Culture

A Poem on Hastamudras

I am a seeker
A bird soaring high in the sky!
 In that moment of flying
A blissful state in the air
Where you are free-full of space
A vast expanse of azure blue sky
I move my hands with gestures
Like
Pataka,Mudrakhya,Kataka
Oh ! is there a Mushti of strength
To break away from the dwarfed Kartarimukha ?
Yes of course, for I am a Shukatunda 
Not just a winged being that can fly
But a lark as well that can sing
Plaintive notes so sweet and melodious.
My hands extend like wings
My fingers formulating the
Hastas-Kapitha, Hamsapaksha,Shikhara
My feet in samapada moves softly and gently
Like a snow-white swan moving in calm waters.
With Hamsasya it is the beauty of the body
Fulfilling the yearning of the self
With Anjali - the palms joined together
It is the expression of the devotion for the infinite
With Ardhachandra - the half moon
It is the trinity moving in three directions
Undulating and swaying in life's vicissitudes.

Mukura
and Bhramara are the bees that buzz
Around the honey filled blossoms and
The peacock that proudly parades its hues
Is that Suchimukha pointing a forefinger
At what you are or who?
Pallava and Tripataka cautions you
To limit your desires.
Mrigashirsha is the four legged animal
That stands firmly on the ground
With two horns to protect itself from the unpredictable.
Slimy and poisonous is the
Sarpashirsha
Yet a friend of Shiva curled around his neck
Like a jewel in the crown.
Vardhamanaka is the ultimate seeker
Of moksha- the ultimate salvation
Removing the selfish motives is
Arala
And finally we hold the Urnanabha
The eternal dish of contentment and
Encompassing the eternal values in its
Katakamukha hasta safe and secure
With Alapadma it is the expression of joy
Or Ananda - the fathomless bliss
That all dancers strive for
Let me dance, dance and dance
Like the bird that flies
In the boundless skies
Higher and higher - farther and farther
Into the wide blue horizon.

The hastamudras mentioned in the poem are taken from Hastalakshanadeepika

08-Mar-2001

More by :  Geeta Radhakrishna

Top | Culture

Views: 3523      Comments: 2



Comment Hi Soumyasree,
Much apologies for responding so late. Thanks a lot for your kind words.
Hope you are doing fine with your dance and choreographic work. Wishing you the very best in life.
Hoping you will see this page.
warm regards
Dr. Geeta Radhakrishna

Dr. Geeta Radhakrishna
12-Jun-2015 08:37 AM

Comment Very nicely written. I have heard about u and ur beautiful dance.
myself Bharata Natyam dancer, teacher and choreographer. it will help us teach the young children better the nuances and viniyogas of the vast number of Hasta mudras

V Soumyasree
05-Sep-2011 02:41 AM




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