Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 979: Shri Jnana mudra (ōṃ Jṇānamudrāyai namaḥ)

The Divine Mother is in the form of Jnana Mudra (the fingers representing the wisdom).

She is attained by Jnana (Knowledge). Jnana mudra is shown by Sri Dhakshana Murty (a form of Shiva as universal Guru) facing south, shows in his right hand. Our thumb and index finger are touching to form a circle. The other three fingers are held straight. This is also called Cin mudra. Thumbs and index fingers are becoming the symbol of soul. Time, place and reason or cause has come from mind learning. They will disappear if there is no mind effect. They become the symbol of three gunas.

Religiously the Cin mudra can be explained as follows: Maya, ahankara, and vengeance are three evil things which cause suffering for the soul; soul makes efforts to separate it from these three evil things. By doing so, the soul can attain the Brahman and or the Divine Mother.

Dhakshana Murty shows this Cin Mudra in his right hand. One’s ahankara has been controlled and contains the meaning of this Cin Mudra. Soul tattva is joining with Esvara tattva to take away all confusions. The Divine Mother has the Cin Mudra in Her form; She gives happiness.  Dhakshana Murty is covering happiness in Jnana, whereas Nataraja (another form of Shiva) is covering Jnana in happiness.

This Jnana Mudra or Cin Mudra can be seen in the pictures of various deities like Sri Ayyappa. This Namam means “the Divine Mother gives (ra) the bliss(mud) of knowledge (jnana).

The Divine Mother is in the form of Jnana Mudra.

C N Nachiappan

Singapore, 29 September 2022; updated 04 November 2025.

References:

1.The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published by Mata Amritanandam in California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2, Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Tiruchirappalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3. The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sith-Bavandar.