---
type: Concept
title: "Dhyāna"
description: "The seventh limb of Aṣṭāṅga Yoga — sustained meditative absorption on a single object — not generic meditation."
tags:
  - sadhana
  - Yoga
  - Patanjali
  - non-translatable
darshana:
  - Pātañjala Yoga
not:
  - term: "Meditation (generic)"
    why: "Popular meditation covers everything from visualization to body scans; Dhyāna is one precise stage between dhāraṇā and samādhi."
    instead: "Keep Dhyāna untranslated; gloss as the seventh limb, unbroken absorption."
  - term: "Mindfulness"
    why: "A present-moment attentional technique; Dhyāna is unbroken flow of attention on a single object within Aṣṭāṅga Yoga."
  - term: "Contemplation"
    why: "Implies discursive reflection; Dhyāna is sustained non-discursive absorption."
  - term: "Relaxation"
    why: "A calm-down practice; Dhyāna is heightened one-pointed concentration, not rest."
related:
  - /concepts/yoga.md
  - /concepts/samadhi.md
  - /concepts/mantra.md
  - /concepts/chitta.md
timestamp: "2026-06-18"
okf_version: "0.2"
---

# Dhyāna

**Not:** Meditation (generic), Mindfulness, Contemplation, Relaxation

## What It Actually Means

Dhyāna is specifically the seventh limb of Patañjali's Aṣṭāṅga [Yoga](/concepts/yoga.md) — a precise technical stage between *dhāraṇā* (concentration, the 6th limb) and [Samādhi](/concepts/samadhi.md) (absorption, the 8th limb). In Dhyāna, the flow of attention to the object of meditation becomes unbroken — like oil poured from one vessel to another in a continuous stream.

The word "meditation" is used indiscriminately to denote the latter five limbs of yoga, collapsing many technical aspects of the *sādhana* into one ill-defined word. Each limb has a specific function, specific prerequisites, and specific experiential markers.

## Why "Meditation" Fails

"Meditation" in popular Western usage encompasses everything from guided visualization to body scanning to mindfulness to mantra repetition to sitting still with eyes closed. Dhyāna is ONE specific state within a precisely defined sequence. Using "meditation" for Dhyāna is like using "cooking" for "sautéing" — it collapses a specific technique into a vague category.

## Audience Metaphor

If the eight limbs of Yoga are levels in a game, Dhyāna is Level 7 — you can only reach it by clearing Levels 1–6. Calling any calm-sitting-with-eyes-closed "meditation" is like saying you're on Level 7 when you haven't installed the game.

## Citations

1. [Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali](/references/yoga-sutras.md) 3.2
2. [Bhagavad Gītā](/references/bhagavad-gita.md) chapter 6
