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Dharana

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The practice of concentration or focused attention, the sixth limb of yoga, leading to deeper meditation and inner stillness.

Detailed Definition
Dharana in poetry is the moment the mind stops wandering—fixing on a flame, a breath, a name. Poets describe it as the tightening of attention until thought dissolves, turning verse into a single-pointed gaze. It becomes the quiet center of the poem: not the image, but the act of holding it, where stillness is not passive but the deepest form of power.
Example
Example in poetry:
A yogic poem: "Dharana—focus on flame, / until ‘I’ and ‘it’ blur, / and only seeing remains"; A meditative verse: "In chaos, Dharana: / anchor on breath, / island in storm"; A modern lyric: "Dharana at desk—/ one task, full mind, / world falls away"; A haiku: "Candle flickers—/ Dharana holds gaze: / no past, no future"; Another: "Dharana isn’t forced—/ it’s the mind naturally / resting on one thing"; A minimalist verse: "One point. Total focus. / Dharana: the art / of undivided attention."
Additional Notes
Dharana is the anchor of poetic focus; in meditative verse, it is the single image—lotus, flame, breath—that holds the mind, preventing distraction; poets like Tagore use dharana as structural device: repeated imagery creates concentration, making the poem itself a yoga of attention, essential for understanding how form enacts spiritual discipline.
Also Known As
Concentration Focused Attention
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