Mandala Brahmana Upanishad

antardṛṣṭyā bahirdṛṣṭiṃ nimeṣonmeṣavarjitām | eṣā tārakavidyā syāt tārakaṃ brahma cocyate ||

With the inner gaze directed outward, free from the blinking of the eyelids — this is the knowledge of Taraka, and that Taraka is called Brahman.

This verse defines Taraka Yoga, the central practice of the Upanishad. It describes a meditative gaze that transcends ordinary seeing, where inner vision and outer awareness merge into a steady, unblinking contemplation. The luminous reality perceived through this practice is identified as Brahman itself.

yamaśca niyamaścaiva āsanaṃ ca tataḥ param | prāṇāyāmaḥ pratyāhāro dhāraṇā dhyānameva ca | samādhiścāṣṭamaṃ proktam aṅgānyaṣṭau kramāt smṛtāḥ ||

Yama, niyama, asana, then pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi as the eighth — these eight limbs are declared in order.

This verse enumerates the eight limbs of yoga as taught within the Upanishadic tradition. It demonstrates that the systematic path of Ashtanga Yoga has deep Vedic roots predating or paralleling Patanjali's codification. The Upanishad proceeds to define each limb with distinctive interpretations suited to the pursuit of inner light and Brahman-realization.

ghaṭākāśo mahākāśaḥ yathā bhavati nirmalaḥ | jīvātmā paramātmānaṃ yadā vindati niṣkalam ||

Just as the space within a pot merges with the infinite space when the pot is broken and becomes pure, so the individual self realizes the supreme Self which is without parts.

This verse uses the classic Vedantic analogy of pot-space and infinite space to illustrate liberation. The apparent limitation of the individual soul is compared to the space confined within a clay pot — once the limiting adjuncts are dissolved through yogic realization, the jiva recognizes its identity with the partless, infinite Paramatman.