অর্ধনারীশ্বরস্তোত্রম্

.. অর্ধনারীশ্বরস্তোত্রম্ ..
চাম্পেযগৌরার্ধশরীরকাযৈ কর্পূরগৌরার্ধশরীরকায .
ধম্মিল্লকাযৈ চ জটাধরায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ১ ..
One half shines with golden yellow color like chaampeya flower and
other half shines in bright white of karpuura. One side of the head is
adorned with a beautiful braided decoration and other sports an unkempt
jaTaamakuTam. I bow to Shivaa and Shiva in the form of ardhanaarishvara.

কস্তূরিকাকুঙ্কুমচর্চিতাযৈ চিতারজঃপুঞ্জবিচর্চিতায .
কৃতস্মরাযৈ বিকৃতস্মরায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ২ ..
The left half of ardhanaariishvara which is occupied by ambaaL is
adorned with musk and kumkumam. The other half occupied by the Lord is
smeared with ashes from the funeral pyre. The ambaaL aspect is well
adorned and pleasing to reflect on, the Lord’s half is ill adorned
(with ashes, snakes, elephant skin) is dreadful. I bow to this wonderful
form, I bow to ambaa Shivaa and Lord Shiva.

ঝণত্ক্বণত্কঙ্কণনূপুরাযৈ পাদাব্জরাজত্ফণিনূপুরায .
হেমাঙ্গদাযৈ ভুজগাঙ্গদায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৩ ..
The left side of the Lord, which is occupied by ambaaL is adorned with
beautiful kankana (bracelets worn on the wrist) and nuupura (worn at the
ankle). These make very pleasing sounds when they move. The right lotus
foot is adorned with a cobra as nuupura. angada is an ornament adorning
the lower elbows. On the left side it is made of gold and on the right
side it is a snake. Such is the wonderful form of the Lord. I bow to shrii
shivaa and Lord Shiva.
Snakes represent the senses. They are dreadful and lead one to the cycle
of death and birth. By wearing snakes, as a yogiishvara, the Lord
demonstrates His mastery and control over them.

বিশালনীলোত্পললোচনাযৈ বিকাসিপঙ্কেরুহলোচনায .
সমেক্ষণযৈ বিষমেক্ষণায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৪ ..
ambaaL’s eyes are often described as long, extending upto the ears.
This is indicated by the term vishaala. Her eyes (left half) are long and
beautiful like nilotpala flower. Lords eyes are radiant like lotus flowers.
IxaNa can mean look or eye. vishhameXana means some thing odd or different
to look at or one who has three eyes. sameXana means it is pleasing to
look at. “sa ma” means with laxmii, and HER eyes are auspicious and can
bestow prosperity to the devotees. The ardhanaariishvara form is a
beautiful combination of Shivaa and Shiva. I bow to shrii Shivaa and Lord
shiva.
(i) The three eyes of Shiva-Shakti svaruupam have many beautiful
descriptions in saundaryalaharii. In one verse, the right eye is compared
to the sun, the left one is compared to moon and the one of forehead is
compared to fire. They respectively produce day, night and the sandhya
kaalam.
(ii) Once a poetic puzzle was posed to mahaakavi kaLidaasa asking whether
someone has seen a flower inside another flower. He replied that the face
of a woman is like Lotus flower and her two eyes are like nilotpala flowers.
It is traditional to relate woman’s eyes with nilotpala flower.

মন্দারমালাকলিতালকাযৈ কপালমালাঙ্কিতকন্ধরায .
দিব্যাম্বরাযৈ চ দিগম্বরায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৫ ..
ambaaL’s forhead is adorned with garlands made of
mandaaram (Hibiscus) and the Lord’s neck is adorned with a garland
made of skulls. SHE dresses in royal and divine clothes and HE
has directions alone as HIS clothes.  I bow to shrii Shivaa and Lord Shiva.
The word digambara indicates that HE does not wear clothes, as a mark of
renunciation. The skulls indicate to the devotees that life in a body is
transient and impermanent, one day you will have to die, so do not get
mixed up with this world. digambara can also mean brahman. How can
you clothe something which is the biggest and the greatest. If
so one could say then that HE is contained in the dress and not
outside it. A similar sentiment is indicated in the Bible, when
Jesus says he has no resting place. A principle that pervades
everything can have no particular resting place.

অম্ভোধরশ্যামলকুন্তলাযৈ তটিত্প্রভাতাম্রজটাধরায .
নিরীশ্বরাযৈ নিখিলেশ্বরায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৬ ..
HER hair is dark like water bearing clouds and HIS jaTa is raised and
radiant with a golden hue like a ripe mango fruit (golden color). SHE has
none superior to HER and HE is the Lord of all. Such is the wonderful form
of ardhanaarishvara. I bow to shrii Shivaa and Lord Shiva.

প্রপঞ্চসৃষ্ট্যুন্মুখলাস্যকাযৈ সমস্তসংহারকতাণ্ডবায .
জগজ্জনন্যৈ জগদেকপিত্রে নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৭ ..
SHE dances in delight with captivating beauty at face of creation which
springs forth from them. His dance of destruction is in fury and the
cosmos subsides back in them. SHE is the mother of this world and
He is the Father.  Such is the wonderful nature of ardhanaariishvara,
I bow to shrii Shivaa and Lord Shiva.

প্রদীপ্তরত্নোজ্জ্বলকুণ্ডলাযৈ স্ফুরন্মহাপন্নগভূষণায .
শিবান্বিতাযৈ চ শিবান্বিতায নমঃ শিবাযৈ চ নমঃ শিবায .. ৮ ..
HER (left half) sparkling ear ring is studded with blazing precious
stones and HE (right half) is adorned with a terrifying snake as
HIS ear ring. Supreme auspiciousness (which is brahman) is the
essence of both shrii Shivaa and Lord Shiva. Such is the wonderful
form of ardhanaariishvara.  I bow to shrii Shivaa and Lord Shiva.

এতত্পঠেদষ্ঠকমিষ্টদং যো ভক্ত্যা স মান্যো ভুবি দীর্ঘজীবী .
প্রাপ্নোতি সৌভাগ্যমনন্তকালং ভূযাত্সদা তস্য সমস্তসিদ্ধিঃ .. ৯ ..
This final verse is the phala shruti of this stotram. (S)He who reads
this stotram containing eight verses with bhakti will obtain all (s)he
desires, honor, a long life, and all auspicious things for eternity. One
who repeats it again and again will attain all powers and perfection.

ইতি শ্রীমত্পরমহংসপরিব্রাজকাচার্যস্য শ্রীগোবিন্দভগবত্পূজ্যপাদশিষ্যস্য
শ্রীমচ্ছংকরভগবতঃ কৃতৌ অর্ধনারীশ্বরস্তোত্রম্ সংপূর্ণম্ ..
Thus concludes the ardhanArIshvara stotram, composed by
shrI Adi sha.nkarAchArya, disciple of shrI govinda bhagavatpAda.