The Great Saiva saint Appar who lived in the 7th cent, sings the praises of Siva in one of his Tevaram hymns in the following lines.

Tik-kurntha thirumeni orupal puntu Marupal ari-uruvam tikazhnta selvar

It refers to the composite form of Siva known as Harihara or Sankara Narayana in which form Siva's right half is red like fire and the left half is Green. In fact it also means that the right half of Siva is Rudra and the left half is of Vishnu. Such a composite imagery was created by the Vedic seers of India around 1500 BCE.

There is an invocation in the Vedas, (repeated many times), addressed to a dual deity called Agna-Vishnu. A question is raised in the Veda itself who is this Dual deity; which prayer is addressed to whom and what is the result? Veda answers:- the Dual form is that of Rudra and Vishnu combined in one, for Rudra is none other than Agni - Fire. Vishnu is also fire (shining). The Fire has heat energy and light energy. When the emission of heat is referred to, it is called Rudra and when light is emitted it is called Vishnu (i.e shine) Both powers inhere in the same fire. Agni is called Rudra. Rudro vaa ezha yad Agnih

Vishnu means to shine or illuminate.

When the invocation is addressed to the function of heat He is called Agni - Rudra and when the lighting function is addressed it is called Vishnu. One of the power, the heat is terrible - Ghora- while the light energy is welcome cool. The terrific aspect is addressed as ghora in masculine gender and the cool light energy is addressed in femenine gender as Sivaa. Ghora anya Siva anya. One is Siva and the other is Sivaa.

This also gives rise to the dual form of masculine and femenine combined in the same fire. When the Vedic rishis sought to give an imagery for this dual inherent functions of Agni-fire they visualized the Agna-Vishnu image, the roots of Harihara and Ardhanarisvara forms. The Veda says Satarudra hymn should be addressed to Agni Rudra by which the heat is cooled . A hymn called Vasordhara is to be recited for the Light- Sivaa form and by this the devotee pleases the Deity. Both the forms Harihara and Ardhanari considered curious by modern scholars and interpreted wildly, are but the poetic imagery created by the Vedic seers for two inherent natures of Fire, Agni.-Rudra.

It is from heat (Agni-Rudra) all beings come into existence, by heat all beings are sustained (living organism dies the moment heat disappears) and dissolves into heat at the end. So the Saivites tell us that Rudra Siva is the Creator, Sustainer and Annihilator of this Universe. For thousands of years, this powerful imagery has given rise to exquisite sculptures of composite forms of Hari hara and Ardhanarisvara, as the two sculptures illustrated here. This is what Appar sings in the seventh cent. Tevaram hymn.

Text and photos by Dr. R.Nagaswamy, Madras