"Throughout India, you'll find statues of Lord Shiva, arch-yogi of the Hindu gods. Most often, he's shown in the guise of Nataraja, king of the dancers, balanced on one foot and gesturing with all four hands. From region to region, the deity's features may change-after all, no one knows the true face of god-but his hand gestures never vary. In Indian art, these hand gestures, called mudras, are the true signatures of the gods and saints."
"In India, as in many cultures including our own, hand gestures are a vital component of religious activity. As you regard a statue of the dancing Shiva, the tranquil beauty of a meditating Buddha, or any of the innumerable Hindu deities and Buddhist bodhisattvas, notice that each figure holds a stylized hand gesture. These gestures not only lend gracious expression to India's iconic art, they also tell stories and represent specific spiritual attributes."
Statues of Lord Shiva commonly depict him as Nataraja, balanced on one foot and gesturing with four hands, while facial features vary regionally but hand signs remain consistent. Hand gestures in Indian art are called mudras and function as distinctive signatures of gods and saints. Mudras have deep roots going back to Vedic times and parallel many everyday gestures that express religious and secular ideas. In yoga, mudras evolved into a symbolic language used to transmit esoteric concepts and to embody spiritual ideals. Mudras are commonly incorporated into meditation postures, such as the Nana mudra (Wisdom).
Read at Yoga Journal
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