History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v2.c24.s1.196

v2.c24.s1.196

The Sm. C. I. (pp. 146-148) quotes long passages about the *mudrās* (hand poses) to be made in the saṁdhyā adoration. The Saṁgraha⁷⁶³ quoted in the Pūjāprakāśa (p. 123) states that the mudrās are to be made in worship, at the time of japa, dhyāna (contemplation) and when starting on kāmya rites (performed for securing some desired object) and that they tend to bring the deity worshipped near to the worshipper. The names and number of mudrās differ considerably. For example, the Sm. C. and Smṛ. Mu. (āhnika pp. 331-332) quote passages defining the following mudrās viz. sammukha, saṁpuṭa, vitata, vistīrṇa, dvimukha, trimukha, adhomukha, vyāpakāñjalika, yamapāśa, grathita, sammukhonmukha, vilamba, muṣṭika, mīna, kūrma, varāha, siṁhākrānta, mahākrānta, mudgara and pallava. The Nityācārapaddhati p. 533 derives the word *mudrā* from ‘mud’ (joy) and the root ‘rā’ (to give) or ‘drāvay’ (causal of dru, to put to flight) and says that “mudrā” is so called because it gives delight to the gods and also puts to flight asuras (evil beings). That work and the Pūjā-prakāśa (pp. 123-126) give the names of mudrās. They are āvāhanī, sthāpinī, saṁnidhāpanī, saṁrodhinī, prasādamudrā, avaguṇṭhana-mudrā, sammukha, prārthana, śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, abja, (or padma), musala, khaḍga, dhanus, bāṇa, nārāca, kumbha, vighna (for Vighneśvara), saura, pustaka, lakṣmī, saptajihva (for Agni Vaiśvānara), durgā, namaskāra (bringing together both hands from the wrist to the tips of the fingers), añjali, saṁhāra (in all 32). The Nityācārapaddhati (p. 536) says that śaṅkha, cakra, gadā, padma, musala, khaḍga, śrīvatsa and kaustubha are the eight mudrās of Viṣṇu. The Sm. C. quotes a work called⁷⁶⁴ Mahāsaṁhitā that the mudrās are not to be performed in the presence of a crowd and if so performed the deities become angry and the mudrās become fruitless. The Śāradātilaka (23. 106) states that all deities are gladdened by the mudrās and in verses 107-114 describes the following mudrās, viz. āvāhanī, sthāpanī, saṁnidhāpanī, saṁrodhinī, sammukha, sakala, avaguṇṭhana, dhenu, mahāmudrā. The Ācāra-dinakara of Vardhamāna-sūri composed in *saṁvat* 1468 (1411-12 A. D.) for Jainas enumerates 42 mudrās and defines them (1923, part II. pp. 385-386).