Marital oneness

Shishya:

Guruji, I am about to enter into marriage. Everyone speaks of love, duty, and companionship. But how does one truly understand the essence of a couple’s unity?

Guru:

Ah, my child… let us turn to the poet Kalidasa. In the Raghuvamsha, he begins with this line:

“vāgarthāviva saṁpṛktau vāgartha-pratipattaye |

jagataḥ pitarau vande pārvatī-parameśvarau”

Shishya:

I know that verse. He compares Shiva and Parvati to vāk and artha — word and meaning. But how does that relate to a husband and wife?

Guru:

Reflect deeply. A word without meaning is hollow. A meaning without words remains unknown. In the same way, a couple must not just be two individuals — they must become one expression.

Shishya:

So, you mean a marriage is not just two people living together, but a deeper union — like speech that carries meaning?

Guru:

Yes. Just as word and meaning arise together to convey truth, husband and wife must rise together — in thought, emotion, and action — to manifest harmony. Where there is oneness of intent, clarity of expression, and purity of heart, there lies true companionship.

Shishya:

But Guruji, in real life, there are differences, disagreements. How does this oneness survive them?

Guru:

Differences are like accents in speech — they may color the sound, but the meaning must remain intact. Oneness does not mean sameness. It means alignment — of purpose, of respect, of inner values. When a couple honors each other as vāk and artha — one giving form, the other giving essence — their bond becomes divine.

Shishya:

Then a couple should not strive to overpower one another, but to understand, complement, and complete one another?

Guru:

Just as the word seeks to reveal, not obscure, its meaning. And the meaning waits patiently to be spoken rightly. So too, in a couple, let speech be gentle and true, and let understanding be deep and silent. Together, they build not just a home, but a sacred verse.

Shishya (bowing):

Guruji, today I understand. To live as one — like Shiva and Parvati, like word and meaning — is the path not only to love, but to grace.

Moral Insight:

A couple, in true harmony, reflects the divine union of expression and essence — not seeking to be the same, but to be inseparable in meaning and purpose, just as vāk and artha are united in beautiful speech.