The Scholarly Work Throws Light On The Artistic, Aesthetic, Literary And Philosophical Aspects Of The Ardhanarisvara Form Of Siva. Providing A Conceptual And Historical Background Of The Doctrines Relating To Siva And Sakti Worship It Involves An Iconographical Study Of The Ardhanarisvara Image.

ardhanarishvara means the half feminine form of ishvara (Shiva) this form is a combined form of Shiva and Shakti. It is the union of Shiva and shakti and expresses their oneness. This is one of the most important forms of Shiva described in the shaivagamas, puranas, and mantra shastras acharya Adishankara bhagavadpada composes this hymn to praise this particular form of Shiva. Worshiping this form is equivalent to worshiping Shiva and Shakti together. Acharya attaches 2 mantras in the ending verse of each shloka. the Shiva panchakshari (namah shivaya) and shakti panchakshari (namah shivayai) The hymn is an octet comprised of 8 shlokas. In ardhanarishvara form, a half is feminine & another is masculine, hence he uses words denoting feminine for the it, and the words denoting masculine while referring the masculine half of the form. He uses same words meaning differently in different contexts and similar words in this hymn n to praise the Shiva portion and the Shakti portion of this form.

The designation "Lord Who Is Half Woman" refers to the androgynous Hindu god Ardhanarisvara (also known as Siva-Sakti). While iconographical aspects of this significant image have been addressed, the complex theological, philosophical, and social implications inherent in a dual gendered deity have not. This book provides the first extensive study of the influence of Ardhanarisvara, exploring four distinct areas of Indian culture, namely iconography, hatha yoga, devotional poetry (bhakti), and mythology. Ellen Goldberg also offers a feminist analysis of the ways in which "male" and "female" have been constructed in this image and the various representations pertaining to the broader gender implications of an androgynous deity.

A “thrilling, well-researched” account of years of scandal at the prestigious Getty Museum (Ulrich Boser, author of The Gardner Heist). In recent years, several of America’s leading art museums have voluntarily given up their finest pieces of classical art to the governments of Italy and Greece. Why would they be moved to such unheard-of generosity? The answer lies at the Getty, one of the world’s richest and most troubled museums, and scandalous revelations that it had been buying looted antiquities for decades. Drawing on a trove of confidential museum records and candid interviews, these two journalists give us a fly-on-the-wall account of the inner workings of a world-class museum, and tell a story of outlandish characters and bad behavior that could come straight from the pages of a thriller. “In an authoritative account, two reporters who led a Los Angeles Times investigation reveal the details of the Getty Museum’s illicit purchases, from smugglers and fences, of looted Greek and Roman antiquities. . . . The authors offer an excellent recap of the museum’s misdeeds, brimming with tasty details of the scandal that motivated several of America’s leading art museums to voluntarily return to Italy and Greece some 100 classical antiquities worth more than half a billion dollars.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “An astonishing and penetrating look into a veiled world where beauty and art are in constant competition with greed and hypocrisy. This engaging book will cast a fresh light on many of those gleaming objects you see in art museums.” —Jonathan Harr, author of The Lost Painting

With reference to India.

Beginning with an overview of the symbolism of creative forces in general, The Phallus first examines the representation of male fertility in such forms as the menhirs or standing stones of prehistoric Europe; the Mahalinga and Svayambhu of India; and the ancient Greek Omphalos. The second part of the book surveys the presence of ithyphallic gods in archaic shamanistic religions (the Lord of the Animals), the Greek pantheon (Hermes, Priapus), and the Hindu deities (Ardhanarishvara, the androgyne). Danielou also explores the role of Shaivist and Dionysian initiatory rites in bringing men into communion with the creative forces of life. Illustrated throughout with photographs and line drawings of European and Indian art, The Phallus celebrates the expression of the masculine in the religious traditions of East and West. Phallic imagery, in one form or another, may be found in the artistic traditions of virtually every world culture since prehistoric times. Alain Danielou here unveils the religious impulse underlying art that at first glance seems to have no purpose beyond the erotic.