Sitting on the back of the Meru, engaged in the practice of mudrās, he is truly a rāja yogi;otherwise, it remains inactive.

Merupṛṣṭha — the back of Mount Meru — is a metaphor for the vertebral column, the central axis of the pranic body.”Sitting in the Meru” means being established in suṣumnā, with consciousness centered in the axial channel rather than dispersed in the lateral channels.

The insistence on mudrābhyāsa — practice of mudrās — reminds us that even at this advanced stage of the text, Svātmārāma does not abandon techniques.The mudrās maintain and deepen the states achieved.Haṭha yoga is not just philosophy;It requires continuous body practice.

Anyathā virato bhavet — otherwise remains inactive or disengaged.Without constant practice, the aspirant stagnates.The Bihar School emphasizes that elevated states require maintenance.It is not enough to reach them once;They must be cultivated until they become natural.This verse is a pragmatic reminder amidst exalted descriptions: without regular practice, everything is theory.