Signs for Hinduism

David Bar-Tzur

Created 30 July 2007, links updated monthly with the help of LinkAlarm.

Here are some suggestions for how to convey Hindu concepts in Sign Language. They use ASL expansion techniques and are not signs from the Deaf Hindu community. I would be happy to add any suggestions from Deaf Hindus in America. You can contact me at

EXPLANATION OF THE GLOSSING SYSTEM
(to understand how I describe the signs in this translation).

ashram
INDIA RELIGION RETREAT.

ashrama
LIFE BY-STAGES, where the second sign is (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs up, hands circle around each other while rising. Like the sign PROCESS but moving upward, not forward.

atman
CENTER-OF-BEING. Some Christian Deaf people sign "soul" this way. I mean that instead of signing CENTER so that it lands on the palm of the NDH, it lands in the center of the chest.

Brahma
SUPREME CREATOR (or MAKER). (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top + C-MAKE AGENT.

Brahman
TRUTH SUPREME, where the last sign is (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.

chant
SAY SAME-OLD-THING, where the second sign is (2h)[Y], POs down, FOs away, circle vertically and symmetrically in a plane parallel to the chest with a positive facial expression and closed eyes.

dharma
DUTY, that is, D-WORK.

Hinduism
INDIA RELIGION.

Ishvara
LORD.

karma
(1) LIFE CYCLE"sta, sta, sta" LAW. (2) Sign starts out like BRIBE but the DH opens, then closes and returns to the chest, this time above the NDH and strikes the chest. (< what you give out comes back to you)

Krishna
Mime playing a side flute. (< Krishna is often depicted this way.)

mandala
(2h)[M], POs away, FOs up, touch and separate to trace a circle and retouch at the bottom of the circle.

moksha
LIFE CYCLE++ DETACH, where the last sign is (2h)[F] interlinked open and separate.

nirguna
(1) SUPREME DESCRIBE CAN'T. SUPREME is (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top. (2) SUPREME BEYOND PARALLEL.

pilgrimage
VISIT HOLY PLACE WORSHIP.

saguna
(1) SUPREME DESCRIBE CAN. SUPREME is (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top. (2) SUPREME HAVE PARALLEL.

samsara
LIFE CYCLE++, SUFFER.

sanatana dharma
(1) INFINITE DUTY. Where the first sign is (2h)[Y], POs down, FOs ><, both hands separate smoothly so that DH FO is > the signer's front, and the NDH FO > the signer's back. (2) DUTY FOREVER.

sannyasi (renunciant)
PLEASURE DETACH, where the last sign is (2h)[F] interlinked open and separate.

Shiva
SUPREME DESTROYER. First sign is (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.

swami
PLEASURE DETACH, JOIN COMMUNITY, where the second sign is (2h)[F] interlinked open and separate.

Vedas
HINDU/INDIA HOLY WRITE+, where the second sign is H-NICE.

Vishnu
SUPREME SUPPORTER. First sign is (2h)[A], FOs away, DH starts below NDH and arcs around it until it is on top.

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