“They both merged into me.
Shiva into the left half of my body
and Devi into the right half.”

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Ardhanarishwara Shivabalayogi Sri  Lanka


“Yogi Dedicated to Shiva and Parvati”

Ardhanarishwara

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, God in the form of a Yogi) and half woman (Bala, a name of Goddess 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).

Lord of Yogis

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.

Shivabalayogi Ardhanarishwara DeviSwamiji

He simply referred to himself in the third person as Swamiji, meaning “Master", and not "I", "me" or "my".

It was as if he wanted to take attention away from his body and personality and direct it towards something vastly greater.

 

Bala is one of the names of Goddess 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,

"Swamiji got it done as he saw it happen.  Shiva and Parvati were in front of Swamiji, Shiva to his left and Devi [Goddess] to his right."

Swamiji then gestured with his hands in front, drawing them gradually closer to his chest.

"They both moved towards Swamiji and merged into him, Shiva into the left half of his body and Devi into the right half of his body.  That is why Swamiji installed Shiva to the left of Devi."

 

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