O Pārvatī! The ātman retreats from the lower channel by haṭha; and the prāṇa ascends upward through mudrās and bandhas for liberation.

This verse is presented as a dialogue between Śiva and Pārvatī, a classic format in tantric texts. Adho-nāḍyāṃ refers to the lower nāḍīs that direct energy downward and outward.

Haṭhena — by haṭha — indicates the use of forceful or intense techniques to reverse the natural flow of energy. Normally, prāṇa and apāna flow downward; Haṭha Yoga seeks to invert this tendency.

Mudrās and bandhas are the specific tools for achieving this ascent of prāṇa. When energy rises instead of dissipating, it accumulates in the higher centers and leads to vimuktaye — toward liberation.