Paścimottānāsana — intense extension of the west. The “west” is the back; the posture is a forward fold that stretches the entire posterior plane of the body.

“Destroyer of the impurities of the body.” Of all forward fold postures, this is considered the queen. It compresses the abdomen, massages the internal organs, and calms the nervous system.

The final verse suggests this posture summarizes or completes the previous ones. It is the forward fold par excellence, the one every practitioner must master to have a prepared body.