Abhaya and Varada — The Two Hands of Divine Care

In the stillness of a temple courtyard, you might have seen it: the right hand of the deity lifted, palm facing outward, declaring silently, “Fear not.” – Ma bhaih as Thakur Omkarnath often quotes in his Message of Hope, Abhay Vaani!

The left hand, iterally on the other hand, is extended downward, palm open, as if pouring unseen gifts into your life. These are not decorative gestures. In the iconography of India, they are called Abhaya Mudrā and Varada Mudrā, two deeply symbolic hand-positions that together speak the whole language of divine protection and grace.

For centuries, devotees have received these mudrās not merely as physical postures carved in stone or painted on walls, but as living assurances in moments of inner trembling. To understand them is to see how the Divine relates to the soul in every stage of its journey – from the first fearful glimpse of truth, to the final dissolution into oneness.

Abhaya

The Abhaya Mudrā is the gesture of fearlessness and protection. The right hand is raised to shoulder level, palm facing outward, fingers together. In the most obvious sense, it says, “Do not fear.” But in Vedāntic and Bhakti philosophy, the meaning runs deeper: fear is born of dvaita, the perception that we are separate from the Source. The Abhaya Mudrā is God’s refutation of that illusion, the declaration that nothing outside Him can touch us.

Spiritually, Abhaya represents kṣema, the preservation and safeguarding of what is already attained, whether that be spiritual progress, moral strength, or inner peace. It is not the removal of danger from life, but the removal of our vulnerability to it.

Varada

If Abhaya assures, Varada bestows. The Varada Mudrā, sometimes called Vara, is the gesture of granting boons, blessings, and grace. The left hand extends downward, palm open, as if offering. But true Varada is not about wish-fulfillment in the worldly sense. It is about anugraha, the Divine’s free and unconditional giving, both of what we desire and what we did not know to desire.

Philosophically, Varada aligns with yoga, the acquisition of what is yet to be gained. In the highest sense, it is the bestowal of wisdom, devotion, and ultimately liberation.

This dual action of preserving and granting is exactly what Krishna promises in Bhagavad Gītā 9.22:

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

“To those who, ever steadfast, worship Me with single-minded devotion, I carry what they lack (yoga) and preserve what they have (kṣema).”

Here, Varada is yoga… the bringing of the unattained into the devotee’s life. Abhaya is kṣema… the guarding of the treasures already received. In a single verse, the Gītā maps the entire spiritual exchange between God and devotee into these two movements.

While the Gītā’s expression is unique in its personal, divine pledge, similar pairs of concepts appear elsewhere:

Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.18 speaks of the Lord who “ordains and protects” the universe.

Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7.1 offers ānando brahma – bliss itself – as the boon, the purest Varada.

Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad 3.2.3 declares that from the Divine “flows all knowledge and attainment,” the very heart of yoga.

Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7 dissolves the final division with tat tvam asi – “Thou art That.”

These echoes show that the cycle of divine care, granting and preserving, is a constant thread in the tapestry of Indian thought.

The Poetic Journey: Abhaya and Varada in Darśana

The seeker’s journey often begins with a trembling:

In the twilight of longing, when the heart first glimpses the Radiant Form, a tremor runs through the soul – for to see God is to see the end of “I.”

In that moment, the Abhaya Mudrā speaks without words: “Fear not. I am the shore beyond the storm. No shadow can touch you in My embrace.”

When fear subsides, the soul stands bare, ready to receive. The Varada Mudrā pours its unseen bounty: “Here is what you seek and what you did not know to seek – grace that binds you to Me, wisdom that frees you from Me, and joy that is neither binding nor free.”

Thus, in every darśana, Abhaya guards the heart’s treasures while Varada plants seeds for a harvest beyond imagining. One hand stills your fears; the other fulfills your destiny.

Together, Abhaya and Varada are a complete theology in two gestures:

Abhaya: “I will preserve you … your peace, your truth, your hard-won freedom.”

Varada: “I will give you what you need … seen and unseen, asked and unasked.”

Seen in countless images of Viṣṇu, Śiva, Durgā, and Buddha, these two hands become an ever-present assurance: the Divine not only holds you safe, but also fills your life with what will lead you home.

The Abhaya–Varada pairing is not mere artistic convention. It is a spiritual contract, signed not in ink but in the very shape of the hands that bless you.

~ Raj Supe (Kinkar Vishwashreyananda)
Editor, The Mother