DESCRIPTION OF HEART IN UPANISHADS

dr.manmohan acharya

The human heart has always become curious to know about the heart. The word
Heart means a hollow muscular organ of human body, which keeps the circulation of
blood by rhythmic contraction and dilatation[1]. It also means the center of person’s
thought and emotions, the vital bodily functions and the seat of thought and intellectual
operation,eg, Mind[2]. Hurt in Sanskrit means the heart. The exact etymological meaning
of hrt is ‘ harati hriyate va visayaih iti hrt[3]’.According to some Lexicons like
Amarakosa Hurt and Hrudaya are identify the same meaning. ‘Chittam tu cheto hrdayam
svantam hrn manasam manah’[4].Bharata , a famous commentator of Amarakosa
speaks vukkam, agramansam, hrdayam and hrt as synonymous to each other.
‘Bukkagramansam hrdayam hrditi ctvari hrdaye. Kecit bukkat prthagev hrdayantargate
mansavisese padmakare hrdayadi dvayamahuh. Dhatoh anekarthatvat’. Hurt or heart
basically provides two meanings. One is physical and another is psychic.

Hrdaya(m) the word itself defines the heart according to the Upanishadic
reference. Esha Prajapatiryad Hrdaymetad Brahmaitad sarvam tadetat tryaksaram
Hrdayamiti , Hr ityekamaksaram abhiharantyasmai svascanye ca ya evam veda , Da
ityekamaksaram dadatyasmai svascanye ca ya evam veda, Yamiti ekamaksarameti
svargam lokam ya evam veda[5].These three syllables represent three verbs – hr is to
collect, da is to donate and (in) ya is to move. So, which collects, distributes and moves is
hrt[6].Though the word Heart is used in so many contexts in Vedic and Upanisadic
scriptures , the scholas admit only two, such as i.Uro hrdayam and ii. Siro
hrdayam[7]. But taking the definitition given by Brhadaranyaka Upanishad in to
consideration, we get three important meanings,eg, i.Physical heart(Uro hrdayam), ii.
Psychic heart(Siro hrdayam) and iii. Spititual heart(Para hrdayam)

Root.hr Root.da Root.ya hr-da-ya

Which collects and distributes blood, and gets the body moving is Uro-hrdayam Cardio

Which collects and distributes knowledge and gets the mind moving is Siro hrdayam Mind

Which collects and distributes the matter and gets the life moving is Parahrdayam , Soul

URO-HRDAYAM ( Cardio) :

The heart is a hollow muscular organ where blood and air are blowing[8].It
vertebrates keeps up the circulation of the blood by rhythmic contraction and
dilatation[9]. It is otherwise known as Kardia or Cardio. Hrdayam in Vedic or vedantic
description also identifies the above physical phenomenon of heart. Hence the scholars of
Ayurveda identically name it as Uro-hrdayam[10]. As the existence of life could be
realized through the heart, so it is compared with a Hiranmaya kosa or golden treasury by
the seers of Atharvaveda[11]. Hrdayam is the only way for blood circulation of a
body[12].

STRUCTURE OF URO-HRDAYAM AND IT’S FUNCTION :

