Man & woman...the inseparable whole

Since perhaps creation itself, man & woman have independently and collectively tried to understand each other, but have seldom been successful. Since times immemorial, it has been a patriarchal society almost the world over. Yet, many (men & women alike) hold the view that man & woman although belonging to the same family, are actually 2 different species. Perhaps, in all these views / opinions, there is some element of factual correctness due to the various reasons in the way man & woman behave or think, but the truth is much more than being factually correct.

While acknowledging the fact that man & woman are indeed quite different both physiologically & psychologically, it is quite unimaginable to have a world without either. In fact, man is part of a woman; without man, there is no woman, & without woman, there is no standing for man. It is like, man & woman are 2 sides of the same coin. Only when the coin has both sides does it command economic value. Similarly it is with man & woman, the 2 inseparable sides of the coin of life. Hence, life without either is simply unimaginable. In fact, there wouldn't be life itself without either. 

Realizing this truth, our ancient Seers envisioned the Ardhanaareeshwara, the half-Shiva half-Parvathi. Every man has woman in him, & every woman has man in her. It is only when this man-woman combination exists in every individual, does the Being become whole. This combination also is reflected in the different qualities that we exhibit during various times in our life. For ex., certain situations in life require tremendous courage & bravery, which is typically man's nature or quality; certain situations require tremendous compassion, love, & care, which is typically woman's nature or qualities. Each of these qualities are exhibited during different situations or circumstances in life, which are a reflection of man's & woman's qualities. Therefore, man & woman co-exist together, in every individual, at any given point in time. It is just that certain man's qualities are exhibited more in one individual (man or woman) and at certain times & similarly, certain woman's qualities are exhibited more in others (man or woman) again at certain times. Together, they make the whole Being.