Dhyana Shlokam (Dance Prayer) | Angikam Bhuvanam Yasya | Natyakriya Episode 03

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Today, I'm going to tell y'll about Dhyaana Shlokam (read: dhi-yaa-nuh sh-loh-kum). It is traditional to start a dance practice with a dhyaana shlokam. 'DhyAna' is a Sanskrit word that means meditation and 'Shlokam' means a prayer.

This is a popular shloka in praise of Lord Shiva, who is said to be the King of Dance. The dancing form of Lord Shiva is known as 'Nataraja' (read: Nuh-tuh-raa-jaa).We have hand gestures (mudraas) for this Shlokam too. But we'll deal with that later.

Here's the video -

Bharatanatyam Hasta Mudra (Hand Gestures)

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One of the most striking aspects of an Indian Classical Dance is the use of hand gestures, also known as Hasta Mudra (read: Huss-tha mu-dh-raa). In order to convey the meaning of what a dancer is performing, hand gestures are a significant __ to facial expressions. However, there are also Nritta Mudras, that are employed for the sake of beauty and decorative purposes while performing Nritta. So vast is the hand gestures that it covers almost all the aspects of human life and the entire universe. There is a hand gesture for every single thing in this universe. Some are performed with a single hand while some may require the use of both hands. Hence 'Mudras' bring unique poetic element while performing Abhinaya (expressions) and thus the language of the mudras enables the dancer to express practically anything and everything.