# List of mudras (dance)
In [Indian classical dance](https://www.edgepedia.org/indian-classical-dance), mudras are codified hand gestures (more precisely called *hastas*, the term specific to dance) that dancers use to convey objects, actions, emotions and narratives visually rather than orally. Classical dance manuals enumerate these gestures in two families: single-hand gestures (*asamyukta hasta*) and combined two-hand gestures (*samyukta hasta*), each gesture carrying a list of possible meanings that context selects among.[1](https://jashm.press.uillinois.edu/1.4/1-4Polysemy_Puri269-287.pdf) • [2](https://academic.oup.com/jos/article/39/4/693/6795272)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Terminology | *Hasta* is the term specific to dance gestures; *mudra* is the generic term, historically denoting hand gestures connected with religious practice.[1](https://jashm.press.uillinois.edu/1.4/1-4Polysemy_Puri269-287.pdf) |
| Bharatanatyam repertoire | About 52 hastas, divided into 28 single-hand (*Asamyukta*) and 24 double-hand (*Samyukta*) root gestures.[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875952125001491) • [4](https://ijisae.org/index.php/IJISAE/article/view/2565) |
| Source text counts | One account gives 24 gestures in the Natyashastra and 28 in the Abhinaya Darpana as the basis of the mudra language; counts vary by source because it is a roughly 2000-year-old dance form.[5](https://www.sahapedia.org/mudra-various-aspects-and-dimensions-0) • [2](https://academic.oup.com/jos/article/39/4/693/6795272) |
| Kathakali repertoire | 24 basic mudras from the Hasthalakshana Deepika, expanded to about 470 symbols through combinations.[6](https://www.cyberkerala.com/kathakali/mudra.htm) |
| Meaning mechanism | Each gesture is semantically underspecified: the *patāka* ('flag') gesture can mean clouds, a forest, a river, heaven, an oath, the sea, a sword, and more, with context choosing among them.[2](https://academic.oup.com/jos/article/39/4/693/6795272) |
| Motion origin | Every mudra is articulated and initiated from the wrist, which classical technique treats as the initiator of hand movement and shaper of form.[7](https://www.hathajoga.lt/mudras-of-india.pdf) |
| Reach of the system | All eight recognized Indian classical dance forms employ elaborate mudra vocabularies.[8](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12644625/) |
## Textual sources
Three treatises anchor most dance gesture vocabularies. The *Natyashastra* of Bharata, dated variously between 400 and 200 BCE and around 200 BCE to 200 CE, describes exact hand gestures for storytelling; these positions of the hands and fingers remain in use in the temple dance forms of India.[9](https://jashm.press.uillinois.edu/15.1/lalli.html) • [10](https://collections.lacma.org/object/30660) The *Abhinaya Darpana* of Nandikesvara, a later principal reference for the vocabulary of hand gestures, enumerates 28 single-hand formations and 23 to 24 combined-hand formations with details of their application.[11](https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/14148/1/433676.pdf) • [3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875952125001491) In Kerala, the *Hasthalakshana Deepika* ("the lamp of hand-gestures") is the authoritative source for [Kathakali](https://www.edgepedia.org/kathakali) and [Mohiniyattam](https://www.edgepedia.org/mohiniyattam) gesture work.[6](https://www.cyberkerala.com/kathakali/mudra.htm) • [12](https://aria.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Vol2-sastra-2020.pdf)
The word *mudra* itself has a layered history: in some medieval dance texts it denoted a pleasing appearance, and in others a religious hand-gesture, while in common usage today all dance hand-gestures are called mudras and the more precise term *hasta* has gone out of use.[13](https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid%3A07f89602-1892-4fa5-9d77-767a874597ef)
## Single-hand (asamyukta) gestures of Bharatanatyam
One account of the Natya Shastra lists the Asamyukta (single-hand) Hasta Mudras as: Tripathaka, Kartarimukha, Pataaka, Ardhapataka, Mayuram, Araalam, Ardhachandram, Mushti, Shukatunda, Kapitta, Shikara, Suchi, Padmakosha, Chadrakala, Sarpashika, Mrigashirsha, Kangula, Simhamukha, Chatura, Alapadma, Bhramara, Hansapakshika, Hamsasye, Mukula, Sandamsha, Trishula, and Tamrachuda.[14](https://www.iieta.org/journals/ria/paper/10.18280/ria.370317)
## Double-hand (samyukta) gestures
The 24 root Samyukta Hastas involve both hands and are generally more complex than the single-hand gestures.[3](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875952125001491) Named double-hand gestures documented in image datasets of [Bharatanatyam](https://www.edgepedia.org/bharatanatyam) include Anjali (salutation), Kapotham, Karkatta, Swastikam, Pushpaputam, Shivalinga, Katakavardhana, Kartariavastika, Sakata, Shanka, Chakra, Samputa, Pasha, Kilaka, Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Garuda, Nagabandha, Khatva, and Berunda.[15](https://github.com/jisharajr/Bharatanatyam-Mudra-Dataset/blob/master/README.md) Beyond the core repertoire, the Abhinaya Darpana tradition also lists 13 decorative gestures for pure dance (*nritta*), 16 formations for [Hindu deities](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindu-deities), 10 for the earthly incarnations of Vishnu, 9 for planets, and 15 expressions for caste, in-laws and other relatives.[11](https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/14148/1/433676.pdf)
