# धारणा (dhāraṇā)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dharana

धारणा (dhāraṇā) is a Sanskrit word meaning holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, or maintaining, retaining or keeping back, and having a good memory, concentration of the mind, to exercise concentration, understanding, intellect, firmness, steadfastness, righteousness. Its 21 recorded definitions are grouped into 7 contexts, among them Mental Concentration, Meditation, and Yoga, Act of Holding or Supporting, Memory and Mental Retention.

- **Root:** धृ (dhṛ)
- **SLP1:** `DAraRA`  **IAST:** dhāraṇā  **Devanagari:** धारणा
- **Declensions:** 24 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/dharana/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Mental Concentration, Meditation, and Yoga (5 definitions)
- concentration of the mind  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > collection or concentration of the mind (joined with the retention of breath), Manu-smṛti (Title); Mahābhārata (Title); Suśruta (Title); Kāvya literature (Literary category); Purāṇas (Literary category) &c. [ ID=100977 ]
- to exercise concentration  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > cf. Monier-Williams’ Buddhism in its connexion with Brāhmaṇism and Hindūism: and in its contrast with Christianity (Title) 239 ( ° णां -√ धृ (°ṇāṃ-√dhṛ), to exercise concentration, Yājñavalkya (Author); ° णां गतः (°ṇāṃ gataḥ), having composed one's self, Rāmāyaṇa (Title) ) [ ID=100978 ]
- Keeping the mind collected, holding the breath suspended, or steady abstraction of mind.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 4 Keeping the mind collected, holding the breath suspended, steady abstraction of mind; परिचेतुमुपांशु (paricetumupāṃśu) धारणा (dhāraṇā) ं (dhāraṇāṃ) Raghuvaṃśa (Bombay) 8. 18; Manusmṛti 6. 72; Yājñavalkya (Mr. Mandlik’s Edition) 3. 201; ( धारणेत्युच्यते चेयं धार्यते यन्मनो (dhāraṇetyucyate ceyaṃ dhāryate yanmano) तया (tayā) )
- Conviction or abstraction  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 9 Conviction or abstraction
- a form of yoga for controlling the mind, and thinking  
  *The Purana Index*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 2-170 ] Dhāraṇā — a form of Yoga in which the mind is con- trolled; dhyāna; seeing in himself, the characteristic of Siddhi; the time and place for doing it; not near fire, forest, river-bed, burial place, Caitya; the performer should not be hungry, careworn or be anxious; else the doer becomes mad, deaf and dumb or blind; hence pure Dhāraṇā is requir- ed; one engaged in this Yoga could take curds and Yava paste; enables Vāyu to go up and stand in its place; other branches of; thinking. of the upper worlds, mountains and oceans in his heart; eating mud from dried beans; 1000 pots of water for bath; 1 the dharma of the Yoga destroys sins; 2 800 times in the head; 3 Dhāraṇa Agneyī a special form of samādhi practised by Sati, the daughter of Dakṣa. 4 [ Footnote: 1) Br. I. 2. 42-3; III. 4. 26; 22. 75; Vā. 11. 22-64; Vi. VI. 7. 75-8.] [ Footnote: 2) Vā. 10. 76, 93.] [ Footnote: 3) Ib. 12. 17; 19. 41; 104. 24.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. 30. 54.] [ ID=6626 ]

### Act of Holding or Supporting (4 definitions)
- holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, or maintaining  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 515,2] धारणा (dhāraṇā) f. ( cf. ° ण (°ṇa), col. 1) the act of holding, bearing, wearing, supporting, maintaining, Mahābhārata (Title); Rāmāyaṇa (Title) [ ID=100975 ]
- The act of holding, bearing, or supporting  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 1 The act of holding, bearing, supporting preserving, &c
- 1. Wearing a dress. 2. Supporting or assistance. 3. Repression. 4. Memory or mental retention. 5. Mental concentration, suspension of the breath, or immovable abstraction. 6. Settled rule. 7. Understanding.  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 132-2 ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) dhār-aṇā, f. wearing ( a dress ); supporting, assistance; repression; mental retention; memory; mental concentration, suspension of the breath, immovable abstraction; settled rule; understanding. [ ID=9999 ]
- 1. Holding, supporting, or preserving. 2. Good memory or the power of retaining in the mind. 3. Steady mental concentration or abstraction. 4. Fortitude or firmness. 5. A settled rule, precept, or conclusion. 6. Understanding or intellect. 7. Propriety.  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 359-06 ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) f. 1. The act of holding, supporting, preserving; 2. the power of retaining in the mind, good memory; 3. keeping the mind collected, holding the breath suspended, steady abstraction of the mind, परिचेतुमुपांशु धारणा (dhāraṇā) म् (paricetumupāṃśu dhāraṇām) R. viii.18, M. vi.72; 4. fortitude, firmness; 5. a fixed precept or injunction, a settled rule, a conclusion, इति धर्मस्य धारणा (dhāraṇā) (iti dharmasya dhāraṇā) M. viii.184; 6. understanding, intellect; 7. propriety. [ ID=18407 ]

### Memory and Mental Retention (4 definitions)
- retaining or keeping back, and having a good memory  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > retaining, keeping back (also in remembrance), a good memory, Kaṭha-upaniṣad (Title); Gṛhya-sūtra (Literary category); Mahābhārata (Title); Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) [ ID=100976 ]
- The faculty of retaining in the mind, or a retentive memory.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 2 The faculty of retaining in the mind, a good or retentive memory; धीर्धारणा (dhāraṇā) वती मेधा (dhīrdhāraṇāvatī medhā) Mk
- Memory  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 3 Memory in general
- a retentive memory  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > — शक्तिः (śaktiḥ) f. a retentive memory. [ ID=16034 ]

### Firmness, Steadfastness, and Moral Conduct (3 definitions)
- firmness, steadfastness, righteousness  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > firmness, steadfastness, righteousness, Lexicographers, esp. such as Amarasiṃha, Halāyudha, Hemacandra, etc. (Author) [ ID=100980 ]
- Fortitude, firmness  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 5 Fortitude, firmness, steadiness
- Continuance in rectitude, propriety, or decorum  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 8 Continuance in rectitude, propriety, decorum

### Fixed Rule or Precept (2 definitions)
- 1. A fixed preceptor. 2. A settled rule or certainty.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > fixed preceptor settled rule, certainty, Manu-smṛti (Title); Mahābhārata (Title) [ ID=100981 ]
- A fixed precept, settled rule, or conclusion.  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 6 A fixed precept or injunction, a settled rule, conclusion; इति (iti) धर्मस्य धारणा (dhāraṇā) (dharmasya dhāraṇā) Manusmṛti 8. 184, 4. 38, 9. 124

### Understanding and Intellect (2 definitions)
- understanding, intellect  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > understanding, intellect, Yājñavalkya (Author) iii, 73 [ ID=100979 ]
- Understanding or intellect  
  *Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > धारणा (dhāraṇā) [Printed book page 0596-b ] धारणा (dhāraṇā) 7 Understanding, intellect

### Specific Calendrical Period (1 definition)
- the eighth to the eleventh day in the light half of the month of Jyaishtha  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > pl. the 8th to the 11th day in the light half of month Jyaiṣṭha, Varāha-mihira [Cologne Addition] (Author) [ ID=100982 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Apte Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546