Mudras
 
The hand poses in Kathakali have developed a rich and intricate gesture language called Mudras. The Mudras, form a complete vocabulary of more than five hundred words which most commonly occur in a story and which describe concrete objects or express an emotional situation or relate an incident in simple words. (Show Mudras)
 
In Kathakali, Mudras have an important role to play. Where an object, is to be interpreted, an appropriate hand pose standing for the object itself is used.
 
The hand poses are served by four varieties of Mudras. Asamyuktha, Samyuktha, Samaana and Misra. In Asamyuktha or Samyuktha Mudra representations, single hand poses or double hand poses are held to imitate or express objects. By Samaana Mudras more than one object are suggested. In the mixed variety of hand poses, called Misra Mudras, both the hands are held, each in a different pose, to indicate certain imaginative situations.
 
Hastha Lakshana Deepika mentions twenty four basic Mudras. They are:
 
1. Anjali
 
Each finger touches the other from the side of the inside palm. The hands are held on Tri-pathaaka with palms deepened slightly.
 
Single: It stands for branch and anger.
 
Double: Double-handed gestures are employed for heavy rain, vomiting, fire, horse, heavy, noise, splendour, hair, ear studs, sorrow, always, river, bath, flow and blood.
   
2. Araala
   

Its posture can be well-understood from the illustration.

 
Double: It indicates fool, tree, bud, and sprout.
   
3. Ardha Chandra
   

The forefinger and the thumb are straight while the remaining three fingers are slightly bent inward the palm.

 
Single: Single handed gestures symbolize starting, smite, why and contempt.
 
Double: It is used for concepts such as but, why, tiredness, sky, lucky man, god, remembrance, grass, and man’s hair.
   
4. Bhramara
   
It is a secular Mudra with the forefinger bent in the palm and the remaining three and the thumb held stretched upright.
Single: Employed for gandharva, birth, fear and weeping.
 
Double: Indicate wings, song, water, ornamental, umbrella, and ears of elephants.
   
5. Hamsaasyam
   
This is formed by the lip of the thumb touching the forefinger and the middle finger and the remaining fingers are kept erect.
   
Single: Single handed gestures stand for beginning of rain, hair, line of hair on the stomach and three folds on women’s stomachs.
 
Double: It symbolize the concept soft, dust, white, blue, red, pity and line of hair.
   
6. Hamsapaksha
   
Shown by fully stretching the hand.
 
Single: handed gestures are used for you, sword, anger, now, I, in front, axe, flame, exert, to come near, and stop.
 
Double: handed gestures are used for moon, air, cupid, devar (gods), mountain, valley, daily, relatives, bed, rock, happiness, chest, breast, cloth, vehicle, falsehood, lying flat, fall, people, beating, cover, spread, place in position, arrival, prostration, follow, flee, go, sorrow, shoulders, hair, submission, blessing, sage, thus, fish, worship and tortoise.
   
7. Kapithaka
   
It is formed by holding the middle and fore-fingers erect and bringing the tip of the thumb touch the tips of the ring-finger and small finger in a circular shape.
 
Single: Stands for doubt.
 
Double: It indicates net, feather, drinking, touching, returning, outside, back, descending and foot steps.
   
8. Kartharee Mukha
   
Kartharee Mukha literally means the scissors tip or mouth. By its very name and form, it is certainly of a later origin. This hand pose formed by keeping the forefinger and the middle finger straight and bending the remaining fingers in the palm, the thumb resting on the ring finger.
   
Single: It indicates you, word, time, plural, we, man, face, enmity, boy and mongoose.
Double: Double-handed gestures are employed for sin, effort, Brahmin, and fame.
   
9. Kataka
   
Kataka is a religious hand in content and form. In it the middle finger and the forefinger are bent inward the palm so that the former just touches the palm near the joint of the thumb while the forefinger and the thumb touch each other at their extremities the other two fingers remain extended. It is a gesture of communication or enquiry and is used to connote the following.
   
Single: Flower, mirror, female, Homa (a ceremonial offering to Deva), sweet, little, who, which or what and fragrance.
   
Double: Vishnu, Krishna, Balebhadra, Rama, arrow, gold, silver, demoness, sleep, heroine, Lakshmi, Veena, stairs, garland, lotus, demon, crown, weapon, special, chariot, and together.
   
10. Kataka Mukha
   
In it the middle finger and the forefinger are bent inward the palm so that the former just touches the palm near the joint of the thumb while the forefinger and the thumb touch each other at their extremities and other two fingers remain extended.
   
Double: These are employed for jacket, servant, heroic person, wrestler, releasing an arrow, tying and up.
   
11. Mrigaseersha
   
It is the deer’s head hand in which the middle finger and the ring finger are half bent in the palm and the remaining two are held erect. The thumb touches the extremity of the bent forefinger.
   
Double: Indicates animal
 
12. Mudraakhya
   
It is formed when the extremities of the forefinger and the thumb touch each other in a circular form while the other fingers remain stretched.
   
Single: Single-handed gestures symbolize mind, thought, desire, self, remembrance, knowledge, creation, breath, annoyance, future, denials, Veda, Tree, Sky, Chain, Rice, and the fourth.
   
