Dhenu-mudra

Dhenu-mudra

धेनुमुद्रा, dhenumudrā

Dhenu means "cow," and dhenu-mudra symbolizes the udder – fingers are joined together so that they repeat the shape of the udder. Since the cow in India is a sacred animal, a benefactor of food, a performer of desires (Kamadhenu), this mudra symbolizes the descent of mercy or amrita, the divine nectar. In puja, dhenu-mudra is often shown above a vessel with a liquid (water, wine, milk) – thereby purification is done and the liquid turns into nectar. Dhenu-mudra can also be called Kamadhenu or Surabhi.

Technique: the left little finger touches the right ring finger, the right little finger – the left ring finger; the left index finger touches the right middle finger, and the right index finger touches the left middle finger. The thumbs are connected.

A list of the main mudras can be found here.