## How meaning works: viniyoga
The working principle is *viniyoga*, the "application" of a gesture: a single hand position carries a whole list of meanings, and context chooses among them.[16](https://www.sanatanarahasya.com/lineages/tantra-foundations/what-are-mudras/) The first single-hand gesture, *pataka* (flag), a flat hand with fingers touching, can signify clouds, a forest, a river, heaven, moonlight, an oath, the sea, a sword, a palmyra leaf, and more; its eventual meaning depends on the position of the arm and the accompanying movement.[2](https://academic.oup.com/jos/article/39/4/693/6795272) In the related usage, pataka can depict a door opening, a book, or a horse, and in practice is used when starting a dance or to show applying sandalwood paste, touching, vowing, or beckoning.[17](https://cdn1.byjus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maharashtra-Board-Class-4-Play-Do-Learn-Textbook.pdf) The same polysemy applies elsewhere: *shikhara* ('peak') denotes Purusha, both as spirit and as male, while *mrigasirsha* ('deer's head') denotes woman, among other things.[18](https://sriramana.org/ramanafiles/mountainpath/1966%20IV%20Oct.pdf)
In the division of dance technique, *nritta* is pure technical dance that does not convey a narrative, and *nritya* is expressive dance accompanying the meaning of song lyrics; most dance mudras serve in both contexts, and in pure dance the gestures take a purely decorative value.[7](https://www.hathajoga.lt/mudras-of-india.pdf) • [19](https://users.iit.demokritos.gr/~k.palaiologos/thymeli/pdf_files/Eugenio%20Barba%20-%20A%20Dictionary%20of%20Theatre%20Anthropology_%20The%20Secret%20Art%20of%20the%20Performer.pdf)
## The lists in other dance forms
**Kathakali.** Kathakali follows the Hasthalakshana Deepika, which specifies 24 basic mudras, each with single-hand and double-hand forms to show different symbols; considering all mudras and their separations, about 470 symbols are used in Kathakali.[6](https://www.cyberkerala.com/kathakali/mudra.htm) Building on these root mudras, Kathakali has developed the largest number of combinations, organized into three possibilities: *sanyukta*, the same mudra in both hands; *asanyukta*, a mudra in one hand only; and *misra*, a different mudra in each hand. Used with movement of the space, body and facial expression, this yields a vocabulary of about nine hundred words.[19](https://users.iit.demokritos.gr/~k.palaiologos/thymeli/pdf_files/Eugenio%20Barba%20-%20A%20Dictionary%20of%20Theatre%20Anthropology_%20The%20Secret%20Art%20of%20the%20Performer.pdf) G. Venu, a dancer and researcher of Kerala's performing arts, published *Mudras in Kathakali* in 1984, notating 373 hand gestures with a notation system he himself evolved.[20](https://www.sahapedia.org/sites/default/files/June-1985.pdf) Among all the Indian classical dance forms, it is in Kathakali that the usage of mudras is highest, with the meaning of the text elaborately shown through gestures.[12](https://aria.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Vol2-sastra-2020.pdf)
**Odissi.** The mainstay of the Odissi hand-gesture repertoire derives from the Abhinaya Darpana, supplemented by a regional vocabulary for 'cloth' (*bastra*), 'betel nut' (*tambula*), 'small flower' (*puspa*), 'bow' (*bana*), and 'parrot face' (*sukachuncha*), plus its own combination gestures for 'lotus', 'oil lamp', 'peacock', 'window', and 'coming together'.[11](https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/14148/1/433676.pdf) Odissi also has mudras not found in the [Natyashastra](https://www.edgepedia.org/natyashastra), including Akunchana (union), Biraja (languor), Banahasta (shooting the arrow of Kamadeva), Gajadanta (dividing or separating something), Kalika (showing a little of something; freedom), and Pidahasta (lifting something up).[21](https://musicacademymadras.in/catalogue/files/journals/Vol.29_1958.pdf)
**Kathak.** Kathak's hand gestures and facial expressions resemble everyday life expressions and are not strictly codified and prescribed like in other classical dance forms, reflecting its emphasis on improvisation and personal interpretation; textual codification entered Kathak teaching with the gradual institutionalization of the dance form in the post-[Independence](https://www.edgepedia.org/independence) era.[22](https://www.sahapedia.org/kathak-postures-costumes-and-mudras)
**Sattriya.** Sattriya, the classical dance of Assam, uses mudras that mostly resemble those of Odissi, Bharatanatyam and Kathakali; some mudras share the same title across Sattriya and Bharatanatyam but differ in expression, while others have similar expressions but distinct names.