Concentration is binding the mind to one place.

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

Sanskrit, in transliteration

deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā

Our own plain rendering, checked against the standard published translations.

What the verse says

Dhāraṇā is the deliberate act of putting attention somewhere and keeping it there — a breath, a point, a sound. It is effortful by definition, and that is fine.

In practice

Mantra repetition on a mala is a textbook dhāraṇā: the bead and the syllable give the mind one place to be.

This verse sits in Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, chapter 3 — read our commentary on the whole chapter.