Abhinaya-darpana (English)
by Ananda Coomaraswamy | 1917 | 16,981 words | ISBN-13: 9788121500210
The English translation of the Abhinaya-darpana (“the mirror of gesture”) by Nandikeshvara: an encyclopedic manual of the art of gesticulation. It belongs to a wide range of literature known as Natya-shastra: the ancient Indian art of dramatic performance, theatrics, dance and music. The Abhinaya Darpana is an abridgement of the Bharatarnava, a m...
Chapter 19 - Hands denoting Avatars of Vishnu
Hands of the Ten Avatārs of Viṣṇu.
Matsya: the Matsya hand is shown, then both hands Tripatāka level at the shoulders.
Kūrma: the Kūrma hand is shown, then both hands Tripatāka level at the shoulders.
Narasiṃha: left hand Siṃha-mukha, right hand Tripatāka.
Vāmana: Muṣṭi with both hands, one upwards and the other downwards, and towards the right side.
Paraśurāma: the left hand on the hip and Ardha-patāka with the right.
Raghurāma: right hand Kapittha, left hand Śikhara, held respectively near and far.
Balarāma: left hand Muṣṭi, right hand Patāka.
Krishna: Mṛga-śīrṣa hands facing one another on the shoulders.
Kalki: left hand Tripatāka, right hand Patāka.
(Buddha is omitted.)