Transcript Mudras (Gestures) in Artx

Guneeta Chadha
Unit-iv, B.A.III
 Mudras
are symbolic gestures used in
art.
 These symbolic hand gestures were
predominantly used in Hinduism and
Buddhism.
 It is a ‘Spiritual gesture’.
 It is an iconography used in Indian
religious practices, Indian sculpture,
painting and also in Indian classical
Dance.
 Mudra
iconography of Hindu and
Buddhist art of Indian Sub-continent is
described in the ancient Indian scripture
NATYASHASTRA written by the sage
Bharata Muni.
 This scripture lists some 28 mudras of
one hand called as the “ASAYUTA” and
24 mudras of both the hands called as the
“SAYUTA”.
 Mudras
are symbolic gestures, used
symbolically in Buddha images and in
practice to evoke particular ideas or
buddhas in the mind during Buddhist
meditation or ritual.
 Like symbols held by saints in Christian
art or by gods in Hindu art, Buddhist
mudras indicate the identity of a Buddha
or a particular scene being depicted.
 Mudras are also used in ritual
meditation, especially in Tibetan
Buddhism, to generate forces that invoke
a particular Buddha or deity.
 While
there are a large number of
esoteric mudras, there are ten main ones,
of which five are most commonly used in
Buddha images. Each of the Five Dhyani
Buddhas is assigned one of the five
mudras, with which they are invariably
depicted in art.
 Mudra positions are generally found by
both the hands and fingers.
 Mudras have a specific meaning.
Follow a link below to learn more about each of the five main mudras and see examples of Buddha images
featuring those mudras.
Abhaya Mudra (Fearlessness)
The gesture of fearlessness and protection, representing spiritual
power. This mudra is most often seen in standing Buddhas.
Bhumisparsha Mudra (Earth Witness)
The gesture of "earth witness," which the Buddha is said to have made
at the time of his Enlightenment.
Dharmachakra Mudra (Wheel Turning)
The gesture of "wheel-turning" or the turning of the wheel of the
dharma, representing the Buddha's teachings.
Dhyana Mudra (Meditation)
The gesture of meditation.
Varada Mudra (Gift Giving)
The gesture of gift-giving or bestowal.
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The Abhaya mudrā ("mudrā of no-fear") represents protection,
peace, benevolence, and dispelling of fear. Eg. “Buddha subduing
the mad elephant “, relief sculpture, Gandhara Art.
In the Theravāda, it is usually made with the right hand raised to
shoulder height, the arm bent and the palm facing outward with
the fingers upright and joined and the left hand hanging down
while standing. In Thailand and Laos, this mudrā is associated with
the walking Buddha, often shown having both hands making a
double Abhaya mudrā that is uniform. The mudrā was probably
used before the onset of Buddhism as a symbol of good intentions
proposing friendship when approaching strangers. In Gandhāra
art, it is seen when showing the action of preaching. It was also
used in China during the Wei and Sui eras of the 4th and 7th
centuries. The gesture was used by the Buddha when attacked by
an elephant, subduing it as shown in several frescoes and scripts.
In Mahāyāna, the northern schools' deities often paired it with
another mudrā using the other hand.
 This
gesture calls upon the earth to witness
Shakyamuni Buddha's enlightenment at
Bodh Gaya. A seated figure's right hand
reaches toward the ground, palm inward.
 “EARTH-TOUCHING MUDRA” depicts
Buddha as taking the earth as a witness. It
symbolizes with the right hand touches the
ground with fingertips near the right knee,
extended or with only the pointing down
with the left hand commonly resting on the
lap with palm facing up.

The Dharmacakra mudrā represents a central moment in the
life of Buddha when he preached his first sermon after his
Enlightenment, in Deer Park in Sarnath. In general, only
Gautama Buddha is shown making this mudrā, save Maitreya
as the dispenser of the Law. This mudrā position represents
the turning of the wheel of the Dharma. Dharmacakra mudrā
is formed when two hands close together in front of the
chest in Vitarka, having the right palm forward and the left
palm upward, sometimes facing the chest. There are several
variants such as in the frescoes of Ajanta, India where the
two hands are separated, and the fingers do not touch. In the
Indo-Greek style of Gandhāra the clenched fist of the right
hand seemingly overlie the fingers joined to the thumb on
the left hand.
 It
is the gesture of meditation.
 In this mudra, the back of the right hand
rests on the palm of the other in such a
way that the tip of the thumb lightly
touches the other hand.
 The hand rests in the lap.
 The right hand resting on top ,
symbolizes the state of enlightenment;
the other hand, resting below, the world
of appearance.
 This
gesture expresses overcoming the
world of appearance through
enlightenment, as well as the enlightened
state of mind for which samsara and
nirvana are one.
 In a special form of this mudra, the
middle, ring, and the little fingers of both
the hands lie on top one another and the
thumbs and the index fingers of each
hand, touching each other, form a circle,
which also symbolizes the world of
appearances and the true nature of reality.
It is a gesture of teaching.
The right hand points upward, the left
downwards; both palms are turned outward.
 The thumb and the index finger of each hand
form a circle.
 The right hand is at the shoulder level, the left
hand at the level of the hips.
 In a further form of this mudra, the index finger
and the little fingers of both the hands are fully
extended, the middle and the ring fingers
somewhat curved inward. The left hand points
upward, the right downward.

