Heart Chakra Symbol Meaning

The heart chakra is the 4th chakra in the body, which you connects to the unifying force of unconditional love.

Healthy heart chakra allows you to grow a loving connection to yourself and others and it functions as a spiritual center.

The fourth chakra is the seat of consciousness and the point of touch between body and spirit.

The element associated with the heart chakra is air, and the color of the heart chakra is green. Anahata is mentioned in various scriptures as the chakra from where 72,000 nadis (energetic channels) originate.

Anahata chakra symbol resembles a mandala lotus, and it consists of the following elements:

• 12 petals with vrittis.
• Two intersecting triangles forming a hexagram.
• Seed mantra YAM यं in the center.

Let's have a look at each of these elements individually and find out what is their meaning. 

Heart Chakra Symbol: 12-Petalled Lotus Meaning

Twelve petals of the heart chakra lotus are very often decorated with 12 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet (vrittis): 

1. kam - Lust
2. kham - Fraud
3. gam - Indecision
4. gham - Repentance
5. ngam - Hope
6. cham - Anxiety
7. chham - Longing
8. jam - Impartiality
9. jham - Arrogance
10. nyam - Incompetence
11. tam - Discrimination
12. tham - Defiance

The energy travels in twelve directions in and out of the petals, carried by the sound of each syllable. Each petal of the lotus is a plexus, where the energy channels, also known as nadis, cross. Symbolically, the syllables reflect the essential energy which comes from these points.

Vrittis allow us to understand certain functions of the mind and observe how it works. It's just like getting out of yourself and watching the mind without any judgment. When the vrittis are destroyed, the mind gains great strength.

Few other sources indicate that each petal of heart chakra lotus is linked with one of 12 virtues of a pure heart:

Each petal of the heart chakra lotus is associated with one of 12 virtues of a pure heart:

1. Love
2. Harmony
3. Empathy
4. Understanding
5. Purity
6. Clarity
7. Compassion
8. Unity
9. Forgiveness
10. Kindness
11. Peace
12. Bliss

Heart Chakra Symbol: Hexagram

The hexagram (or Shatkona in Hindi) is a symbol of the unification of male and female energies in Hinduism.

The upper triangle symbolizes Lord Shiva (Purusha), and the other one, Goddess Shakti (Prakriti).

According to ancient tantrism, the union of these divine energies is a source of all creation. When these two forces are united, a balance is achieved.

You can leam more about this sacred union in another article on our blog: Shiva & Shakti - Union of Divine Energies.

Shiva and Shakti are also two main deities associated with heart chakra symbol.