List of mudras (dance)

One of the most striking features of Indian classical dance and dances of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Malay world and is the use of hand gestures. Speaking in dance via gestures in order to convey outer events or things visually is what mudras do. To convey inner feelings, two classifications of mudras (hand/finger gesture) are used in Indian classical dance, Thai dances, Cambodian dances, Lao dances, Burmese dances and Malay dances, and are indeed a prominent part of the dancer's vocabulary.

Background

The Abhinaya Darpa (a descriptive primer for dancers) mentions that the dancer should sing the song by the throat, express the meaning of the song through hand gestures, show the state of feelings in the song by eyes, and express the rhythm with his or her feet.

From the Natya Shastra, a text on the arts, this beautiful quotation and translation is often quoted by Indian classical dance instructors:

"Yato hastastato drishtihi"..."Where the hand is, the eyes follow"

"Yato drishtistato manaha"..."Where the eyes go, the mind follows"

"Yato manastato bhavaha"..."Where the mind is, there is the feeling"

"Yato bhavastato rasaha"..."Where there is feeling, there is mood/flavour, sweetness (i.e., appreciation of art; aesthetic bliss)"

So vast are the subtleties expressed in the hand gestures of hasta that the vastness of what being human entails, and perhaps even what the entire universe contains, might be expressed by the dancer.

Hence as 'hasta' form a distinct coded language which brings a unique poetic element while performing, so too when abhinaya (traditional facial expressions), pose (attitude), and rhythm complete the language, the dancer may express practically anything and everything to an attentive audience.

Gestures

Bharatanatyam

In Bharatanatyam, the Classical Dance of India performed by Lord Nataraja, approximately 51 root mudras (hand/finger gestures) are used to clearly communicate specific ideas, events, actions, or creatures in which 28 require only one hand, and are classified as `Asamyuta Hasta', along with 23 other primary mudras which require both hands and are classified as 'Samyuta Hasta'; these 51 are the roots but the branches permit of many more mudra, some of which are used primarily as aesthetic or decorative.

Asamyuta hastas

Name in Sanskrit	Translation(s) in English	Other meanings	Illustration
Pataka	flag	beginning a dance, cloud, forest. forbidding things, night, river, horse, sprinkling water
Tripataka	three parts of the flag	crown, tree, vajra weapon, Indra, light rising, cheek, arrow
Ardhapataka	half flag	tender shoots, writing panel, riverbank, knife, flag, temple tower, horn
Kartarimukha	scissors face or arrow shaft face	separation of women and men, opposition, stealing, corner of the eye, death, disagreement, lightning
Mayura	peacock or peacock's beak	bird of omen, forehead, stroking the hair, wiping tears, argument
Ardhachandra	half moon	spear, platter, anxiety, meditation, prayer, greeting
Arala	bent	drinking poison
Shukatunda	parrot head	shooting an arrow, throwing a spear, mystery
Mushthi	closed fist	steadiness, grasping the hair, holding things, wrestling
Shikhara	mountain top or spire	God of Love, bow, pillar, sound of a bell, silence, questioning, husband, lover, embrace
Kapitta	wood apple	Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, holding cymbals, holding flowers at the time of flirting, milking cows
Katakamukha	opening of a bracelet	picking flowers, holding a pearl necklace or garland of flowers, drawing a bow slowly, speech, glancing
Suchi	needle	Parabrahma, one, one hundred, sun, city, world, fan, threatening, astonishment, umbrella, beating the drum
Chandrakala	crescent moon	digit of the moon
Padmakosha	lotus bud	water lily, fruit, apple, mango, breast
Sarpashirsha	snake head	giving water to Gods and sages, the flapping of elephant's ears, slowness
Mrigashirsha	deer head	women, calling the beloved, cheek, holding an umbrella, actor's costume, house, fear, discussion
Simahmukha	lion face	elephant, lotus, coral, pearl, garland, fragrance, drop of water, salvation when placed on the heart
Langula	tail	Lakuce fruit, water lily, breast
Alapadma or Solapadma	lotus in full bloom	yearning for the beloved, mirror, moon pavillion, full moon, village, murmuring sound, praise
Chatura	square	eyes, musk, a little, breaking to pieces
Bhramara	bee	parrot, crane, cuckoo, union
Hamsasya	swan beak	tying the marriage thread, initiation, painting, drop of water
Hamsapaksha	swan wing	arranging, constructing a bridge, making marks with the nails
Sandamsha	to repeat again and again
Mukula	flower bud
Tamrachuda	rooster
Trishula	trident
Ardhasuchi	half needle
Vyagraha	tiger
Palli	knot
Kataka	resting place

Samyukta mudra

Sanskrit	English	Other Meanings	Illustration
Anjali	offering
Kapotam	dove
Karkatam	crab
Swastikam	auspicious sign
Dola-Hastam	drummer's hands
Pushpaputam	bag of flowers
Utsangam	embrace
Shivalingam	sign of Lord Shiva
Kataka-vardhanam	chain
Kartari-swastikam
Shakatam	carriage
Shankha	conch shell
Chakram	rotating disc
Pasha	ropes
Kilaka	bolt
Samputa	round shaped casket
Matsya	fish
Kurma	tortoise
Varaha	boar
Garuda	half-eagle, half-human mount of Lord Vishnu	bird(s) flying
Nagabandham	snakes entwined
Khattva	cot
Bherunda	a pair of birds

Thai dances

Name in Thai	Translation(s) in English	Other meanings	Illustration
Taw chan (ตัวฉัน)	I, Myself
Taw thex (ตัวเธอ)	You

See also

• List of gestures
• List of Indian dances
• Adavu

Further reading

• Marg Magazine Volume 10 - Issue 4, pp. 12-13, 24 (September 1957)
• Marg Magazine Volume 32 - Issue 2 (June 1979)

External links

• Indianartz.com. Hasta Mudras - Gallery.
• Ramm-Bonwitt, Ingrid (1987). Mudras - As Maos Como Simbolo do Cosmos.