A well-known aphorism says silence is golden. Spiritual leaders have stressed the importance of silence as an aid to meditation and eventual liberation. The sons of Brahma — Sanaka, Sanatana, Sanandana, and Sanatkumara — were well versed in the Vedas. But they wanted to gain knowledge about the Supreme Brahman, and the means to attain Him. Lord Siva, as Dakshinamurthy, imparted to them the knowledge that they sought, elaborated R. Narayanan in a discourse. But He conveyed the Supreme Truth through silence.
Dakshinamurthy’s cin mudra conveyed much more than words could ever convey. In the cin mudra, the thumb and the index finger are brought together, and this indicates the jivatma-Paramatma connection. The thumb indicates the Paramatma and the forefinger is the jivatma. These two are brought together in the cin mudra. The other three fingers represent the three malams (impurities) that stand in the way of our attainment of liberation. The three malams are anava (ego), kanma (effects of our actions) and maayai (illusion). When these three impurities are conquered, the jivatma reaches Him. These three malams keep our connection to the material world alive. In their absence, the jivatma automatically comes close to the Paramatma. This is what Lord Siva, as Dakshinamurthy, points out through His cin mudra.
In fact, Dakshinamurthy is a silent guru. Using many words to convey something is not as effective as conveying it succinctly through a gesture. Muruga, Lord Siva’s son, taught His father the meaning of the pranava. Naturally, Muruga too knew the value of silence. Saint Arunagirinatha says that Lord Muruga taught him the importance of silence.
