Twenty Four Mudrās for Sandhyā Vandanam

by Keśava Bhaṭṭācārya (Greg Jay) © 2019.6.4

catur viṁsati mūdra vai gayatryāṁ supratiṣṭhitāḥ |

iti mudrā na janāti gayatri niṣphala bhavet ||

"Certainly one should show these twenty four mudrās at the time of establishing the
Goddess Gāyatrī, one who doesn't show these mudrās gets no result from his Gāyatrī
(japa)."

According to some authorities twenty four mudrās are to be shown during Sandhyā
Vadanam at the time of invoking Goddess Gāyatrī and eight mudrās are to be shown
immediately after gāyatī japa. The twenty four mudrās are associated with the twenty four
syllables of the mantra. It is said "muktiṁ dravyam iti mudrāḥ", mudrās are an ingredient
of liberation. The following 24 mudrās and the associated syllable of Gāyatrī mantra:

1. sumukham - bud - ta (or tat)

2. sampuṭam - slightly opened bud - tsa (or sa)
3. vitatam - open bud - vi
4. vistṛtam - expanded bud - tur
5. dvi mukham - two faces - va
6. tri mukham - three faces - re
7. catur mukham - four faces - ṇi
8. pañca mukham - five faces - yaṁ
9. ṣaṇ mukham - six faces - bha (or bhar)
10. adho mukham - facing down - rgo (or go)
11. vyāpakāñjalim - all pervading salutation - de
12. śakaṭam - vehicle - va
13. yama pāśam - the noose of Yama - sya
14. granthitam - knotted - dhī
15. unmukhonmukham - facing up & down - ma
16. pralambam - hanging down - hi
17. muṣṭikam - fists - dhi
18. matsyam - fish (Matsya avatāra) - yo
19. kūrmam - turtle (Kūrma avatāra) - yo (or yaḥ)
20. varāham - boar (Varāha avatāra) - naḥ
21. siṁhākrāntam - unsurpassed lion (Narasiṁha avatāra) - pra
22. mahā krāntam - unsurpassed great one - co
23. mudgaram - mace - da
24. pallavam - leaf - yāt
Chant the following while showing the specific mudrās:

sumukhaṁ sampuṭaṁ caiva vitataṁ vistṛtaṁ tathā |

dvi mukhaṁ tri mukhaṁ caiva catuṣ pañca mukhaṁ tathā ||

ṣaṇ mukhā'dhomukhaṁ caiva vyāpakāñjalikaṁ tathā |

śakaṭaṁ yama pāśaṁ ca granthitaṁ conmukhonmukham ||

pralambaṁ muṣṭikaṁ caiva matsyaḥ kūrmo varāhakam |

siṁhākrāntaṁ mahā krāntaṁ mudgaraṁ pallavaṁ tathā ||

etā mudrāś catur viṁśaj japādau parikīrtitāḥ ||

Nitya Karma Vidhi Tathā Deva Pūjā Paddhati Page 35

 Uttara Mudrās
Immediately after Gāyatrī japa one should show a further eight mudrās:

1. surabhim
2. jñānam
3. vairāgyam
4. yonim
5. śaṅkham
6. paṅkajam
7. liṅgam
8. nirvāṇam
Show these eight mudrās immediately after Gāyatrī japa while chanting:

surabhir jñāna vairāgye yoniś śaṅkho'tha paṅkajam |

liṅgaṁ nirvāṇa mudrāś ca japānte'ṣṭau pradarśayet ||

Nitya Karma Vidhi Tathā Deva Pūjā Paddhati Page 41