When the nāḍīs are full of impurities, the breath cannot enter the central channel. How then can the state of unmanī be attained? How can success be achieved?

This verse introduces a central concept of haṭha yoga: the necessity of purifying the energy channels (nāḍīs) before advanced prāṇāyāma can have effect. Mala means “impurity” and ākalā means “filled with” or “covered by.”

The madhyagaḥ or “central channel” refers to suṣumnā nāḍī, the most important energy conduit that runs along the spine. While impurities block the nāḍīs, prāṇa cannot flow into suṣumnā, which is the goal of advanced prāṇāyāma.

Unmanī-bhāva is an elevated state of consciousness where the mind transcends its ordinary functioning. It literally means “beyond mind” (un-manas). This state is synonymous with samādhi in many tantric texts.

Kārya-siddhi means “fulfillment of purpose” or “success in practice.” The verse’s two rhetorical questions emphasize that without prior purification, neither elevated states nor yogic powers can be attained. This verse prepares the ground for the purification techniques that follow.