3.1
देशबन्धश् चित्तस्य धारणा
deśa-bandhaś cittasya dhāraṇā
The line
Holding is binding the mind to a place.
नेपालीमा
धारणा चित्तलाई एउटा ठाउँमा बाँध्नु हो।
Where it sits
The third pāda (पाद) opens on the inner limbs. Holding, meditation, and samādhi (समाधि) will be defined in three lines, then gathered as one practice.
Split: deśa (देश) + bandhaḥ (बन्धः) + cittasya (चित्तस्य) + dhāraṇā (धारणा)
Sanskrit, in depth
The words
| Word | Grammar | Sense |
|---|---|---|
| deśa (देश) | stem | a place. |
| bandhaḥ (बन्धः) | nominative singular, masculine | a binding. |
| cittasya (चित्तस्य) | genitive singular of citta (चित्त) | of the mind. |
| dhāraṇā (धारणा) | nominative singular, feminine | holding. The sixth limb. |
The phrases
deśa-bandhaḥ (देशबन्धः) is a binding to a place. Before cittasya (चित्तस्य) it is recited bandhaś (बन्धश्), aḥ (अः) before c (च्). cittasya (चित्तस्य) is genitive, of the mind. dhāraṇā (धारणा) is the feminine nominative: holding is that binding.
The mind was made fit for the holdings at 2.53. This is the definition. A place, and the mind bound to it. Not yet meditation. Meditation is the next line.
Sanskrit in this line
aḥ (अः) before c (च्) is ś (श्), the sandhi of 1.2, here on bandhaḥ cittasya (बन्धः चित्तस्य). dhāraṇā (धारणा) is feminine, so its nominative is the long ā (आ), not -aḥ (अः). Genitive cittasya (चित्तस्य) is “of the mind,” ordinary -sya (स्य) on citta (चित्त) now that the noun is standing with an ending.
Say it back
Define holding without using the word meditation. The definition is a binding.