Hasta Pranalakshana
The way a hasta/mudra is held, is divided into 12 Pranalakshana ie 12 different ways of holding a hand.
- Prasarana Hasta - The fingers are stretched
- Kunchita Hasta - The fingers are folded
- Rechita Hasta - The fingers are given movement
- Punchita Hasta - The fingers are folded or moved or stretched
- Apaveshtita Hasta - The fingers are bent down
- Prerita Hasta - The fingers are bent back or moved or stretched
- Udveshtita Hasta - Holding the hands UP while dancing
- Vyavrutta Hasta - Hands help UP in the sides
- Parivrutta Hasta - Hands are brought together from sides (like a namaskara)
- Sanketa Hasta - Hands used to convey Implied Meanings
- Chinha Hasta - While dancing a dancer tries to show lot of things which are visible & invisible like a person's physical appearence, face, weapons, places of limbs & other parts of the body, his/her influence on others, their mannerisms etc. Hands used to show such things are called Chinhe
- Padarthateeke - Hands used to confirm the meanings of certain words
The hand gestures are divided as
- Asamyuta Hasta - Single hand gestures
- Samyuta Hasta - Double hand gestures
There are 28 asamyuta hastas & 24 Samyuta hastas. Each hasta has a defined
usage called Viniyoga. These viniyogas are again sanskrit shlokas written
in Natyashastra.
Asamyuta Hasta
Pataka Tripatakordhapataka Kartareemukhaha
Mayurakyordhachandrashcha Arala Shukatundakaha
Mushtishta Shikarakyashcha kapitha
katakamukhaha Suchee Chandrakala
Padmakosham Sarpashirastata Mrugasheersha
Simhamukho Langulasolapadmakaha Chaturo
Bramarashchiva Hamsasyo Hamsapakshakaha
Samdamsho Mukulashchiva Tamrachooda
Trishoolakaha Ashtavimshatihastanaam
Evam Naamaanivikramat.
Samyuta Hasta
Anjalishcha kapotashcha karkata swastikastatha
Dolahasta pushpaputaha Utsanga shivalingakaha
Katakavardhanashchiva kartaree swatikastata
Shakata shankha chakrecha samputa pasha keelakau
Matsya Koorma Varahashcha Garudonagabandakaha
Khatwa bherundakakhyashcha avahitastathivacha
Chaturvimshatisankhyakaha samyuta katithakaraha
The Viniyoga (usage) of these are described below.
Hasta Viniyogas
Asamyuta Hasta
Samyuta Hasta
Using the above two, one can show lot of other things in dance like
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