Bronze hand used in the worship of Sabazius. Roman, 1st-2nd century AD Sabazius, a god of Thracian or Anatolian origin, became popular in the Roman Empire, and had connections both with Jupiter and Dionysos. Hands decorated with religious symbols were designed to stand in sanctuaries or, like this one, were attached to poles for processional use. British Museum Cat. Bronzes 876Mudras are symbolic powerful gestures expressed through the human body.

As Hinduism is of the opinion that what is in Microcosm is in the Microcosm,the expressions of the body help in Realizing the Self.

This is used as an Art form as well.

Various system of Dancing Bharata Natya,Kathakali,Odissi and other forms in India follow the Mudras to express emotions.

Indian life is permeated with Spiritual life in daily activites,right from wKing up to going bed.

So, it is not surprising that art forms use Mudras,essentially a spiritual practice are used in Dance.

There are 108 Mudras.

Mudras are expressed through fingers as well and this is used in performing Mantras

Essentially Mudras signify the The Unity of Reality and the individual Self.

In Tantra Shastra these Mudras are used extensively in Tantra practices.

There are Mudras specifically linked Mudras to a God.

Thus we have Shiva,Sakthi Mudras.

Also we have the Union Mudra,that indicates the Union of Brahman the Macro Reality with Atman, the Micro Reality.

I shall be writing on Mudras in detail.

It is found that the ancient Romans and Greeks were using the Mudras.

Much later, the Byzantine Greek encyclopedia, Suda (10th century?), flatly states

“Sabazios… is the same as Dionysos. He acquired this form of address from the rite pertaining to him; for the barbarians call the bacchic cry ‘sabazein’. Hence some of the Greeks too follow suit and call the cry ‘sabasmos’; thereby Dionysos [becomes] Sabazios. They also used to call ‘saboi’ those places that had been dedicated to him and his Bacchantes… Demosthenes [in the speech] ‘On Behalf of Ktesiphon’ [mentions them]. Some say that Saboi is the term for those who are dedicated to Sabazios, that is to Dionysos, just as those [dedicated] to Bakkhos [are] Bakkhoi. They say that Sabazios and Dionysos are the same. Thus some also say that the Greeks call the Bakkhoi Saboi.”

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The ecstatic Eastern rites practiced largely by women in Athens were thrown together for rhetorical purposes by Demosthenes in undermining his opponent Aeschines for participating in his mother’s cultic associations:

“On attaining manhood you abetted your mother in her initiations and the other rituals, and read aloud from the cultic writings …You rubbed the fat-cheeked snakes and swung them above your head, crying Euoi saboi and hues attes, attes hues

https://ramanisblog.in/2017/03/01/yoga-mudras-in-ancient-rome-greece/

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