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 roots dha and ana, to hold, carry, maintain, resolve.
Yoga Sutras verse III.1 states deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraņā,[3] meaning: According to Bryant, in Yoga Sutras verse III.1 Patanjali defines dharana as "concentration is the fixing of the mind in one place,"[3] maintaining the mind's attention in one fixed place.
"[6] 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.
Dhāraṇā builds further upon this by refining it further to ekagrata or ekagra chitta, that is continuous, uninterrupted lucid awareness.