Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 54
योगस्वरूप-धारणा-समाधि-वर्णनम् (केशिध्वजोपदेशः)
मूर्त्तं भगवतो रूपं सर्वापाश्रयनिस्पृहः । एषा वै धारणा ज्ञेया यच्चित्तं तत्र धार्यते ॥ ५४ ॥
mūrttaṃ bhagavato rūpaṃ sarvāpāśrayanispṛhaḥ | eṣā vai dhāraṇā jñeyā yaccittaṃ tatra dhāryate || 54 ||
Wisse: Dies ist wahrhaft dhāraṇā (Sammlung) — wenn man, frei von Verlangen nach irgendeiner anderen Zuflucht oder Stütze, den Geist auf die offenbarte Gestalt Bhagavāns festhält.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada in the Moksha-Dharma dialogue)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
Secondary Rasa: shanta (peace)
FAQs
It defines dhāraṇā as unwavering mental fixation on Bhagavān’s manifest form, supported by inner renunciation—freedom from seeking any other refuge—making concentration a direct means toward mokṣa.
Bhakti here is expressed as exclusive reliance on the Lord: when the devotee abandons competing supports and holds the mind on Bhagavān’s form, devotion becomes steady, focused remembrance (smaraṇa) that matures into meditation.
Rather than a Vedāṅga technique like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa, the verse highlights a yoga-practice definition: the practical method of dhāraṇā—training attention to remain fixed on a chosen sacred form without distraction.