Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s3.12

v2.c74.s3.12

Now it may be pointed out here that sometimes in the texts on Iconography, the words 'hasta' and 'mudrā' are spoken of as synonymous, for example 'abhaya-hasta' and 'abhaya-mudrā' 'varada-hasta' and 'varada-mudrā', etc. Sometimes again the word 'hasta' denotes an emblem and a posture both, *e. g.* 'padma-hasta', 'pustaka-hasta', etc. would mean a hand holding a lotus and a book respectively; whereas the word 'sūcī-hasta' would literally mean a hand holding a sewing needle ; but really it denotes the pointing pose. The word 'daṇḍa-hasta' may stand for both, the emblem as well as a specific gesture. Further again, the word 'mudrā' is also used in a restricted sense of a hand pose, *e.g.* jñāna-mudrā, cinmudrā or vyākhyāna-mudrā—all these denote the peculiar posture in which the palm with fingers is shown.