Chapter ten explores the subtle body — the network of nāḍīs (channels), the five forms of prāṇa, and the internal anatomy that underlies all yogic practice. Understanding this mapping is essential for advanced prāṇāyāma and kuṇḍalinī work.

This opening verse of the second prakaraṇa on nāḍīs, prāṇa, and the subtle body anatomy marks a transition in the dialogue — Yājñavalkya turns from the previous topic to expound a new limb of yoga, addressing Gārgī directly as his worthy student. Kaivalya — aloneness or absolute independence — is the final goal of yoga. It is the state where the puruṣa stands free from all identification with prakṛti, abiding in its own nature.

This teaching resonates deeply with the later haṭha yoga corpus — texts like the Haṭhapradīpikā and Śivasaṃhitā draw extensively on Yājñavalkya’s framework, often elaborating rather than inventing.