Chakra 4 of 7 · Heart Chakra
Anahata — अनाहत
an- (“not, without”) + āhata (“struck”) — the “unstruck” sound said to arise here without two things colliding.
Location: Centre of the chest.
Element: Vayu (Air)
Sense: Touch
Bija mantra: यं (yaṃ)
The yantra at its centre
A smoke-grey hexagram (six-pointed star) — two interlocking triangles, one pointing up and one down, formed where Air's lightness meets its own reflection.
Deity and Shakti
Every chakra below Sahasrara is traditionally described with a presiding deity and a goddess (Shakti) specific to that centre.
Presiding deity
Isha (a form of Shiva) is generally named as the presiding deity of this centre.
Shakti — Kakini
Described as radiant and compassionate, associated with the first true meeting-point of the lower and upper chakras.
Vahana (vehicle)
A black antelope, prized in classical description for its speed, alertness and grace — said to leap toward joy the way attention leaps toward what draws it.
Worth knowing
Even the small details are disputed between translators: in one 1919 English rendering of the Shatchakra Nirupana the central triangle points downward, in another it points upward — a genuine, unresolved disagreement between two respected translations of the same verse.
How this fits the wider system
Anahata is the fourth of the seven chakras in the system popularised by the 16th-century Shatchakra Nirupana. See the full seven-chakra overview for how all seven relate to each other, including which parts of the popular modern chakra system (like the rainbow colour scheme) are much later additions rather than classical tradition.
Frequently asked questions
What does Anahata mean in Sanskrit?
an- (“not, without”) + āhata (“struck”) — the “unstruck” sound said to arise here without two things colliding.
Where is Anahata traditionally located?
Centre of the chest.
Is Anahata a scientifically recognised body part?
No — like the other chakras, Anahata is a concept from traditional Tantric and Yogic literature, not an anatomical structure recognised in modern medicine.