“Yogi Dedicated to Shiva and Parvati”
Shivabalayogi explained that when he completed tapas, God Shiva and Goddess Parvati merged into him. He became a physical expression of the male and female aspects of the Divine. He became Ardharishawara, half man (Shiva) and half woman (Bala, or Parvati).
The different sides could be seen. The skin on his right side (Bala, Parvati) was softer, his right breast larger than the left (Shiva).
The Divine Guru gave him the name Shivabalayogishwara, meaning “Lord of Yogis Dedicated to Shiva and Parvati.”
The yogi shortened the name to Shivabalayogi, “Yogi Dedicated to Shiva and Parvati,” to avoid equating himself with God (Ishwara). Ishwara, which means “Lord”, is also used to refer to God.
Most often, he simply referred to himself as Swami, meaning
“Master.
Devotees called him Swami-ji, meaning “Respected Master”.
Bala is one of the names of Parvati. In Sanskrit, Bala (with a root meaning of strength or power, like, for example, shakti) is spelled and pronounced differently from the word bala which means "boy". During his twelve-year tapas, Shivabalayogi was referred to as the balayogi (boy yogi) of Adivarapupeta. This name bala (child) is different from Bala, the name of Parvati.
On one occasion, someone asked Swamiji why the Shivalinga he consecrated in Adivarapupeta is on the left, and the statue of Parvati is on the right. Traditionally, the male is right and female is left. Swamiji explained,
"I got it done as I saw it happen. Shiva and Parvati were in front of me, Shiva to my left and Devi [Goddess] to my right."
Swamiji then gestured with his hands in front, drawing them gradually closer to his chest.
"They both moved towards me and merged into me, Shiva into the left half of my body and Devi into the right half of my body. That is why I installed Shiva to the left of Devi."