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Jnana Mudra
The root seal of knowledge. The fingertip of the individual (index) meets the fingertip of the Divine (thumb) and closes the circle of consciousness.
- Meaning
- Seal of Knowledge
- Tradition
- Hatha Yoga and Hindu iconography; the seal of meditation across India
- Hands
- Both hands, same form
- Placement
- Seated meditation, hands resting on the thighs, palms facing up.
- Associations
- Metal element, colour white. Indian finger lore: thumb fire, index air.
- Level
- Advanced
Formation
- Join the tip of the thumb and the tip of the index finger with light, even pressure.
- Keep the middle, ring and little fingers extended and relaxed.
- Lay the hand on the thigh with the palm turned up, so the extended fingers point toward Heaven.
- Form the same seal with the other hand.
Example Meditation
Sit with the spine straight and rest the hands on the thighs, palms up, in the seal. Practise the Foundation Meditation: breathe slowly through the nose and let the thoughts settle. Keep a light awareness on the closed circle of thumb and index finger; it gathers scattered attention and steadies the mind as the stillness deepens.
Effects
PhysicalΣῶμα
- Sleep. After Keshav Dev, it is given against insomnia and against daytime sleepiness.
- Blood pressure. Keshav Dev also gives it for high blood pressure.
EmotionalΘυμός
- Mental tension. Called a universal remedy for tension and inner disorder, it settles agitation and lifts depressed moods.
IntellectualΝοῦς
- Memory and concentration. It clears the mind, sharpens memory and gathers scattered attention into one point.
SoulΨυχή
- Union of the two consciousnesses. In the classical reading the thumb is cosmic consciousness and the index finger the individual self; their contact is the union of Atman and Brahman.
- The three gunas. The three extended fingers stand for the three qualities of nature, released and left free while the self rests in its source.
AscentἈνάβασις
- The first seal of the path. Every ascent begins with gnosis. Zevism reads this circle as the beginning of ὁμοίωσις θεῷ: the human intellect touches the divine Nous and is sealed to it.
- Foundation for the gaze practices. It is paired with Shambhavi and Agochari, the eye mudras of Hatha Yoga, where it carries the meditation upward.
Finger Key
| Finger | Element | Right hand |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb | Fire | joins the index finger |
| Index | Air | joins the thumb |
| Middle | Aether | extended |
| Ring | Earth | extended |
| Little | Water | extended |
Cautions and Variants
Variants. This collection names the palm-up form Jnana and the palm-down form Chin; the Bihar School of Yoga (Satyananda) uses the reverse naming. An active variant also exists: the tip of the index finger rests on the first thumb joint and the thumb presses lightly on the index fingernail.
Gertrud Hirschi, Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands
The standard practical manual of the hand seals, with their indications and meditations. The Temple of Zeus recommends it as a purchase for every Zevist library, personal or communal.