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 The
palms are held together at the level
of the chest.
 This is the customary gesture of greeting
in India.
 Used as a mudra, it expresses “suchness”
which is (Tahata)
 Postures
are relatively the position of the
body:
 They are controlled movement of the limbs,
due to which the body is in control.
 The posture or the asana, generally are
understood with reference to the gestures.
 The Indian Vedic texts have detailed
information on the asanas. As per the
ancient Vedic texts, Asana is a posture on
which one realises a certain neutrality of the
sense, consciousness is no longer troubled
by the senses of the body.
 PADMA ASANA- ( Lotus Posture)
 This posture is formed by crossing
the legs
and bringing each foot on the opposite
thigh.
 The left foot presses over the right thigh,
while the right leg is placed on the left
thigh.
 This pose is characteristic of the yogi.
 It is favorable to meditation and ascetic
concentration. In Indian Art until the end of
Gupta period this was the historical attitude
of the seated statue.
 VIRASANA-
( Half Lotus Posture)
 This posture is formed by placing the right
foot on the left foot which rests on the earth
instead of the thighs.
 This indicates the right path.
 Right foot indicates the “Right” i.e. correct
path and left foot indicates a wrong path or
bad path.
 It is considered that Lord Buddha taught this
asana to Bodh Bhiksukhas for special
purposes.
 Sitting in this posture also indicates and
symbolizes the success of good over evil.
 SUKHASANA-
(Lalitasana)
 It is the asana with a position of ease or
comfort.
 In this posture one leg remains bent, the
other is pendent or hanging from the
seat.
LILASANAThis posture is of royal pleasure.
In this one knee remains bent in the same
way, but the other is raised and supports
the corresponding arm.
 The
foot of this raised leg rests near the
thigh of the other leg, the knee of the
raised leg come at the level of the chest.
 The hand of arm corresponds with the
raised leg hangs over the knee, the body
slightly backwards and the other arm
supports the body.
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The Buddha may be depicted in one of four postures:
Sitting: If seated, the Buddha may be shown in one of three
different positions
In the "heroic posture" (vīrāsana), with the legs folded over each
other
In the "adamantine posture" (vajrāsana), with the legs crossed so
that the soles of both feet are turned up
In the position of a person sitting in a chair (pralambanāsana)
Standing: If standing, the Buddha may be shown either with his
feet together, or with one foot forward
Walking
Reclining: The reclining posture may represent the Buddha resting
or sleeping, but more usually represents the mahāparinabbāna:
the Buddha's final state of enlightenment before his death
 Movement
is one of the most difficult
thing to convey in painting and sculpture.
 If we look at the history of Indian art, the
Indian images both in painting and
sculpture are of two types:
 STATIC- ( At rest)
 DYNAMIC –(Moving)
 These could be sitting, standing or
reclining.
 SAMABHANGA
 ABHANGA
 TRIBHANGA
 ATIBHANGA
 Samabhanga-
In this attitude the left and
the right halves of the figure are shown in
symmetrical patterns, whether standing
or seated figure is poised without
inclining to the right or left.
 Abhanga In
this attitude, half of the figure is
inclined slightly to right or left without
changing very much.
 The lower half of the body is poised or in
samabhanga.
 Tribhanga In
this attitude the lower limbs upto the
hips are inclined to the left, while neck
and head lean to the right or the reserve
arrangement of the same.
 Attibhanga In
this attitude, the sweeping curve to the
right or left, backward or forward. The
lower limbs are also bent as stretched
side ways or forward to show dynamic
movement.

To achieve movement in drawing and
painting, sculpture, the artist needs to
harness their skills in drawing and practice
in rendering of techniques.
 Here
are some important points to
observe to capture the movement in art:
 Careful observation of the subject to be
drawn ( whether real or imaginary)
 Carefully observe and understand the
basic movement.
 Work out how the balance changes
during the course of the whole
movement.
 Set down the basic action in lines- be
fluid and don’t work in a very tight and
controlled way.
 Thus
we can say with certainty that gestures
convey the meaning with the use of the
posture which brings out the clarity of the
form and the rhythm through the movement.
 Each compliments the other and one is
incomplete without the other, rather it is
more appropriate if we say that GESTURE,
POSTURE and MOVEMENT convey the
essence of life, the emotions, the feelings in
art through them.

THANK YOU