Hridaya
Hṛdaya (IAST)Translation: "heart"
A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy
Sanskrit: हृदय
Transliteration: Hṛdaya
Translation: "heart; center or core of something; essence; the Self"
Definition:
- The psycho-physical center where an individual feels pleasure and pain.
- The space where the in-breath and out-breath merge. The true heart. The place where the breath is still in the state of merging.
The Upanishads: Volume I (Swami Nikhilananda)
"The heart has received much attention from the seers of the Upanishads. It is the resting-place of the Prāṇa, the senses, and the mind. It is the abode of Brahman. "That great birthless Self, which is identified with the intellect and is in the midst of the organs, lies in the Ākāśa that is within the heart. It is the controller of all, the lord of all, the ruler of all." Its physical shape is often compared to a lotus bud. The aspirant is asked to meditate on Brahman dwelling in the heart."
References:
- Grimes, John (1996). A Concise Dictionary of Indian Philosophy: Sanskrit Terms Defined in English. Albany: State University of New York Press
- Nikhilananda, Swami (1949). The Upanishads: Volume I—Katha, Iśa, Kena, and Mundaka. New York, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers. p. 92.