Esa Prajapatiryad Hrdaymetad Brahmaitad sarvam tadetat tryaksaram

Hrdayamiti , Hr ityekamaksaram abhiharantyasmai svascanye ca ya evam veda , Da
ityekamaksaram dadatyasmai svascanye ca ya evam veda, Yamiti ekamaksarameti
svargam lokam ya evam ved(Br.Ar.Upanishad,5/3/1). The verb hr represents to mean
hrti,ahrti or collection. According to modern Medical Science in systemic
circulation13 the heart collects blood from the body and in pulmonary circulation 14it
extracts blood from the Lungs. Here the composite syllable da in the word Hrdaya(m) is a
verb which means to provide or distribute.The heart supply blood to the body in systemic
circulation and to the Lungs in pulmonary circulation . The last one isya , which is
derived from the verb in(Gatou) and it is observed that the heart propels blood to every
part of the body gets the body in movement.It is observed from the above quoted
definition that the Heart or Hrdaya is a system. Uro-hrdaya is the central or vital
mecinary by which the blod-cells are circulated through out the body. As per the
description of Upanisad it is only way of survibal of life.Sarvasam vidyanam hrdayam
ekayanam eva15. Hrdaya is a hollow tube having empty spaces. Ayam akasah sarvesam
bhutanam madhu ; Asya akasasya srvani bhutani madhu yascayam asmin akase
tejomayah amrtamayah purusah, yascayam adhyatmam hrdi akasah tejomayah
amrtamayah purusah ayamev sah16. A large number of nadis are connected with Hrdaya,
so it is known as hrdayanjali17. As per the the description of Brhadaranyaka Upanisad
there are 72 vital nadis connected with hrdaya18. Sandilya Upanisad counts 14 number of
primary nadis, such as i.ida, ii. Pimgala, iii. Sisumna,iv. Sarasvati, v. Baruni, vi. Pusa, vii.
Hastajihva, viii. Yasasvini, ix. Visvodari, x. Kuhu,xi. Sankhini, xii. Payasvini, xiii.
Alambusa and xiv. Gandhari19. These nadis are the tubes those transport rudhira to all
parts of a Sarira20. Out of these nadis some are hrdayagranthis21, some are
hrtlekhas22 and some are snayugranthis23. Snayugranthis are normaly vayu-vahini
nadis24. These snayugranthis are thinest tubes through which pranavayu and food
substances pass from rudhiravindu to Jivakosa. Hrdaya and snayus are equipped with
hrdayadvara , which allow the rudhiras to flow in one direction25. Dhyanavindupanisad
counts 1072 nadis including thin and fat26. Ida, Pimgala and Susumna are three major
hrdayagranthis. Ida pimgala susumnastisro nadyah prakirtitah, Ida vame sthita bhage
pimgala dakshine sthita, Susumna madhyabhagetu pranamargastrayh smrta.27. Some
important nadis are pranavahini-nadis28. Prana no doubt identifies the Oxygen(in modern
terminology) here29. It is otherwise known as Chaitanyam in vedic philosophy.
Vedantasara defines this prana as praggamanavan nasagravarti vayuh. Nasikaputena
pranah paryayen pravartate, tisrastah nadakah tasu prana yavantam carati30. The life is
restored in heart since there is pranavayu31. There is another vayu flowing in the nadis
of hrdaya, named vyana.It is described in Prasnopanisad that “ hrdi hi esa atma . Atr etad
ekasatam nadinam tasam satam satam ekasyam dvasaptatirdvasaptatih
pratisakhanadisahasrani bhavanti, asu vyanascarati(3/6).Vyaniti sarvasariram vyapnoti
visesena anayati iti vyanah. This vyanah is no doubt named as carbon dioxide by the
Modern Scinetists as32. Satam caika hrdayasya nadyah tasam murdhanam abhinih srtaika
tayordhamayan amrtatvameti visvamanya utkramane bhavanti33.Perhaps the largest
hrdgranthi of the hrdaya is described here as Murdhanam abhinisrta eka nadi.This nadi
might be one among susumna, Ida or Pingala. The Heart is separated in two by a
partition. Left side of the Heart handels the blood rich in Prana-vayu, where as the right
side pumps the blood enforced with Vyana-vayu. The combinition of both the sides is
identified as Hrdayanjalih , by joining the two hrt-parsvam. More over the Heart or
Hrdaya looks like a lotus flower kept in downward direction. “Pundarikena sadrsam
hrdayam syad adhomukham, jagratastad vikasati svapatasca nimilati”34. In so many
Upanisads the lotuslike shape of Hrdaya is found described35 . The position and
functions of various nadis are described in Sandilyopanisad as follows-“ Ida-pimgala-
susumna-sarasvati-varuni-pusa-hastajihva-yasasvini-visvodari-kuhu-sankhini-payasvini-
gandhari.mdhyasthakundalinimasritya mukhya nadyascaturdasa bhavanti. Tatra susumna
visvadharini moksamargeti cacaksate. Gudasya prsthabhage vinadandasrita
murdhaparyantam brahmarandhre vijneya vyaktasukhma vaisnavi bhavati. Susumnayah
savyabhage ida tisthati. Daksinabhage pimgala……… Yathaasvatthadipatram
sirobhirvyaptam eva sariram nadibhirvyaptam(15/1). The nadicakra and Kundali are also
depicted nicely by the seers of Upanisads-

“Tatraiva nadicakram tu dvadasabham pratisthitam

Sariram dhriyate yena vartate tatra kundali”36

SIRO-HRDAYAM (BRAIN):

