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 8 - English Translation of the Hastalaksanadipika (Hasta-Lakshana-Deepika)
14 (of 33)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
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Asamyutahastas are - to set out, smile, contempt, 'what'. मध्यमानामिकानम्र� अङ्गुष्ठोऽपि परस्परम्� यद्यारभेन्स्पर्शाय मुकुररसकरो मत� � � दंष्ट्रा वियोगो जङ्घ� � नितम्ब� वेदसोदरौ � स्तम्भचोलूखल� वेगी पिशाचः पुष्टिरित्यप� ।। एकादशसमादिष्टा संयुक्तमुकुराकरा� � विमत� भ्रमरो रश्मिः कोपः सुष्ठु � कङ्कणम� || ग्रीवाङ्गद� निषेधोऽपीत्ययुक्तमुकुरा नव � [madhyamānāmikānamre aṅguṣṭho'pi parasparam| yadyārabhensparśāya mukurarasakaro mata� | | daṃṣṭrā viyogo jaṅghā ca nitambo vedasodarau | stambhacolūkhala� vegī piśāca� puṣṭirityapi || ekādaśasamādiṣṭā saṃyuktamukurākarā� | vimato bhramaro raśmi� kopa� suṣṭhu ca kaṅkaṇam || grīvāṅgada� niṣedho'pītyayuktamukurā nava | ] If the ring finger the thumb and the middle finger are bent so as their tips are about to touch one another, the hasta is Mukura. A large canine tooth, separation, the ankle, the hip, the Veda, brother, pillar, mortar, the fast one, devil and well nourished are the eleven samyutahastas. Disagreeable, bee, ray, anger, good, bangle, neck, a bracelet for the upper arm, negation are the nine asamyutahastas. नमित� तर्जनी यस्य � हस्त� भ्रमराह्वय� || गरुद्गान� जल� छत्र� दन्तिकर्णौ मनीषिभि� � भ्रमराख्यस्त� संयुक्ता हस्त� पञ्च समीरिता� ।। गन्धर्वो जन्मभीतिश्� रोदन� नाट्यकोविदैः � भ्रमराख्यस्त्वसंयुक्ताश्चत्वारस्समुदीरिता� ।। [namitā tarjanī yasya sa hasto bhramarāhvaya� || garudgāna� jala� chatra� dantikarṇau manīṣibhi� | bhramarākhyastu saṃyuktā hastā pañca samīritā� || gandharvo janmabhītiśca rodana� nāṭyakovidai� | bhramarākhyastvasaṃyuktāścatvārassamudīritā� || ] If the forefinger is bent at the middle, it is Bhramarahasta. 11
