#ChinMudra Dakshinamurthy Hayagriva

[archanaraghuram]

Chin Mudra – The Symbol that got me hooked to Symbology

I never realizes that Hindu gods and symbols had deeper meaning until I learnt the significance of Chin Mudara. It simply blew my mind. It completely changed the way I experienced temples and religious art.

Chin Mudra is also called Gnayana Mudra and represents the ultimate knowledge that leads to liberation. Moksha or liberation is Hinduism is freedom from suffering and the never ending cycle of life and death.

In order to understand this symbol we need to understand the hindu philosophy of Advaitham.

According to Vedanta we are all Brahman (infinite, blissful, unsullied consciousness). We experience ourselves as limited entities because we identify ourselves with the body, mind and intellect. Mind being our emotional component and intellect being our thinking reasoning component. The entire spiritual journey is removing this wrong notion of ‘I’ and discovering our real self. Once you identify with the real ‘you’, you attain a state called ‘Poornathwam’ meaning completeness. This is a state of absolute contentment and uninterrupted bliss. This realization is often referred to as union with god, though it is only the removal of an imagined separation 

Now, let us see how this concept is represented in using Chin Mudra. The thumb represents god or Brahman because without the thumb the hand cannot function. The middle, ring and the small finger represents the body, mind and intellect respectively. The mind being the emotional component and intellect being the thinking component. Index finger represents the ego because it keeps pointing at others for all its miseries.

When you hold your hand normally the index finger is attached to the other three fingers and is far away from the thumb. This implies, we normally think of ourselves as the body, mind and intellect and separate from god. As long as we have this notion, we will have a beginning and an end. When the finger is erect it is straight line with a clearly defined beginning and ending representing birth and death. When ego separates itself from the body/mind/ intellect and unites with the thumb (representing god) it forms a circle, it becomes complete . Just like a circle has no beginning and ending you reach a state of birthlessness and deathlessness. This is Chin Mudra for you.

Since the job of the guru is to impart this knowledge and lead you to liberation, all the forms of god as teacher (Guru) will have Chin Mudra in one of the hands. If you have observed the idols of Dakshinamurthi and Hayagriva, which are the forms of Shiva and Vishnu as Gurus you will find this Mudra in the bottom right hand.

I love its economy of form and the depth of meaning. Isn’t it a masterpiece of Minimalism. Try representing the theory of relativity using your fingers, you will understand why this is such an amazing work of art.