‘Bana’ is the fifth chakra in the melakarta scheme. ‘Bana’ means arrow. The chakra is so named because Manmatha or Cupid has the ‘pancha baana’ — five floral arrows of lotus, mango, jasmine, asoka and blue lily which he shoots at lovers. Each one of them is aimed to hit a specific spot on the body and the lovelorn victim goes through progressively intense situations. Artist S. Rajam has presented a symbolic representation of an arrow with five floral tips. A picture of Manmatha with this arrow was published in the pictorial representation of Netra — the second chakra, in the May issue of Sruti. The five-flower arrow is shown in the inset on the adjoining page.