By Swami Harshananda
Cinmudrā literally means ‘hand-pose indicating knowledge’.
Icons of deities, sages and saints sculptured as per the rules given in the standard works of iconography, usually have certain hand-poses called ‘hasta-mudrās’. These mudrās indicate certain specific ideas or sentiments. One such pose, the ‘cinmudrā,’ is sculptured on images in the posture of imparting knowledge. For instance the Dakṣiṇāmurti aspect of Śiva and Ādiśaṅkara has this cinmudrā in their postures. The presentation of cinmudrā is as follows:
- In this pose the tips of the thumb and the forefinger, usually of the right hand, are joined to form a circle.
- The other fingers are kept open and stretched.
- The whole palm faces outwards.
- This mudrā is also called ‘vyākhyāna or sandeśa’ mudrā.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore