MUDRA Presentation
Lesson-4
by Gurushree Jignesh Surani, Founder Director, Tandav Nartan, Institute of Classical Dance, Rajkot, Arangetram, Mudra School of Indian Classical Dances, Ahmedabad.
Learn spiritual gestures through MUDRA
Spiritual qualities from mudra
Mudra Vigyan मुद्रा विज्ञान – The science of postures
Kayakalpa – The science of rejuvenation
Are one of the Supreme Sciences which vitalize human health
Mudras directly and positively influence and stabilized blissful health
मुद्रा से आध्यात्मिक गुणों को सीखें
मुद्रा विज्ञान – उंगलियों की मुद्राओं का विज्ञान
कायाकल्प – जीर्णोद्धार का विज्ञान
यह एक सर्वोच्च विज्ञान है जो मानव स्वास्थ्य को शक्तिपूर्ण बनाता है
मुद्राएं प्रत्यक्ष और सकारात्मक रूप से आनंदित स्वास्थ्य को स्थिर और मज़बूत करती हैं
What is a Mudra? Mudra is the hand gesture or the finger position. Gods or saintly persons who practise meditation or Yoga using Mudras. The Mudras are sacred, mysterious and magical. They can attract or distract people. They express a lot of things. They are meaningful. They can give you certain powers.
The therapeutic effects of Mudras are innumerable and they fundamentally influence the basic parameters of health. Mudras directly and positively influence the energy flow mechanism of the human body and thereby help in the attainment of physical, spiritual and emotional harmony. Once these vital parameters are stabilized through positive influence, vibrant and blissful health is inevitably achieved. In combination with Mudras, the therapeutic effect is exponentially multiplied and hence vitalizes human health.
Mudras are used in conjunction with pranayama (yogic breathing exercises), generally while in a seated posture, to stimulate different parts of the body involved with breathing and to affect the flow of prana, Bindu (male psycho-sexual energy), bodhicitta, amrita or consciousness in the body.
Unlike older tantric mudras, Hatha yogic mudras are generally internal actions, involving the pelvic floor, diaphragm, throat, eyes, tongue, anus, genitals, abdomen, and other parts of the body. Examples of this diversity of mudras are Mula Bandha, Mahamudra, Viparita Karani, Khecarī mudrā, and Vajroli mudra.
The Abhinaya Darpana (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 feeling 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 are 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 that 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.
Mudra Demonstration
१. चतुर
२. उदकृत
३. तलमुक
४. स्वस्तिकरेचित
५. खटकामुख
६. अविदवक्र
७. सूचीमुख
८. रेचितान्वित
९. अध्ररेचित
१०. उतानवंचित
११. नितम्ब
१२. केशबन्ध
Gayatri Mantra Mudra
Ganpati Mudra