Hasta

Hand, elephant trunk, measure of length (approximately 18 inches). One of the most symbolically rich terms in Sanskrit.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, hasta appears in compound descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s cosmic form (viśvarūpa), where the divine manifestation extends across the heavens with countless arms and hands. The term evokes both the instrument of action and the gesture of blessing.

In yogic practice, hasta refers to the mudrā — the precise positioning of hands that channels and directs subtle energies within the body. The hand becomes a map of the cosmos, with each finger representing the five elements.