Slokam 1

In the middle of the earth is said to be a region called Illavrita, which is populated entirely by women.  Gauri is their chief and Shiva is present as Sharva,  in the form of half-man and half-woman. All the residents of Illavrita, worship only the Paramathma.

The slokam has regionalized women. The purpose is to focus on women who are not subjected to any relationship with men.  If women are not subjected to the influence of men, their true nature will bloom.  They will not be subject to any conflict. 

It is said in the slokam that the women worshipped the Paramathma with hymns.

Women are the core of the human race and society.  They enable the sustenance of life.  They a;so are entrusted with the upbringing of the child Because of this important function, they have special needs. How well the society takes care of these special emotional needs,  will largely determine the future of mankind.  If these needs are ignored, it is highly likely that the plight of women will destroy the very fabric of life.  Just as they enable life,  they can also disable it.

Man is subservient to women in a lot of respects.  His function is only to look after them and their needs. This duty has to be discharged without expecting anything in return. It is in many ways the same as taking care of children.  A clear understanding of this role is very important in maintaining a peaceful family environment.  It is very important for a man to understand the difference between a mother, a wife and a daughter.  They are not the same.  The relationship that man maintains with each of them should be different.  The expectation that a man has from the three aspects of women should be different. A wife is not a mother and a daughter is not the wife.   If the man has overlapping expectations,  he will be disappointed,  and this disappointment will cause disruption in the family. 

If the mother and the wife are living in the same house,  they will attempt to step into each other’s roles, resulting in conflict.  A woman,  in all her three forms is emotionally only a child. The emotional maturity will remain at this level right through her life. She is not to be teased, put down or criticized, even for one moment. It has got to be sustained support and encouragement right through their life. 

So the life of a man revolves around the woman in all her three phases.   The economics of this world revolve around meeting the needs of women and her children.  A house, transportation,  education,  communication,  and defense,  are all the means by which the woman’s needs are met.

Women,  on the other hand is always focused only on her children, and their children. She does not care about anyone else.  She is very capable in managing and looking after herself and her children. Any extension of this role will have a huge impact on the well being of the family. 

A woman,  for the most part is not empowered to live alone.  So how does Ilavrita propagate and sustain without men to perform the function of the bread winner and house keeper?  Shiva Perumal performs the role as half man and half woman. 

The beautiful depiction of Shiva Perumal as half man and half women is a very insightful indication into what a woman truly needs from men.   A woman needs the guidance of her mother right through her life. She also leans heavily on her father,  as the only source of inspiration in her life.  The role of the husband in the lie of the woman is just a passing phase.  She has the capability to shake off this relationship once the function of child bearing is over.

Shiva Perumal,  as half man, half woman,  performs this hybrid function. This is a beautiful depiction of the transformation that a man has to undergo from day to day,  even hour to hour to keep his wife, mother and daughter,  in peace.

A women can only take on one role in each phase of her life.  She cannot be a mother, wife and daughter at the same time.  A man can be a father, mother, husband at the same time.  In fact, to maintain peace,  he has to be all three at the same time.  This message is beautifully depicted in the form that Shiva Perumal takes in Ilavrita. 

Point in the slokam to be noted is that Shiva perumal is said to draw his strength and inspiration by meditating on the Paramathma.

The physical isolation and restriction of Ilavrita to being a city of women should be understood as the depiction of the needs and characteristics of women,  rather than a fortress on a piece of land.

May we read and appreciate the true meaning of the slokams of our ithihasas and Puranas and understand and appreciate the lessons of life that are sought to be delivered through them.

May we,  like Shiva perumal always take on multiple roles and characteristics to discharge our functions.  May we always, like Shiva Perumal,  meditate upon the Paramathma and draw strength and inspiration from the supreme.