What are mudras?

Answer 1

Simple answer: they are symbolic or ritual gestures usually made with the hands or fingers, but can involve the whole body. The following (first) answer provides much detail (perhaps too much).

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One of the striking features of the classical Indian dances is the use of the hand gestures. Strictly speaking they form a part of the angikabhinaya, expression through body to convey meaning and expressions. However, hand gestures known as nirtta hastas are employed for the sake of beauty and decorative purpose while performing nritta, pure dance. Therefore nirtta hastas do not convey any meaning. In Natyashastra, the hastas are classified into three categories: asamyuta(single), samyuta ( double) and nritta (pure danced) hastas. Another text, the Abhinayadarpana, describes the hand gestures and also lists the usages. The usages are called viniyogas

The Natyashastra enumerate twenty-four asamyata, thirteen samyuta and twenty-seven nritta hastas. Similarly, there are differences in the number of the usages in these texts. The Natyashastra lists 35 viniyogas of the pataka hasta, whereas the Abhinayadarpana lists forty.

After the revival of the Bharata Natyam, most of the dancers mainly follow the Abinayadarpana. The usages are taught by the gurus along with the placement of the hands. The relative expression is registered on the face by the dancer to suggest or convey the meaning and the import of the song or sahitya. The Abhinayadarpana mentions that a dancer should sing the song by the throat, express the meaning of the song through the hand gestures, show the state of her being by her eyes and keep the time with her feet. It further states that where go the hands, there the glance follows; where go the glances, the mind follows; where goes the mind, the mood follows; and where the mood is, there is a rasa or flavour.

So vast is the art of hand gestures that it covers almost all the aspects of human life and the universe. The asamyuta and samyuta hastas are capable of expressing a number of things, including abstract concepts like beauty and truth. They express, interpret, describe and narrate several things, objects , actions and concepts. This process forms the language of the hastas.

The hand gestures also describe the time element. They compress an interval of a period, say from the eighth of the waxing moon to the full moon. The dancer turns ardhachandra hasta into alapadma hasta and suggests the passage of time. Hastas scale distance between the lotus and the moon. The flowers open up from the fingers of the dancer and the brids fly off their tips. The hands can command, request, reject, admonish and make love. They establish a relationship between two objects in the manner a poet does through a simile and metaphor.

For example, pataka, one of the asamyuta hastas where the thumb is bent and the fingers are stretched and held closed together, has several usages which cover a variety of things and actions. The Abhinayadarpana mentions that it is used in the beginning of natya, to denote the clouds, a forest, forbidding things, the bosom, night, a river, the region of the gods etc.

When the two pataka hastas join the palm it is called anjali hasta. It is one of the samyuta hasta. It is used for salutations. The Abhinayadarpana mentions that the anjali hasta is to be held on the head, face and bosom respectively in the salutation of a deity, a preceptor and a brahmana.

The Abhinayadarpana further lists the hastas for castes like the brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras; relationships such as husband and wife, mother, father, mother-in-law, father-in-law, husband's brother, husband's sister, elder and younger brothers,sons, daughter-in-law and co-wife. There are hand gestures for the Gods Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Indra, Manmatha, Yama, Nirutti, Varuna, Vayu and Kubera; goddesses like Lakshmi, Saraswati and Parvati; hand gestures for ten incarnation ofVishna such as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki; hand gestures for representing the nine planetary dieties the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu and Ketu.

The language of hand gestures enables the dancer to express practically anything. It augments the communication, enhances the impact of the abhinayas and endows it with poetry. The hands have life, hastapranah and invest the classical dance-form with an enchanting quality.

Certain selected Hastas are employed along with the footwork while dancing the Nritta sequences or items and these Hastas are therefore referred to as Nritta-Hastas. Pataka, Tripataka, Ardhapataka, Katakamukha, Alapadma, Shikhara, Kapittha, Dola, Mrigasheersha, Chatura, Tamrachooda, Anjali, Swasthika, Katakavardhana etc are such decorative Hastas which while displayed alongwith Adavus do not signify any meaning but help the execution of Adavus.

Abhinaya Darpana, lays down this famous Sloka:

" Yatho Hasta Thatho Drishti,

YathoDrishti Thatho Manah

Yatho Manah Thatho Bhaava,

Yatho Bhaava Thatho Rasa "

This can be roughly translated as follows…

Where the hands(hasta) are, go the eyes (drishti); where the eyes are, goes the mind(mana); where the mind goes, there is an expression of inner feeling (Bhava) and where there is bhava, mood or sentiment(rasa) is evoked.

Hand gestures of Bharatanatyam are classified as

ASAMYUTHA HASTHA - Single hand gestures

SAMYUTHA HASTHA - Double hand gestures

There are 28 Asamyutha Hasthas and 24 Samyutha Hasthas. Each Hastha has a defined usage called Viniyoga.

ASAMYUTHA HASTHA (SINGLE HAND GESTURES)

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

Ashtavimshatihastha Naam Evam Naamaanivikramat.

SAMYUTHA HASTHA (DOUBLE HAND GESTURES)

Anjalishcha Kapotashcha Karkata Swastikastatha

Dolahastha Pushpaputaha Utsanga Shivalingakaha

Katakavardhanashchiva Kartaree Swatikastata

Shakata Shankha Chakrecha Samputa Pasha Keelakau

Matsya Koorma Varahashcha Garudonagabandakaha

Khatwa Bherundakakhyashcha Avahitastathivacha

Chaturvimshatisankhyakaha Samyuta Katithakaraha

Different schools and styles of dance use different hand gestures and different terms for the same hand gestures. Most have a fairly similar set of terms that largely overlap with this list, but many may be different in the details. It is largely a case of individual style, and the important thing is to communicate the ideas clearly.