Just as water and its flavor can never exist apart, likewise Purusha and Prakriti never remain disassociated from each other.

Just as water and its flavor can never exist apart, likewise Purusha and Prakriti never remain disassociated from each other.’ Shrimad Bhagwat Purana. Shiva and Shakti are one and the same supreme power. The formless god is called Parashiva. The god creates the world and act for the benefits of Pashus (souls), who are attached by Pasha (bondage). The power of creation comes from Shiva and Shakti. Though they are incorporated in the same form they act independently as well as jointly. This is understood when the philosophers in ancient scriptures describe Shakti as wife, mother and daughter of Shiva. As wife, Shakti acts together with Shiva, as mother Shakti becomes Shiva or Shiva comes out of Shakti and as daughter Shiva becomes Shakti. Ardhanarishvara, Shiva and Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. ‪The Ardhanari form also illustrates how the female principle of God, Shakti, is inseparable from the male principle of God, Shiva. Ardhanari in iconography is depicted as half-male and half-female, split down the middle. The best sculptural depictions of Shiva as Ardhanari are to be seen in the sensuous Chola dynasty bronzes and the sculptures at Ellora and Elephanta.`Ardhanarishvara` is a combination of three words `Ardha`, `Nari` and `Ishwara` means `half`, `woman` and `lord` respectively, which when combined means the lord whose half is woman. Shiva and Shakti, Ardhanarishvara represents a constructive and generative power. This is one of the very important forms of the god worshipped by Hindus. The reference of Ardhanarishvara is found in many Hindu scriptures. God is beyond the concept of any sex. So God can be male, female, and even neuter too. So god existing in this intrinsic condition is referred as Ardhanarishvara.