Mudras mentioned in Ashtothra of Gayatri Devi

[syvedi40]

Dear Friends,

I am a novice compared to the participants who are able to talk so authentically about spiritual matters. Mostly I attend this forum as observer to learn many things.

I have a question to ask which I hope some or many of you may be able to answer.

In the Ashtothram for Gayatri Devi there is a nama "chatur vimsathi mudhrikayai Namah". I understand Gayatri Devi shows 24 mudras. What are those mudras? Another nama in the ashtothra reads "Anguli parva samstha nayai Namah". This means, if I am correct, she rules the rules between the fingers. If we leave out the thumb in both hands there are 24 such lines on the four fingers of both hands. Is there any connection between the two?

I shall be grateful if somebody can throw light on this with proper authentication from scriptures.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Syvedi,

The 24 aksharANi of gAyatrImantra are associated with 24 aÑgulimudrA:

tat ~ SaNmukha
sa ~ sampuTa
vi ~ vitata
tur ~ vistRta
va ~ dvimukha
re ~ trimukha
Ny ~ caturmukha
am ~ pañcamukha

bhar ~ SaNmukha
go ~ adhomukha
de ~ vyApaka
va ~ añjali
sya ~ shakaTa
dhI ~ yamapAsha
ma ~ karkaTa
hi ~ vilamba

dhi ~ muSTika
yo ~ matsya
yo ~ kUrma
naH ~ varAha
pra ~ siMhAkrAnta
co ~ mahAkrAnta
da ~ mudgara
yAt ~ pallava

[syvedi40]

Dear Sarabanga,

Thanks for the info. Could you please elaborate how these mudras are made and what is their significance. The sloka on 5.14.4 of Bruhadarnya Upanisad says "Thus does the Gayatri rests (on the vital fornce that is) within the body. That very Gayatri save the Gayas. The organs are the Gayas; hence it the saved the organs. And because it saved the organs, therefore it is called Gayatri" This is an extract from the book "The Bruhadaranya Upanisad" by Swami Madhvananda of Ramakrishna Math.

As it is known every mudra benefits some organs if we know what these mudras are, how they are formed and what organ gets benefited, it will go a long way in the practice of Gayatri.

I shall be grateful if you could tell me the source which could help in further reading.

[sarabhanga]

Namaste Syvedi Ji,

There is only one text (that I know of) which enumerates the caturviMshatimudrA of gAyatrI, and that is the devIbhAgavatapurANa. I have already provided more detail than is explicitly given in the devIbhAgavatam, and the exact method has always been a closely held secret, so I can’t say much more. Different guru lineages have somewhat different interpretations, which are only transmitted through dIkshA.

[syvedi40]

Dear Sarabanga,

Thanks a lot for the info. I understand such things are to be learnt directly from a guru. Thanks once again.