Double: handed gestures indicate growth, movement, heavens, sea, dense, forgetting, all, announcement, property, death, meditation and straightness.
   
13. Mukula
   
The extremities of the thumb and the forefinger are joined and other fingers are also bent towards them.
   
Double: It symbolize jackal, monkey, gloomy and forgetfulness.
   
14. Mukura
   
This hand pose is formed with the middle finger touching the tip of the thumb and the ring-finger bent to touch the base of the thumb. Other fingers are held stretched apart.
   
Single: Single handed gestures stand for unfriendly, bee, rays, anger, good, bangle, neck shoulder, ornaments, and denial.
   
Double: Double handed gestures are used for concepts canine teeth, separation, knee, bullocks, Vedas (scriptures), brother, Pillar, fast man, devil and sumptuous.
 
15. Mushti
   
It is an ancient hand pose with the fingers curled in the palm and the thumb either restive over the forefinger or inserted between the middle finger and the ring-finger. Its usages are:
   
Single: Purposeless, great impatience, minister, violate, tolerance, gift, permission, success, bow, we, wrinkles, pull and food.
   
Double: Double-handed gestures are employed to describe a charioteer, boon, beauty, sacred, past, tying, deserving, status, heel, attraction, Yama, clay, medicine, curse, swing, give, circumambulate, quarry, sacrifice, spear, adventure, heat, sprinkle, and delivery (of a child).
   
16. Oorna Naabha
   
If all the fingers and the thumb are relaxed downward, the hand gives the form of Oorna Naabha.
   
Double: It is used for horse, fruit, tiger, butter, snow, very and lotus.
   
17. Pallava
   
Thumb touching the foot of ring finger and all other fingers are kept erect.
   
Single: employed for distant, money, smoke, tail, cane and grains.
   
Double: Indicate Indra’s weapon, mountain peak, cow’s ear, length of eye, buffalo, iron mace, spear, animal horn, and wind around.
   
18. Pathaaka
   
It is formed by stretching all the fingers of the hand except the ring-finger which is bent inward the palm. There is the sense of protection. Even a bridegroom’s Pathaaka hand holds the bride’s hand during marriage, thus promising to protect her and provide her. It has, therefore, a number of symbolic usages when either performed by one hand or by both. They are:
   
Single: Day, travel, Tongue, Forehead, Body, Like or As, And, Messenger, Sandy or shore and tender leaves.
   
Double: Double-handed gestures indicate thirty six objects with different positions and movements such as sun, king, elephant, lion, bull, crocodile, Arch, creeper, flag, waves, chariots, netherworld, earth, Hip, vessel, house, evening, noon, clouds, anthill, thigh, servant, wheel, seat, weapon, tower, cold, cart, gentle, crooked, gate, pillow, moat, feet, latch and club.
 
19. Sarpa Sirass
   
It is the hood of the snake. It is the Thripathaaka hand slightly bent.
   
Double: It shows water, sprinkling water, movement of a snake, clapping hands, breaking open the head of an elephant, sandalwood paste, slowly, grow, divine man, swinging, elephant’s ear, and invitation for wrestling.
   
20. Sikhara
   

Last two fingers are bent in the palm and the thumb resting on the ring finger. Fore finger and middle finger are erect and kept apart.

   
Double: It indicates travel, feet, eyes, seeing, path, enquiry, ears, and drinks.
   
21. Soochi Mukha
   
In it the forefinger is stretched up right with the thumb resting at its base. The remaining fingers are curled in the palm.
   
Single: It indicates one, alas, stupor, other man, plural, crescent, long ago, this person, these persons, country, little, witness, reject, coming for battle, and drive away in battle.
   
Double: Used for different, jumping, world, Lakshmana, fall, other, month, eyebrow, and broken tail.
   
22. Sukathund
   
In it, the forefinger is stretched and bent from the top, while the rest of the three fingers are curled in the palm, the thumb touching the middle finger.
   
Single: Single handed gestures indicate a hook.
   
Double: Double handed gestures indicate birds and certainty.
   
23. Thripathaaka
 
It is formed when all the fingers are held upright, the thumb slightly bent inwards, thus touching the side of the forefinger.
   
Double: Double-handed gestures are symbolic of sunset, hello, drink, body and begging.
   
24. Vardhamaanaka
   
It is formed with the thumb outstretched and the fingers curled in the palm.
   
Single: It indicates whirlpool, navel, and well.
   
Double: It describe a woman’s ear ornament, diamond string, knee, saint, the demon Dundubhi, and mahout.
   
In permuting the hand pose, each Mudra has a different placement. Similarly, if one and the same Mudra is interpolated, different meanings may be expressed at such a stage, the hand poses are called Samaana Mudras. Every Mudra has three functions- Karta, Karma and Kriya, each representing the subject, the instinctive character and the particular action respectively.
   
References
   
1.
 Avinash C Pandeya, The Art of Kathakali, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
   
2.
 Marg Kathakali: The Aesthetics of Communication, Vol.XIV No. 1, A Magazine of the Arts., Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd., Shapoorji Pallonji Centre, Bombay.