Ayurveda opines hrdayam as chetanadhisthanam because both the cardio and mind are
inter-connected. A physical heart has no function without the brain or it’s psychic action.
On the other hand the brain is no more active, when the cardio is damaged.This theory of
complementary action was known to the Vedic seers,so they accepted hrdaya as the seat
of mind or manas37 . Hr-da-ya by etymological interpretation means the mind as it collects(hr) and
distributes(da) knowledge and gets the mind moving(ya) . Since the brain has direct nexus with Cardio
and mind it can be known as Sirohrdayam. In Brhadaranyaka Upanisad it is told that the
passions and desires some times enter into the Heart of the individual. When Heart
discards and destroys those material desires man reaches immortality38. Acharya
Sankara in his commentary connotes Heart as Buddhi. Here the word Heart is no doubt a
Psychic Concept. It is written in some Upanisads that – Kama eva yasya ayatanam
hrdayam loko manorjyotiryo vai tam purusam vidyat sarvasyatmanah parayanam sa vai
vedito syat. In this context Hrdaya is a light. Hrdayen budhya psyati iti Samkarah. This
Hrdaya is described as the Light of Mind, Light of Death, Light of Water-god and Light
of Prajapati. In Kathopanisad it is explained that if a manisi purifies himself by his hearty
mind, he becomes immortal and touches salvation(2/3/9).

PARA HRDAYAM (THE SUPER SPIRITUAL HEART) :

In Upanisads somewhere Heart is also described as the Soul. In Brhadaranyaka Upanisad

Sakalya tells that, Hrdayam vai brahma, hrdayameva ayatanam akasah, hrdayam vai
samrat sarvani bhutani pratisthitani bhavanti hrdayam vai samrat paramam brahma. Here
without any hesitation we can say that the upanishadic seers accepts Heart as a Super
Soul. It is beyond either the Physical Heart, Cardis and Psychic Heart, Mind. It is par
excellence and the Spiritual Heart.

[1] Oxford Talking Dictionary

[2] Oxford Advanced Learned Dictionary

[3] Sabda Kalpadruma

[4] Amarakosah

[5] Br.Ar.Upanishad,5/3/1.

[6] Vaidika Kosah, Nag Prakasan, V.ol.3, Pg.1627

[7] Ayurved ka brhat itihas, Atridev Vidyalamkar,,Pg.1062

[8] Hrdakase cidaditya sada bhsati bhasati, Br.Ar.Upanisad,2/9/11

[9] Tailadharam ivacchinndirghaghanta ninadavat

vinda nada kalatitam yastam veda sa vedavit . Dhyanavindu Upanisad,37

[10] Vedonmen Ayuveda, Ramagopal Sastri, Pg.08

[11] Ibid

[12] Sarvasam vidyanam hrdayam ekayanameva, Br.Ar. Upanisad,2/9/11

13 Encyclopaedia Britannica, C.D. Rom, My body my self

14 Ibid

15 Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, 2/9/11

16 Brhadaranyaka Upanishad, 2/5/10

17 Trisikhabrahmanopanisad,144

18 Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, 2/1/19

19 Sandilya Upanisad,1/15

20 Yogasiddhi Upanisad,1/14 and Varahopanisad, 5/22-31

21 Mundakopanisad, 2/8 and Sarvasaropanisad,1/23

22 Yogasikhopanisad, 6/18

23 Mahanarayana Upanisad,3/9 , Yavalopanisad, 2/5 and Nirukta,2/2

24 An Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Yajurvedic Upanisads, M.Acharya, pg213

25 Amrta nadopanisad, 27

26 Dhyanabindu,55-56

27 Ibid

28 Ibid

29 Praniti jivati aneneti pranah,hrnmaruta iti Sabdakalpadrumah

30 Tri .bra. Upanisad,116

31 Hrdayesmin hime pranah pratisthitah, Chhandogya Upanisad, 3/12/4

32 “One of the five vital airs in the body , which is defused through the whole body”

Sanskrit English Dictionary, V.S.Apte,Pg540

33 Kathopanisad, 2/3/3

34 Susruta, Sarirasthanam, Ch.4

35 Dhyanabindupanisad,23,

Kaivalyopanisad,1/6
Maitreyopanisad,1/4/8

36 Varahopanisad, 5/20-23

37 “Hrt-pratistham yadajiram javistham”

Sivasamkalpasuktam

38 Brhdaranyaka. Upanisad 4/4/7