Vastu-shastra (Vol. I: Hindu Science of Architecture; Vol. II: Hindu Canons of Iconography and Painting) v2.c74.s3.9

v2.c74.s3.9

It may be noted that all these hastas though more true in drama and dance are really characteristic of the peculiar poses in which some of the renowned forms of Lord Śiva (cf. Nṛtta-mūrties) are represented in Art. Dr. Bannerjea’s observation (p. 248) that these have no practical application in Iconography is not fully correct. The standard manuals like the Viṣṇu-dharmottara and the Samarāṅgaṇa-Sūtradhāra have given an honoured place to these in relation to their iconographical expositions. Sri R. K. Poduval also bases his studies on ‘Mudrās in Art’ on an early Sanskrit text ‘Bālarāmabhāratam’ written by King Bālarāma Kulaśekhara Vāñci Bhūpāla of Travancore. The real significance, however, as hinted at previously and pointed out in my ‘Pratimā-Vijñāna’ (p. 240) is that among the Śilpa-texts, it is unique distinction of the S. S. that it has devoted 3 chapters on Mudrālogy and one chapter on Aesthetics in relation to the canons of painting. Both these are very important topics in dance and drama, where भावव्यक्ति and अवस्यानुकृति are aimed at, and as per the Viṣṇudharmottara’ dictum (Bk. III Ch. 2) that the science of painting is dependent on the art of dancing, the S. S. too has echoed this fundamental truth of the intimate relationship of the art of dancing and drama with that of the Mudralogy in art: