Bharata Natyam
Elizabeth Kelly
Padmakōṡa
Asaṃyuta Hasta - Single Hand Gestures
Descriptions and Meanings
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9
The thumb and the fingers spread away from each other and bent like a bow is Padmakosa.
Meaning:
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Used to suggest worship of god. Wien die tips of fingers arc separated and spread out two or three times it suggests showering of flowers. This mudra also suggests some fruits like bilva and women’s breasts.
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9:80
9:80
Padmakoṡa: All the fingers including the thumb are kept separately and the ends bent. They do not meet one another.
Meaning:
9:81:
9:82:
9:81:
Breasts of women and the fruits of similar appearance viz. Bilva, Kapittha etc. are represented through this hand. Acceptance of these fruits, flesh etc. is indicated by slightly bending it at its end.
9:82:
The same Padmakosa hand represents offering of Puja to a deity carrying tribute casket, offering of the Agrapinda (the chief of balls of rice as oblation), and a number of flowers gathered together.
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9:83
9:83
With two such hands with the fingers kept moving. The hands meet at the wrist and then turn backwards.
Meaning:
9:83:
9:83:
The lotus in full boom and the lily can be represented
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9:80
9:80
Padmakośa (lotus-bud)—the fingers including the thumb to be separated and their ends to bend, but not to meet one another.
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9:81:
9:82:
9:83:
9:81:
To represent Bilva and Kapittha (elephant-apple) fruits and the breasts of women [this hand is to be used]. But to represent accepting [these fruits] or flesh, this hand should be slightly bent at its end.
9:82:
[This hand] should be held [to represent] offering Pūja to a deity, carrying tribute, casket, offering the first funeral cake, and a number of [small] flowers, are also to be indicated by the Padmakośa hand.
9:83:
Two such hands with moving fingers meeting at the wrist and turning backwards will represent the fullblown lotus and water-lily.
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26:34
26:34
In this Sūcīmukha hand if the fingers are kept apart and curved with the thumb and raised upward like the mouth of a swan, it becomes Padma-Kośa.
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Padmakōṡa (lotus bud): the fingers separated and a little bent the palm a little hollowed.
Meaning:
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fruit, wood-apple, elephant¬-apple, etc., breast, curve, ball of flowers, light food, bud, mango, rain of flowers, cluster of flowers, the japa-flower, the shape of a bell, the hole of a snake, a water-lily, an egg.
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According to another book: the hand is like a perfect white lotus. Narayana used this hand when worshipping Siva with lotus flowers to obtain the discus. Its sage is Padmadhara, its race Yaksa, and it also partakes of the Kinnara kind, its pre-siding deity is Bhargava.
Meaning:
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trunk of an elephant, brilliance, vessel of gold or silver, coil of hair, moderation, charm, saying Sadhu”, bell, ball of flowers, lotus, hole of a snake, etc., curve, breast, coconut, mango, karnikara, mirror, bending a bough, rain of flowers, pot, egg, opening (of a flower), wood-apple, elephant-apple.
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1:134
1:134
Padmakośa (lotus-bud): When the fingers are separated and a little bent and the palm is also a little hollowed, the hand is called Padmakośa.
Meaning:
1:135-137:
1:135-137:
It is used to denote fruits, such as the bel and an elephant-apple, round breasts of a woman, a circular movement, ball, cooking pot, taking meals, a (lower-bud, mango, scattering flowers, cluster of flowers, japa flowers, bell, an ant-hill, a lotus and an egg.
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7:336-339
7:336-339
All the five fingers are separated and slightly bent and the palm is hollowed - then it is Padmakōṡa hasta (Padma - kośa = lotus bud).
Meaning:
7:336-339:
7:336-339:
Fruit, bilwa - kapittha and other fruits, round breasts, turning round or circle, ball of flowers, plate - food (cooking pot - Ghosh), bud of a flower, mango fruit, rain of flowers, cluster of flowers etc., the japā flower, the shape of a bell or balls of food prepared to feed the elephants, snake-pit, lotus or water-lily and egg.
No dependencies
Mentioned by:
Kāngula (Lāngūla)
Saṁdaṁṡa
Saṁdaṁṡa
Mukula
Ūrṇanābha
Nalinīpadmakośa
Dwirada
Mentioned by:
Kāngula (Lāngūla)Saṁdaṁṡa
Saṁdaṁṡa
MukulaŪrṇanābha
Nalinīpadmakośa
Dwirada
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Description:
7:340-344
7:340-344
Padmakōṡa hasta is like a perfect white - lotus.
