Ekagrata (One-Pointedness): Yoga Concentration and Samyama Glossary

Quick answer: Ekagrata (Sanskrit, 'one-pointedness') is the state in which the mind (chitta) rests steadily on a single object. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and Vyasa's commentary (bhashya), ekagra is the fourth of five levels of mind, after kshipta (restless), mudha (dull) and vikshipta (distracted), and before niruddha (fully stilled). One-pointedness is developed through dharana (concentration), deepens into dhyana (meditation) and culminates in samadhi (absorption); the three together on one object are called samyama (Yoga Sutra 3.4).

This glossary entry has been restored at its original hindutone.com address. It defines ekagrata and the key terms around it, with sutra references, and ends with a simple practice.

Ekagrata at a glance

Ekagrata in the Yoga Sutras

Patanjali defines yoga in the second sutra as yogash chitta vritti nirodhah, 'yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind' (YS 1.2). One-pointedness is the practical bridge between an ordinary scattered mind and that stillness.

The word appears directly in the Sutras. YS 2.41 lists ekagrya among the fruits of inner purity (shaucha): purity of the sattva, cheerfulness, one-pointedness, mastery of the senses and fitness for self-realisation. In the third chapter, YS 3.11 and 3.12 describe the mind's transformation from all-pointedness (sarvarthata) toward one-pointedness, a process the commentators call samadhi parinama and ekagrata parinama.

YS 1.32 also recommends practice on a single principle (eka tattva abhyasa) as the remedy for the obstacles (antarayas) listed in YS 1.30, such as illness, doubt, carelessness, laziness and instability.

The five chitta bhumis (levels of mind)

In his commentary on YS 1.1, Vyasa describes five levels or grounds of the mind. They are not fixed personality types; the same person moves between them, and practice gradually shifts where the mind spends its time.

Most practitioners begin in vikshipta: the mind can focus for a while, then drifts. The aim of practice is to make the steady moments longer and more frequent until one-pointedness becomes natural.

Dharana, dhyana and samadhi

• Dharana (YS 3.1): deshabandhash chittasya dharana, 'concentration is binding the mind to one place'. The place may be the breath, the heart, the point between the eyebrows, a mantra or an image of the deity.
• Dhyana (YS 3.2): tatra pratyaya ekatanata dhyanam, 'meditation is the continuous flow of the same awareness there'. Where dharana keeps returning to the object, dhyana stays with it without break.
• Samadhi (YS 3.3): when that same meditation shines with the object alone, as if empty of its own form, it is samadhi.

These are the sixth, seventh and eighth limbs of ashtanga yoga. Patanjali calls them the inner limbs (antaranga, YS 3.7) compared with the five outer limbs: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama and pratyahara.

Samyama: the three as one

YS 3.4 says trayam ekatra samyamah, 'the three together are samyama'. YS 3.5 adds that by mastering samyama, the light of insight (prajnaloka) dawns, and YS 3.6 says it is applied in stages. Much of the third chapter describes the knowledge said to arise from samyama on different objects.

Patanjali also warns that such attainments can become obstacles to samadhi if they distract the practitioner (YS 3.37). In the Yoga tradition the purpose of samyama is clarity and liberation, not powers.

Ekagrata parinama: how one-pointedness grows

YS 3.12 describes ekagrata parinama: the state in which the thought that subsides and the thought that arises are the same. When the same object fills one moment of awareness after another, the mind has become one-pointed. YS 3.11 describes the preceding stage, in which distraction toward many objects declines and one-pointedness rises.

This is a helpful map for practice. Concentration is not achieved by suppressing thought by force; it matures as attention repeatedly returns to the same object until the returns are no longer needed.

Related terms

• Abhyasa and vairagya (YS 1.12): steady practice and non-attachment, the two means of stilling the mind.
• Pratyahara (YS 2.54): withdrawal of the senses from their objects, which prepares the ground for dharana.
• Antarayas (YS 1.30): the nine obstacles that scatter the mind.
• Ishvara pranidhana (YS 1.23): devotion to Ishvara, which Patanjali also names as a way to samadhi; repetition of the pranava (Om) with reflection on its meaning is recommended in YS 1.27 and 1.28.
• Vritti: a fluctuation or modification of the mind; Patanjali lists five kinds in YS 1.6.

A simple ekagrata practice

1. Choose one object and keep it for weeks: the breath at the nostrils, a mantra such as Om or Om Namah Shivaya, or a steady lamp flame.
2. Sit comfortably with the spine upright at the same time each day; even 10 to 15 minutes is enough to begin.
3. Rest attention on the object. When you notice the mind has wandered, note it without judgement and return.
4. Count the returns for a few days if helpful; over time you will notice longer stretches of steadiness.
5. Support the practice off the cushion: do one task at a time, reduce needless screen switching, and keep sattvic habits of food and sleep.

Many families combine this with traditional practices that naturally train one-pointedness, such as japa with a mala, chanting a stotra like the Nirvana Shatakam, or the breath-linked mantras of Surya Namaskar.

Frequently asked questions

What does ekagrata mean?

Ekagrata (also ekagrya) is Sanskrit for one-pointedness: eka means one and agra means point or tip. In yoga it describes a mind that rests steadily on a single object instead of scattering among many.

Is ekagrata the same as samadhi?

Not exactly. Ekagra is the state of mind in which samadhi becomes possible. In Vyasa's commentary, samadhi with an object (samprajnata) arises in the one-pointed mind, while the fully stilled (niruddha) mind is the ground of objectless samadhi. Ekagrata is the doorway; samadhi is the culmination.

What are the five chitta bhumis?

In Vyasa's commentary on Yoga Sutra 1.1 the five levels of mind are kshipta (restless), mudha (dull), vikshipta (distracted, occasionally steady), ekagra (one-pointed) and niruddha (fully restrained). The last two are considered suitable for yoga.

What is samyama?

Samyama is the name Patanjali gives in Yoga Sutra 3.4 to dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption) practised together on one object. Sutra 3.5 says that by mastering it, the light of insight (prajna) dawns.

How can a beginner develop ekagrata?

Choose one simple object, such as the breath, a mantra or a lamp flame, practise at the same time daily for a short, regular period, and gently return to the object whenever the mind wanders. Steadiness grows through abhyasa (regular practice) and vairagya (non-attachment), not through force. A qualified teacher is valuable for deeper practice.

Editor's note

Editor's note (5 October 2026): This glossary entry has been restored at its original address after the earlier version was lost. Sutra numbers follow the common numbering of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras; a few editions number the third chapter slightly differently. The five chitta bhumis come from Vyasa's commentary on YS 1.1. Translations are our own plain-English renderings. This is an educational overview; for serious meditation practice, learn from a qualified teacher, and seek medical advice for any mental-health concern.

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