नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

-IX 17 ] THE GESTURES OF HANDS 171

8-10. Gestures of combined hands (saṁyuta-hasta)$^1$ are thirteen in number : Añjali, Kapota, Karkaṭa, Svastika, Kaṭakāvardhamānaka$^2$, Utsaṅga, Niṣadha, Dola, Puṣpapuṭa, Makara, Gajadanta, Avahittha and Vardhamāna.

10-17. Dance-hands (nṛtta-hasta)$^1$ are Caturasra$^2$, Udvṛtta Talamukha, Svastika, Viprakīrṇa, Arālakaṭakāmukha, Āviddhavaktra, Sūcyāsya, Recita, Ardharecita, Uttānavañcita, Pallava, Nitamba, Keśabandha, Latā, Karihasta, Pakṣavañcitaka, Pakṣapradyotaka, Garuḍapakṣa, Daṇḍapakṣa, Ūrdhvamaṇḍalī, Pārśvamaṇḍalī, Uromaṇḍalī Uraḥ-pārśvārdhamaṇḍalī, Muṣṭikasvastika, Nalinīpadmakośa, Alapallava, Ulbaṇa, Lalita and Valita.

These are the sixtyfour$^3$ gestures of hands.

Gestures of single hands

17-26. Now listen about their definition and uses.

Patāka (flag)—the fingers extended and close against one another, and the thumb bent.

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supported by the AD. (See ed. M. Ghosh, verse 124. A. K. Coomaraswamy MG. p. 50).

8-10 (B.G. same). $^1$ See note 1 to 4-7 above.

$^2$ Some mss. read this name as khaṭakā°; kaṭakāvardhana, is the name of a saṁyuta-hasta in the AD. (ed. M. Ghosh, 187 and A. K. Coomaraswamy, MG. p. 60).

10-17 (B.G. 10b-17a). $^1$ These gestures (dance hands, nṛttahasta) as their name implies, are ordinarily to be used in dance ; but in course of acting too they are often to be used along with other gestures (single and combined) to create an ornamental effect (See note 1 to 1-3 above). See Ag.

$^2$ In the Skt. text these names are given in dual number e.g. our caturasra stands as caturasrau. The reason for this is to be sought in the fact that unlike the single and combined hands which must represent one single idea or object, the hands in the dance-hand gestures are to be individually moved, not for representing any idea or object but for creating an ornamental effect in acting as well as in dance. See Ag.

$^3$ In actual enumeration hand gestures are sixtyseven in number (single 24, combined 13 and Dance-hands 30). Catuḥṣaṣṭhi in the text should be emended to saptaṣaṣṭhi. • 17-26 (B.18-25, 26a, G.18-25. 26a).