Meaning:
7:340-344:
7:340-344:
Padmakōṡa hasta is used to present the following: trunk of an elephant, brilliance, vessel of gold-silver etc. coil of hair, limitation, charm, saying 'sādhu' etc., bell, ball of flowers, lotus, snake-pit, round shape, breast, coconut, mango fruit, karņikāra flower, mirror, bending a bough or bough that bent ; rain of flowers, balls of food, blossoming of an egg (egg, opening = AKS), bilwa and kapittha fruits.
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4:1174-1176
4:1174-1176
Padmakōṡa: All fingers including the thumb are bent and are kept separate. The Hasta can be done facing upwards or downwards.
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4:1174-1176:
4:1174-1176:
This Hasta is used to depict taking the Kapittha or Bilva fruit, showing the hand to children and a downcast face
Arāla
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7:52
7:52
Padma kośa: If all the fingers kept upwards, separated and a little bent towards the palm it is padmakośa.
Meaning:
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7:52:
It indicates kapittha fruit (wood apple), breast, and bloom¬ing lotus flower.
Alapadma (Sõlapadma)
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2:141-142
2:141-142
All the fingers and the thumb are held separately and bent slightly with the palm facing up and the extremes coming close to complete the circle, giving an impression of a lotus which has blossomed slightly. Know this hasta as padmakoṡa.
Meaning:
2:142:
2:142:
This is used to picture the breasts of a young girl, and holding the fruits like wood apple, bel fruit.
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:32
:32
When the fingers of the hand, bowing a little at their tips, are spread out without making them close to each other to look like a ball, it becomes Padmakosa hasta
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The Padmakosa hasta indicates the breasts of a young girl, a lotus in bloom, a lily in bloom, a padmini woman, the calyx of a lotus, (a cover of the head,) a rhinoceros,
:203:
an umbrella, a receptacle for odorous substances, a heap of flowers, a casket, salutation, giving up a thing, a pool, a shaven head.
:204:
the adhaka measure of grain, the drona measure of grain, a beggar’s bowl, a kamandalu, the worship of gods, the bestowal of a daughter, the meeting point of four roads,
:205:
a pomegranate, a bilva fruit, a citron fruit, a wood apple, other round- shaped fruits, a star, a closed up thing,
:206:
a small earthen pot, round-shaped objects, a pitcher, a caldron, a golden vase for pouring water, other vessels for water,
:207:
and a pagri.
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:207
:207
If Padmakosa hasta is placed on the chest,
Meaning:
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:207:
it stands for the breasts of a young girl.
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Description:
:208
:208
If the two Padmakosas are joined at the wrist and then separated and shaken,
Meaning:
:208:
:208:
it means a lotus in bloom, and it stands for a lily in bloom.
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:209
:209
If the left Padmakosa is moved toward the head,
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:209:
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it indicates a padmini woman.
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:209
:209
If the hand is held in front,
Meaning:
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:209:
it means the calyx of a lotus.
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Description:
:210
:210
If a Padmakosa is moved and then held over the head,
Meaning:
:210:
:210:
the poets would take it as an indication of a cover of the head or a rhinoceros. The same hand can mean an umbrella according to the experts in dance.
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:211
:211
demonstrated with one Padmakosa hand or both.
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All the subjects from ‘a receptacle for odorous substances’ up to ‘round-shaped objects’ can be
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:212
:212
If the two Padmakosas are joined at the wrists,
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:212:
:212:
it would indicate the subjects from ‘a pitcher’ to ‘a pagri' according to the experts.
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7:93
7:93
Curving the separated fingers and thumb like a bow is padmakoṡa.
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3:383
3:383
When the thumb and the fingers are separated and bent like a bow without touching at the tip it is known as padmakosa.
Meaning:
3:383:
3:383:
This is used in worshipping a god or in offering a sacrifice.
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3:384
3:384
With the fingertips moved outwards twice or thrice,
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3:384:
3:384:
the hand [gesture] indicates heaps of flowers.
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3:384
3:384
by contracting the [finger] tips [with the hand] turned downwards.
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3:384:
3:384:
It is [also] used to pick up coins from the floor
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Description:
3:385
3:385
the fingers are separated with both the fore-arms touching and pointing downwards.
Meaning:
3:385:
3:385:
To indicate the eating of meat by tigers or lions,
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Description:
3:385
3:385
Others also say that both hands should be shown
Meaning:
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3:385:
to indicate full-blown lotus in water etc.
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Related Combinations
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Contents:
1:215
1:215
Kuvera: Kuvera is to hold Padma (lotus) with the left hand and the Gada (mace) with the right one.
