List of mudras (dance)

One of the most striking features of Indian classical dance and dances of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and the Malay world is the use of hand or finger gestures called mudras. Two classifications of mudras 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

Nandikeshvara's 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, a text on the arts, this quotation and translation is often quoted by Indian classical dance instructors:
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, pose, 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 48
root mudras 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.

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

#	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 flying
21.	Nagabandham	snakes entwined
22.	Khattva	cot
23.	Bherunda	pair of birds

Khmer dances

In Khmer dances, mudras are known as kayvikear dai. All of the mudras symbolize plants.

Name in Khmer	Translation in English	Other meanings	Illustration
Kar chenh ph	Flowering	Release
Kar dam	Planting
Kar doh	Growing
Phle	Fruit
Phle chrouh	Falling fruit
Phle toum	Ripe fruit
Sloek	Leaves
Sloek kh	Young leaves