Ardhapurusha
Ardhapurusha · ardha-purusha, “half a man”
Grammar: masculine noun; a compound of ardha (half) and purusha (man): “half a man”.
Meaning: a man who has no wife, who is only half of himself.
In the scriptures: the Brahma Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa says that until he has a wife a man is only half a man, so he should marry at the right time, as the śāstra lays down. A man without a wife is like a chariot of one wheel or a bird of one wing, unfit for all rites (Brahma Parva, Chapter 6).
Related terms: Vivāha · Gṛhastha · Purusha
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Brahma Parva, Chapter 6