Abhayamudra

The abhayamudra gesture
Dewi Sri (Parvati) with her right hand in the abhayamudra, Bali Indonesia.[1]

The abhayamudra (Sanskrit: अभयमुद्रा, romanized: abhayamudrā, lit. 'gesture of fearlessness')[2] is a mudra (gesture) that is the gesture of reassurance and safety, which dispels fear and accords divine protection and bliss in Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Indian religions. The right hand is raised to shoulder height, with the palm is facing outward and the fingers pointing upwards [3] This is one of the earliest mudras found depicted on a number of Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Sikh images.

  1. ^ Yves Bonnefoy (1993). Asian Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. pp. 178–179. ISBN 978-0-226-06456-7.
  2. ^ Buswell, Robert Jr., ed. (2013). Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. p. 2. ISBN 9780691157863.
  3. ^ "Abhaya Mudra". 17 March 2015. Archived from the original on 18 July 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.