The Bihar School of Yoga elaborates on the spiritual aspects of the jñāna and chin mudras. Jñāna means wisdom or knowledge, and jñāna mudra is a gesture of intuitive knowledge. Chin, is derived from chitta, or consciousness. Chin mudra, therefore, is a psychic gesture of consciousness.
Symbolically, the little finger, the ring finger and the middle finger represent the three gunas, or qualities of nature – tamas, or stability, rajas, or activity and creativity, and sattwa, or harmony. These three states must be transcended, in order to pass from ignorance to knowledge – तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय – tamaso ma jyotirgamnaya – says the Pavamana Mantra. Take me from darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge.
The thumb is also said to represent universal consciousness, and the ring finger individual consciousness, and hence joining both brings about a merging of the Self into the Universal Consciousness.
Everyone has their distinct experience when practicing mudras, something that is indescribable and cannot be generalised. Approach this practice with reverence, going beyond the physical, and into the realm of the known – but largely forgotten – our own Self.
ॐ असतो मा सद्गमय ।
तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय ।
मृत्योर् मामृतं गमय ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
asato mā sadgamaya,tamaso mā jyotirgamaya,mṛtyor mā’mṛtaṃ gamaya
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28
From falsehood lead me to truth,From darkness lead me to the light,From death lead me to immortality.