Essay name: Hastalaksanadipika a critical edition and study
Author:
E. K. Sudha
Affiliation: Government Sanskrit College (Tripunithura) / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study on the Hastalaksanadipika—a manual depicting the Mudras (gestures) of the Kerala theatre. It is a very popular text supposedly dating to the 10th century A.D. This study also touches the subject of Krsnanattam, Kathakali and Kutiyattam—some of India's oldest theatrical traditions in Kerala.
Chapter 3 - Later developments of dramatic techniques
5 (of 22)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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harmonious movements of the hands and feet is karaṇa. Two karanas are joined to form a mātṛkā and the union of two, three or four matrkas is an angahara. Nandikesvara is not going into the Tandava and Lasya in detail. It is already mentioned that Angikābhinaya is the main theme of the AD. The description of Angikābhinaya in the AD is more clear than that of the NS. For example, Bharata divided Ängikābhinaya into three - Mukhaja, Śarira and Ceṣṭakṛta. But the reason or the base of this division is vague. As said earlier, the AD gives a detailed description of hastābhinaya or hand gestures. The AD describes 32 asamyutahastas out of which 23 are same as in the NS. Nine additions are there. The asamyutahastas are enlisted as follows. 1. Pataka 3. Ardhapatāka 5. Mayūra 7. Arāḷa 9. Muṣti 11. Kapittha 13. Sūci 15. Padmakōsa 17. Mrgaśirṣa 19. Kängula 2. Tripatāka 4. Kartarimukha 6. Ardhacandra 8. Sukatunda 10. Sikhara 12. Kaṭakamukha 14. Candrakalā 16. Sarpasiras 18. Simhamukha 20. Alapadma 93
