One of the most striking features of Indian classical dance and dances of Thailand,^[1] Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Malay world is the use of hand gestures. Speaking in dance via gestures in order to convey outer events or things visually is what mudras do. To convey inner feelings, two classifications of mudras (hand or finger gesture) are used in Indian classical dance, Thai dances, Cambodian dances, Lao dances, Burmese dances and Malay dances, and are a prominent part of the dancer's vocabulary.

Background

The Abhinaya Darpa (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 feelings in the song by eyes, and express the rhythm with his or her feet.

From the Natya Shastra, a text on the arts, this quotation and translation is 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 which 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.

Gestures

Bharatanatyam

In Bharatanatyam, the classical dance of India performed by Lord Nataraja, approximately 51 root mudras (hand or finger gestures) are used to clearly communicate specific ideas, events, actions, or creatures in which 28 require only one hand, and are classified as `Asamyuta Hasta', along with 23 other primary mudras which require both hands and are classified as 'Samyuta Hasta'; these 51 are the roots but the branches permit of many more mudra, some of which are used primarily as aesthetic or decorative.

Asamyuta hastas

#	Name in Sanskrit	Translation(s) in English	Other meanings and usage	Illustration
1.	Pataka	flag	beginning a dance, forest, river, sprinkling water, cloud, night, forbidding things, horse[2]
2.	Tripataka	three parts of the flag	tree, arrow, vajra weapon, Indra, crown, light rising, union[2]
3.	Ardhapataka[3]	half flag	flag, temple tower, horn, riverbank, tender shoots, writing panel, knife[2]
4.	Kartarimukha	scissors face or arrow shaft face	separation of women and men, opposition, stealing, corner of the eye, death, disagreement, lightning[2]
5.	Mayura	peacock or peacock's beak	bird of omen, forehead, stroking the hair, wiping tears, argument[2]
6.	Ardhachandra	half moon	spear, platter, anxiety, meditation, prayer, greeting[2]
7.	Arala	bent	drinking poison[2]
8.	Shukatunda	parrot head	shooting an arrow, throwing a spear, mystery[2]
9.	Mushthi	closed fist	steadiness, holding things, grasping the hair, wrestling[2]
10.	Shikhara	mountain top or spire	God of Love, bow, pillar, sound of a bell, silence, questioning, husband, lover, embrace[2]
11.	Kapitta	wood apple	Goddess Lakshmi, Saraswati, holding cymbals, holding flowers at the time of flirting, milking cows[2]
12.	Katakamukha	opening of a bracelet	picking flowers, holding a pearl necklace or garland of flowers, drawing a bow slowly, speech, glancing[2]
13.	Suchi	needle	Parabrahma, one, one hundred, sun, city, world, fan, threatening, astonishment, umbrella, beating the drum[2]
14.	Chandrakala	crescent moon	digit of the moon[2]
15.	Padmakosha	lotus bud	water lily, fruit, apple, mango, breast[2]
16.	Sarpashirsha	snake head	giving water to Gods and sages, the flapping of elephant's ears, slowness[2]
17.	Mrigashirsha	deer head	women, calling the beloved, cheek, holding an umbrella, actor's costume, house, fear, discussion[2]
18.	Simahmukha	lion face	elephant, lotus, coral, pearl, garland, fragrance, drop of water, salvation when placed on the heart[2]
19.	Langula	tail	Lakuce fruit, water lily, breast[2]
20.	Alapadma or Solapadma	lotus in full bloom	yearning for the beloved, mirror, moon pavillion, full moon, village, murmuring sound, praise[2]
21.	Chatura	square	eyes, musk, a little, breaking to pieces[2]
22.	Bhramara	bee	parrot, crane, cuckoo, union[2]
23.	Hamsasya	swan beak	tying the marriage thread, initiation, painting, drop of water[2]
24.	Hamsapaksha	swan wing	arranging, constructing a bridge, making marks with the nails, number six[2]
25.	Sandamsha	Padmakosha mudra repeatedly opened and closed	generosity, worship, offering, number five[2]
26.	Mukula	flower bud	water lily, the God of love, eating[2]
27.	Tamrachuda	rooster	crane, camel, calf, writing or drawing[2]
28.	Trishula	trident	three together, wood apple leaf[2]

Samyukta mudra

#	Sanskrit	English	Other Meanings	Illustration
1.	Anjali	offering
2.	Kapotam	dove
3.	Karkatam	crab
4.	Swastikam	auspicious sign
5.	Dola-Hastam	drummer's hands
6.	Pushpaputam	bag of flowers
7.	Utsangam	embrace
8.	Shivalingam	sign of Lord Shiva
9.	Kataka-vardhanam	chain
10.	Kartari-swastikam
11.	Shakatam	carriage
12.	Shankha	conch shell
13.	Chakram	rotating disc
14.	Pasha	ropes
15.	Kilaka	bond
16.	Samputa	round shaped casket
17.	Matsya	fish
18.	Kurma	tortoise
19.	Varaha	boar
20.	Garuda	half-eagle, half-human mount of Lord Vishnu	bird(s) flying
21.	Nagabandham	snakes entwined
22.	Khattva	cot
23.	Bherunda	pair of birds

Thai dances