Ardhanarishvara represents the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies of the universe, Purusha and Prakriti, and illustrates how Shakti, the female principle of God, is inseparable from Shiva, the male principle of God. The union of these principles is exalted as the root and womb of all creation. Another view is that Ardhanarishvara is a symbol of Shiva's all-pervasive nature. The name Ardhanarishvara means "the Lord who is half woman." Ardhanarishvara is also known by other names like Ardhanaranari ("the half man-woman"), Ardhanarisha ("the Lord who is half woman"), Ardhanarinateshvara ("the Lord of Dance who is half-woman"), Parangada, Naranari ("man-woman"), Ammiappan (a Tamil name meaning "Mother-Father"), and Ardhayuvatishvara (in Assam, "the Lord whose half is a young woman or girl").
The Gupta-era writer Pushpadanta in his Mahimnastava refers to this form as dehardhaghatana ("Thou and She art each the half of one body"). Brihat Samhita, calls this form Ardha-gaurishvara ("the Lord whose half is the fair one"; the fair one Gauri is an attribute of Parvati). The Naradiya Purana mentions that Ardhanarishvara is half-black and half-yellow, without clothes on one side and clothed on other, wearing skulls and a garland of lotuses on the male half and female half respectively. The Linga Purana gives a brief description of Ardhanarishvara as making varada and abhaya mudras and holding a trishula and a lotus. The Vishnudharmottara Purana prescribes a four-armed form, with right hands holding a rosary and trishula, while the left ones bear a mirror and a lotus. The form is called Gaurishvara ( the lord/husband of Gauri).
Ardhanarishvara symbolizes that the male and female principles are inseparable. The Mahabharata lauds this form as the source of creation. Ardhanarishvara signifies "totality that lies beyond duality", "bi-unity of male and female in God" and "the bisexuality and therefore the non-duality" of the Supreme Being. It conveys that God is both Shiva and Parvati, "both male and female, both father and mother, both aloof and active, both fearsome and gentle, both destructive and constructive" and unifies all other dichotomies of the universe. Ardhanarishvara conveys that Shiva and Shakti are one and the same.!! 
Jai ShivaShakti ~ Jai Ardhanarishvaraya Namah ~ Shubh Prabhat!!
