Dhāraṇīs are extended incantations found in many Mahāyāna sūtras. The word means retaining: they were said to hold the meaning of the teaching in memory and to have protective power. They are chanted in East Asian and Tibetan Buddhism.
Dhāraṇī
A long mantra or formula, recited to retain the teaching, to protect and to concentrate the mind.
Also: Dharani