref><ref name="patt06">Pattanaik, Devdutt. Shiva to Shankara: Decoding the phallic symbol. Indus Source, 2006.</ref> and represents the deity as "the one who stands for complete control of the senses, and for the supreme carnal renunciation",{{sfn|Kramrisch|1994a|p=218}} other images found in North India include full or half phallus and one testicle.<ref name = "Goldberg30"/> However, such imagery is never found in South Indian images;<ref name = "Goldberg5">Goldberg p. 13</ref> the loins are usually covered in a garment (sometimes a [[dhoti]]) of silk or cotton, or the skin of a tiger or deer), typically down to the knee, and held in place by a ''sarpa-mekhala'', serpent girdle or jewellery. The right leg may be somewhat bent or straight and often rests on a lotus pedestal (''padma-pitha''). The whole right half is described as smeared with ashes and as terrible and red-coloured or gold or coral in appearance; however, these features are rarely depicted.<ref name = "Rao324ff"/><ref name = "Goldberg5"/>