Image title: Figure 11: Kataka-hasta

Kaṭakahasta refers to one of the various hand-poses (hastas or mudras).—Kaṭaka-hasta resembles almost the side part of crab. This is a common pose in the sculptures of female deities like Shridevi and Bhudevi holding flower in it. In this gesture, the top of fist must be at the level of breast-nut of the deity in case the hand is in a position to hold any object like flower. In the icon of Vishnu, this gesture the lower hand almost parallel to abhaya or varada held in other lower hand.

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Both the Pancaratra and Vaikhanasa Agamas extensively deal with the technical features on temple art and architecture. Sometime , they detail certain stance or pose but do not mention the technical term: the same way.... In order to study and understand the iconography of the Vaishnava Agamas, is inevitable to consult the treatises on dance (Natya-shastra), sculpture (Shilpa-shastra) and architecture (Sthapatya or Vastu-shastra).