Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 6 - Background of evolution of language of gestures
12 (of 34)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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The next syllable "gna" consists of the same twelve mudrās and is accompanied by the same sequence of mudras. Plate 8 F actually pictures the transition from the last movement of "o", prone and down, to the first movement of “gna�, supine and closed. If the chant had ended with the last svara of the "o", the hand would have remained in the pure kamiltti position, with the fingers extended. Samavedic mudrās give importance to the position of hands like supination, pronation, closed, top, middle, bottom etc. Proximity of the mudràs is preferred here. This is one of the attributes of the mudrās stated by Bharata also. 33 However, the correlation between svaras and mudrās remain unexplained, and much more work is needed before we are in a position to arrive at an adequate understanding of the function of the mudras of the Nampūtiri Samaveda. From the above discussion it could be noted that the system of the mudrās in Kerala theatre also is a combination of Rgvedic mudrās which give importance to the position of fingers and Samavedic mudrās which give importance to the position of hands or proximity. In Kerala Bharatanatyam exactly follows the system of Vedic mudras. In Kathakaḷi and Kuṭiyāṭṭom the mudrās are more stylised. 196 33. तिर्यक� तथोर्ध्वसंस्थो ह्यधोमुखश्चाञ्चितोऽपविद्धस्त� �
मण्डलगतिस्तथ� स्वस्तिकस्� पृष्टानुसारी � ।।
उद्वेष्टित� प्रसारित इत्येत� वै स्मृता� प्रकारास्त� �
बाह्वोरिति करणगता विज्ञेया नर्तकैर्नित्यम� || [tiryak tathordhvasaṃstho hyadhomukhaścāñcito'paviddhastu |
maṇḍalagatistathā svastikasya pṛṣṭānusārī ca ||
udveṣṭita� prasārita ityete vai smṛtā� prakārāstu |
bāhvoriti karaṇagatā vijñeyā nartakairnityam || ] NS IX 210-211
