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Introduction

For millennia, hand mudras (hastas) have been explored and utilized as an integral part of Indian spiritual culture. In the tradition of Classical Indian Dance, hand mudras are extensively used as essential tools of expression. By learning the hand gestures of Indian dance, we tap into a vast body of knowledge that invites deeper meaning, beauty, and awareness into all of our creative endeavors.

Mudras are much more than tools of expression; they stimulate the flow of Shakti (“primal force”) in the organs, glands, and nerve channels of the body. While the feet form a stable foundation and set the rhythm of the dance, the hands—being at the ends of the creative channels (nadis)—are the most potent body part to convey feeling and subtle expression.

The 52 mudras included in this deck are the fundamental hand gestures used in Classical Indian Dance as illustrated in the Abhinaya Darpana of Nandikeshvara, the first practical text devoted solely to dance. This is the most influential text in the field of dance technique and extensively deals with the use of hand gestures for communication and expression. These 52 mudras are divided into two sets: 28 Asamyuka Hastas (“single-hand gestures”), and 24 Samyukta Hastas (“joint-hand gestures”). They are included here in their traditional order, divided into two color-coded sets: for single-hand mudras and for joint-hand mudras. These mudras are the basic building blocks for an entire language of animated gesticulation. They are used in a variety of ways: to convey deep sentiments, represent the meaning of a narrative, embody inherent characteristics, invoke a quality of the divine, and as an aesthetic ornamentation of the dance. Inwardly, they provide a means for connection between the dancer and the divine. Outwardly, they form a link between the dancer and the audience. Hand mudras are used to facilitate connection in many ways, and their proper use transforms our expression of dance into an act of devotion and union.

Classical Indian Dance technique views the joints as the initiators of movement and shapers of form. In Indian dance, every mudra is articulated and initiated from the wrist, rather than the muscles of the hands or arms. This focus on the wrist imbues each mudra with a connectivity that carries the impact of the gesture deeper into the dancer’s core and the spectator’s heart. Mudras in dance are the focal point around which everything else revolves. The verse below, from the Abhinaya Darpana, poetically describes the importance of mudras:

Yato hastas tato drishtih

Yato drishitis tato manah

Yato manas tato bhavo

Yato bhavas tato rasah.

“Where the hand goes, the eyes follow.

Where the eyes go, the mind follows.

Where the mind (awareness) is, emotion (bhava) is created.

Once bhava is created, sentiment (rasa) arises.”

This verse also illustrates the central role of emotional expression in Indian dance. The intention of evoking sentiment in the viewer, largely through the use of mudras and facial expression, is seen as a path to spiritual awakening.

The importance of the subtle inner workings of mudras, not only their outward appearance, is a value shared by yoga and Indian dance alike. If you are a practitioner of yoga and meditation, you could greatly enhance your sadhana (“practice”) by learning the art of emotional expression implicit in the use of dance mudras. The emphasis placed on rousing the sentiments of the heart is a central theme in both dance and Bhakti Yoga (“path of devotion”). We have found that this important component of spiritual life is greatly enriched by working with the theatrical mudras and rasas (“moods”) used in dance. For dancers, incorporating yoga mudras into your daily training will help you connect with the spiritual power inherent in the ancient roots of dance (for more information, see the Mudras of Yoga card deck by Cain Carroll with Revital Carroll). The meditative practice of yoga mudras will improve a dancer’s overall health, increase mental clarity, and develop superior concentration for learning complex choreography. The creative capacity contained in the hands is accessible to anyone. Whether you are a dancer, yogi/yogini, spiritual seeker, or simply feel drawn to explore something new, the realm of hand mudras has much to offer. We hope you will enjoy this simple and powerful way to access your core being, harmonize your emotions, and bring an added element of beauty and devotion to your life!