He has given her the left half of his body. It is only when we give half of ourselves—both body and mind—to the woman that we can be good husbands. Even though we are born male, we also have feminine qualities within us.
-- The Priest (chapter 5)

Importance: The priest speaks these lines to Kali when he goes up to visit the temple of Devatha. Desperate to conceive a child with Ponna, he asks the priest what he needs to do to appease the goddess and win her favor. Explaining that Devatha is really only a portion of the male god Maadhorubaagan, the priest tells Kali he must achieve physical and spiritual union with his wife in order to make piece with the deity. The image of Devatha, her body comprised of both female and male gods, illustrates the union of marriage, as well as the balance between the individuals physical and mental...