Dhāraṇā (Sanskrit:धारणा) is the sixth limb of eight elucidated byPatanjali'sAshtanga Yoga orRaja Yoga in hisYoga Sutras of Patanjali.[1] It is directing and maintaining the mind's attention to a specific location of the body after sense-withdrawal has been attained.
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)."[2] This term is related to the verbal Sanskrit rootsdha andana, to hold, carry, maintain, resolve. Dharana is the noun.
Yoga Sutras verse III.1 statesdeśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraņā,[3] meaning:
According to Bryant, in Yoga Sutras verse III.1 Patanjali definesdharana as "concentration is the fixing of the mind in one place,"[3] maintaining the mind's attention in one fixed place.
In the commentarial tradition,dhāraṇā is interpreted as "holding", "holding steady", "concentration", or "single focus."[6] TheYogabhashya in its commentary on Yoga Sutras verse III.1 mentions focal points like the navel or the heart, while later commentators likeVacaspati Misra and Ramananda Sarasvati refer to the Vishnu Purana, which highlights theistic meditation, particularly visualizing Vishnu's form.[7]
The prior limbPratyahara involves withdrawing the senses from external phenomena.Dhāraṇā builds further upon this by refining it further toekagrata orekagra chitta, that is continuous, uninterrupted lucid awareness. The commentarial tradition interprets it as single-pointed concentration and focus, which is in this context cognate withSamatha.[8] Gregor Maehle defines Dharana as: "The mind thinks about one object and avoids other thoughts; awareness of the object is still interrupted."[9] The difference betweenDhāraṇā,Dhyāna, andSamādhi, which together are calledSamyama, is a gradual one of intensity and uninterruptedness.
