Verse 4 of this chapter on nāḍīs, prāṇa, and the subtle body anatomy continues the systematic exposition that Yājñavalkya delivers to Gārgī.

Pratyāhāra marks the pivotal transition in yoga practice: the senses, which ordinarily flow outward toward their objects, are drawn inward. Without this withdrawal, concentration (dhāraṇā) remains unstable.

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.