The knowledge of Haṭha must be kept very secret by the yogī who desires accomplishment. It is powerful when kept secret, but loses its power when disclosed indiscriminately.

This verse may seem contradictory: why write a text about something that must be secret? The key lies in para gopyā (very secret) and the context of initiatic transmission.

The “secret” does not mean concealment but protection. Advanced practices require preparation, personal guidance, and maturity. Disclosing them to those who are not prepared is not only useless but potentially harmful.

The power (vīrya) of the practices is activated in the master-disciple relationship, not in public information. This principle remains valid: reading about prāṇāyāma is not the same as learning it from someone who has mastered it.

Authentic transmission requires discernment about who is prepared to receive which teaching.