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The term Hrdaya or heart has deep layers of meaning and overlapping concepts in Ayurveda and the ancient texts of India.
When the term Hrdaya is divided into its root words hr, da & ya it is descriptive of how it receives, releases and moves blood in the body.
In Ayurvedic texts the heart is so much more than just an organ to pump blood around the body...
Origin of the Heart
According to Ayurveda, the heart originates from the mother.
The soft parts like muscle, blood, fat, bone-marrow, heart, umbilicus, liver, spleen, intestine, anus etc. are matruja bhava [origin of maternal innate property]. - Charaka
The Heart and Mind
मनस् Manas {the mind} and Cetana {consciousness} are located both in the head and heart.
The heart is intricately linked with the mind in Ayurveda and there is an interaction between the mind and heart in emotions such as joy, love, anxiety and fear.
According to the amazing ongoing research by the Heartmath institute1, challenging emotions negatively impact the nervous system and signals sent from the heart to the brain can affect our emotional experiences. According to their research, the heart sends more information to the brain than the other way around.
Sādhaka Pitta, a subtype of Pitta (one of the three functional principles in the body) located in the heart, is responsible for courage according to Ayurvedic wisdom. So, as the saying goes, take heart!
The Heart is the Seat of Sādhaka Pitta
Meaning of Sādhaka (साधक):
- effective, efficient, accomplishing, fulfilling, completing, perfecting2
- The Pitta located in the heart is known as Sādhaka, because it helps achieve the aims of life, by attending to functions such as discrimination, intelligence, price and enthusiasm.3
- That Pitta present in the heart is known as Sādhakāgni; it is responsible for fulfilling the desires of the mind.4
Sādhana - shared etymology
Sādhana, meaning your daily spiritual practice, also comes from the root 'sādh', meaning:
- leading straight to a goal, guiding well, furthering, accomplishment, fulfilment, completion, perfection5
1 https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/heart-brain-communication/ (accessed 15/11/2025)
2 Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
3 Aṣṭanga Saṁgraha Sutra Sthana 20/3
4 Suśruta Samhita Sutra Sthana 21/10
5 Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary
Colette Park
BSc (Hons) Ayurveda,
MSc Clinical Nutrition
