धारणासु च योग्यता मनसः॥५३॥
dhāraṇāsu = for concentration; ca = and; yogyatā = fitness, competency; manasaḥ = of the mind;
Sw. Satchidananda
“And the mind becomes fit for concentration.”
Bryant
“Additionally, the mind becomes fit for concentration.”
Taimni
“And the fitness of the mind for concentration.”
Discussion
Commentators have not much to say about this sutra. In his bhāshya, Vyasa simply points back to the sutra 1.34 in chapter 1 stating that similar to what was stated in that sutra, pranayama will help prepare us for dhāraṇā. Let’s take a quick look at sutra 1.34:
प्रच्छर्दनविधारणाभ्यां वा प्राणस्य॥३४॥
pracchardana-vidhāraṇa-ābhyāṁ vā prāṇasya ॥34॥
“Or (the mind becomes clarified) by the exhalation and retention of breath.”
If you recall, controlling the breath, as given in this sutra, was mentioned as one of the options to calm the mind (citta-prasādanam) referenced in sutra 1.33.
Swami Veda Bharati provides a reference to a couple of verses from Yoga Vasishtha:
“When the fluttering of the palm leaves stops, it indicates that there is no more wind. Similarly, when the flow of breath (prāṇa vāyu) is controlled, it calms the mind.” (6.69.41)
“prāṇa is mind’s fluctuations, and mind is prāṇa’s vibration; these two go together always just like the chariot and its charioteer.” (6.69.46)
In the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā also we see a similar statement:
“When the breath moves, mind is unsteady; when the breath is steady, the mind is calm. The yogi who attains steadiness of the mind in this manner, must learn to restrain the breath (prana)” (HYP verse 2.2)
In these verses, the close interaction between the mind and the breath are clearly brought out.
Since the mind becomes calm with the practice of pranayama, as per the current sutra, the mind is now ready for the practice of dharana which is the sixth of the eight limbs of yoga.
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