Dhāraṇā () is the sixth limb of eight elucidated by Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga or Raja Yoga in his Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Etymology
Dhāraṇā is translated as "firmness, steadfastness, certainty," as "the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, retaining, keeping back (in remembrance), a good memory," and also as "collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath)."
[Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Monier-Williams, (c) 1899] This term is related to the verbal Sanskrit roots
dha and
ana, to hold, carry, maintain, resolve. Dharana is the noun.
Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras verse III.1 states
deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraņā, meaning:
-
deśa: "place" "location," "spot"
-
bandhaś ( bandhah): "bound, fixed"
-
cittasya: "of the mind," "whose mind,"
[Sanskrit Dictionary, cittasya] "senses"[Yoga Philosophy Institute, dharana]
-
dhāraņā: "concentration," "maintain"
According to Bryant, in Yoga Sutras verse III.1 Patanjali defines dharana as "concentration is the fixing of the mind in one place," maintaining the mind's attention in one fixed place.
Interpretation
In the commentarial tradition,
dhāraṇā is interpreted as "holding", "holding steady", "concentration", or "single focus."
The
Yogabhashya in its commentary on Yoga Sutras verse III.1 mentions focal points like the navel or the heart, while later commentators like
Vacaspati Misra and Ramananda Sarasvati refer to the Vishnu Purana, which highlights theistic meditation, particularly visualizing Vishnu's form.
Practice
The prior limb
Pratyahara involves withdrawing the senses from external phenomena.
Dhāraṇā builds further upon this by refining it further to
ekagrata or
ekagra chitta, that is continuous, uninterrupted lucid awareness. The commentarial tradition interprets it as single-pointed concentration and focus, which is in this context cognate with
Samatha.
Gregor Maehle defines Dharana as: "The mind thinks about one object and avoids other thoughts; awareness of the object is still interrupted." The difference between
Dhāraṇā, Dhyāna, and Samādhi, which together are called
Samyama, is a gradual one of intensity and uninterruptedness.
See also
Sources
