mudra

[ muh-drah ]

noun

1. Hinduism, Buddhism. any of a series of arm and hand positions expressing an attitude or action of the deity.
2. any of various similar gestures used in India's classical dancing to represent specific feelings.

mudra

/ məˈdrɑː /

noun

1. any of various ritual hand movements in Hindu religious dancing

Word History and Origins

Origin of mudra¹

First recorded in 1805–15, mudra is from the Sanskrit word mudrā sign

Word History and Origins

Origin of mudra¹

Sanskrit, literally: sign, token

Example Sentences

Sit up straight and put your hands in front of you in a meditation mudra: palms up, left hand on the bottom, right hand on the top with the two thumbs touching.

From Los Angeles Times

“In Buddhist statues, the arms and hands are the parts that break off the easiest, and certain positions of the hands and fingers, the mudra, promote healing and compassion.”

From New York Times

She explained a simple mudra, or hand gesture, resting one palm in the other to balance our yin and yang energy.

From Seattle Times

The actual motion that accompanies the word namaste is called anjali mudra.

From Los Angeles Times

The sly gesture, ring finger brought to meet the thumb, hovers somewhere between a Sanskrit mudra — a ritualized hand-sign with esoteric meanings — and an Orthodox Christogram familiar from medieval European depictions of Jesus.

From Los Angeles Times