Hṛdaya

Heart (sirā-marma)

Hṛdaya — the heart marma, at the precordial centre. Sirā-marma and sadyaḥ-prāṇa-hara: instantly fatal if penetrated. Suśruta describes hṛdaya as the seat of consciousness (ojas) and the central regulator of the body's vital channels. The topographic locus is the precordial region rather than the anatomically-precise cardiac silhouette; classical Indian iconography places hṛdaya at the midline.

AdhipatiSthāpanīŚaṅkha (right)Śaṅkha (left)HṛdayaHṛdayaNābhiBastiKūrpara (right)Kūrpara (left)Kṣipra (right hand)Kṣipra (left hand)Talahṛdaya (right foot)

Point 6 of 13 in Marma Points (Suśruta-saṃhitā)

Cross-tradition overlaps

No overlapping points are registered for this point.

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Sources

Suśruta-saṃhitā, Śārīrasthāna 6 vv. 24–25 (primary_canonical)

The thoraco-abdominal marma enumeration in Śārīrasthāna 6.16–25, especially 6.24–25 (Acharya ed.), places Hṛdaya in the precordial region and classifies it as a sirā-marma whose injury is sadyaḥ-prāṇa-hara.

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