Chakra 5 of 7 · Throat Chakra
Vishuddha — विशुद्ध
vi- (intensifier) + śuddha (“pure”) — “especially pure.”
Location: The throat.
Element: Akasha (Space / Ether)
Sense: Hearing
Bija mantra: हं (haṃ)
The yantra at its centre
A silver crescent moon set inside a full white circle — the lunar symbol of nāda, pure cosmic sound, and the only chakra whose petals carry full vowels rather than consonants.
Deity and Shakti
Every chakra below Sahasrara is traditionally described with a presiding deity and a goddess (Shakti) specific to that centre.
Presiding deity
Sadashiva presides here — described with five faces (representing the five senses) and ten arms, his right half white (Shiva) and left half gold (Shakti).
Shakti — Shakini
Shown pale rose-skinned, seated on a pink lotus, holding a skull-cup, an elephant-goad, scripture, and a rosary — an image combining detachment with knowledge.
Vahana (vehicle)
A white elephant, in most sources identified again as Airavata, associated here with Indra.
Worth knowing
Vishuddha is the only chakra where every petal carries a full vowel rather than a consonant — fitting for the centre classical texts associate with speech and the voice.
How this fits the wider system
Vishuddha is the fifth 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 Vishuddha mean in Sanskrit?
vi- (intensifier) + śuddha (“pure”) — “especially pure.”
Where is Vishuddha traditionally located?
The throat.
Is Vishuddha a scientifically recognised body part?
No — like the other chakras, Vishuddha is a concept from traditional Tantric and Yogic literature, not an anatomical structure recognised in modern medicine.