[23](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340923009204)
## Recognition by machine
Because the same-named mudras appear with slight variation in different dance forms and can carry different symbolic representations, automated mudra recognition is difficult, with intra-class variation and high structural similarity between gestures complicating classification.[24](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44163-026-01425-7) • [4](https://ijisae.org/index.php/IJISAE/article/view/2565) A publicly released Bharatanatyam dataset contains 28,431 gesture images, 15,396 single-hand and 13,035 double-hand, captured from 15 volunteers in a studio.[15](https://github.com/jisharajr/Bharatanatyam-Mudra-Dataset/blob/master/README.md) Applications include e-learning of the dance, automation of commentary during concerts, and cultural preservation.[25](https://doi.org/10.1007/S11063-018-9921-6) • [24](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44163-026-01425-7)
## References
1. [Rajika Puri. Polysemy and homonymy and the mudra 'shikhara': multiple meaning in the use of gesture, JASHM 1.4](https://jashm.press.uillinois.edu/1.4/1-4Polysemy_Puri269-287.pdf)
2. [Patel-Grosz, Grosz, Kelkar & Jensenius (2022). Steps towards a Semantics of Dance, Journal of Semantics 39(4)](https://academic.oup.com/jos/article/39/4/693/6795272)
3. [A comprehensive review and ensemble CNN approach for Bharatanatyam single-hand gesture classification, ScienceDirect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1875952125001491)
4. [Aggregation Signature of Multi Scale Features from Super Resolution Images for Bharatanatyam Mudra Classification, IJISAE](https://ijisae.org/index.php/IJISAE/article/view/2565)
5. [Mudra: Various Aspects and Dimensions, Sahapedia](https://www.sahapedia.org/mudra-various-aspects-and-dimensions-0)
6. [Kathakali Mudras, Cyber Kerala](https://www.cyberkerala.com/kathakali/mudra.htm)
7. [Mudras of India (PDF)](https://www.hathajoga.lt/mudras-of-india.pdf)
8. [Reconstructing hand gestures with synergies extracted from dance movements, PMC](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12644625/)
9. [Gina Lalli. The Persistence of Classical Dances in India, JASHM 15.1](https://jashm.press.uillinois.edu/15.1/lalli.html)
10. [Shiva as the Lord of Dance, LACMA Collections](https://collections.lacma.org/object/30660)
11. [Hand Gestures, or Hasta Mudras (Odissi thesis chapter), City, University of London](https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/14148/1/433676.pdf)
12. [Hastābhinaya chapter, ARIA Sastra volume](https://aria.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Vol2-sastra-2020.pdf)
13. [The evolution of classical Indian dance literature, Oxford University Research Archive](https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid%3A07f89602-1892-4fa5-9d77-767a874597ef)
14. [Natya Shastra: Deep Learning for Automatic Classification of Hand Mudra in Indian Classical Dance Videos, IIETA](https://www.iieta.org/journals/ria/paper/10.18280/ria.370317)
15. [Bharatanatyam-Mudra-Dataset README, GitHub](https://github.com/jisharajr/Bharatanatyam-Mudra-Dataset/blob/master/README.md)
16. [What are Mudras? The Hand Gestures of India, Decoded, Sanatana Rahasya](https://www.sanatanarahasya.com/lineages/tantra-foundations/what-are-mudras/)
17. [While Dancing, Maharashtra Board Class 4 textbook (PDF)](https://cdn1.byjus.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Maharashtra-Board-Class-4-Play-Do-Learn-Textbook.pdf)
18. [Gita Sharma. The Language of the Mudras in Indian Classical Dancing, Mountain Path (1966)](https://sriramana.org/ramanafiles/mountainpath/1966%20IV%20Oct.pdf)
19. [Eugenio Barba. A Dictionary of Theatre Anthropology: The Secret Art of the Performer (PDF)](https://users.iit.demokritos.gr/~k.palaiologos/thymeli/pdf_files/Eugenio%20Barba%20-%20A%20Dictionary%20of%20Theatre%20Anthropology_%20The%20Secret%20Art%20of%20the%20Performer.pdf)
20. [Review of G. Venu, Mudras in Kathakali, Sahapedia PDF](https://www.sahapedia.org/sites/default/files/June-1985.pdf)
21. [Odissi Nritya, Music Academy Madras journal Vol. 29 (1958)](https://musicacademymadras.in/catalogue/files/journals/Vol.29_1958.pdf)
22. [Kathak: Postures, Costumes and Mudras, Sahapedia](https://www.sahapedia.org/kathak-postures-costumes-and-mudras)
23. [A dataset of Sattriya dance: Classical dance of Assam, Data in Brief](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340923009204)
24. [Hybrid deep learning approach for hand gesture recognition in classical dance, Discover Artificial Intelligence](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s44163-026-01425-7)
25. [Anami & Bhandage (2018). A Comparative Study of Suitability of Certain Features in Classification of Bharatanatyam Mudra Images Using Artificial Neural Network, Neural Processing Letters](https://doi.org/10.1007/S11063-018-9921-6)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Dance and ballet › Dance forms beyond ballet › Dance beyond ballet (overview)*
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