In Parvatidarpana Harsha V. Dehejia exposits the basic tenets of Kasmir Saivism through the celebrated marriage of Siva and Parvati and the image of the Ardhanarisvara. Enjoyment of the mythic marriage and the image leads to a greater understanding of Kashmir Saivism, and the epistemology of this philosophical system in turn leads the aesthete to a greater celebration of the arts inspired by this mythic event. Image leads to the idea and the idea in turn leads one back to the image creating a rich aesthetic experience.