spiritual matters, success is hard to come by without one-pointedness of mind.” (Bhave, 79) The
method of meditation is clearly prescribed by Krishna in the text of the Gita. “Select a clean spot,
neither too high nor too low, and seat yourself firmly on a cloth, a deerskin and kusha grass.
Then, once seated, strive to still your thoughts. Make your mind one-pointed in meditation, and
your heart will be purified. Hold your body, head and neck firmly in a straight line, and keep
your eyes from wandering. With all fears dissolved in the peace of the Self and all desires
dedicated to Brahman, controlling the mind and fixing it on me, sit in meditation with me as your
only goal. With senses and mind constantly controlled through meditation, united with the Self
within, an aspirant attains nirvana, the state of abiding joy and peace in me.” (Baird and
Heimbeck, 162) This is perhaps one of the paths to liberation and union that is preached by both,
the orthodox Gita and the Upanishads. Similar methods of meditation and one-pointedness are
applied in both cases in order to achieve the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal, however, varies
slightly in the two. While in the Upanishads, the ultimate goal is attaining Brahman, in the Gita,
the ultimate goal is attaining union with the Lord, Krishna. Raja (Dhyana) Yoga is concerned
mainly with the mind and calls for the second form of renunciation where the yogi not only gives
up action itself. It is arguable whether this yoga is indeed superior to Karma Yoga or not for
Krishna, himself, makes contradictory statements on this issue throughout the course of the text.
On the one hand he says, “Both renunciation of action and the selfless performance of action
lead to the supreme goal. But the path of action is better than renunciation” (Baird and
Heimbeck, 160) while on the other he says, “Meditation is superior to severe asceticism and the
path of knowledge. It is also superior to selfless service.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 164)
The third of the four ‘yogas’ suggested by Krishna in the Gita is Karma Yoga. Karma
yoga is basically the path to release and union through selfless action. In Krishna’s suggestion of
Karma yoga, as a path, it is very evident that it defeats the Upanishadic ideas of all actions
building Karma and hence, being a hindrance in the way of attaining Brahman. “Krishna reverses
the common assumption that all action in this world binds the actor to suffering and rebirth by
making a certain kind of action the way of release from suffering and rebirth and union with
God.” (Baird and Heimbeck 144). The ‘kind of action’ that Baird and Heimbeck talk about is
action that is undertaken without thought of the consequences that follow. This type of action is
considered a renunciation; a renunciation of the gain or loss derived from that particular action.
“Seek refuge in the attitude of detachment and you will amass the wealth of spiritual awareness”
(Baird and Heimbeck, 154). Krishna completely rejects inaction as a means of achieving union
and propagates the idea of selfless action. “When the Gita says, ‘maa te sango astu akarmani’
(do not be attached to inaction), the meaning of this extends thus far, that while you act you must
not retain even the vasana of moksha, the attachment to liberation or ultimate freedom from
action. Freedom from vasana is itself moksha.” (Bhave 36) Krishna also refers to Karma Yoga
as a means of fulfilling one’s dharma and performing one’s social duties in order to attain
liberation. A person’s dharma refers to the duties of the role assigned to him/her by the class
(caste) system in Hindu society. The duty of a person belonging to the warrior class, therefore,
would be to fight, thus fulfilling his dharma and moving further along the path to liberation. “In
the words of the Gita, ‘sreyaan svadharmo vigunah’ (one’s own dharma, even if devoid of merit,
is the best for one’s self)” (Bhave, 21)
The fourth and final yoga prescribed by Krishna is Jyana Yoga or the achievement of
liberation and union through supreme knowledge. The literal meaning of the Sanskrit word
‘jnana’ is knowledge but Jnana yoga does not refer to knowledge in the simple sense of the word
but knowledge as knowing Krishna as the ultimate from whom Brahman emerged and knowing
that Brahman and the Self are one and the same. “To say, ‘I am Brahman, the pure, all-pervading
Consciousness, the non-enjoyer, non-doer and silent witness,’ is Jnana. To behold the one Self
everywhere is Jnana.” (Swami Sivananda, “Jnana Yoga”, Par. 1) Jnana yoga is often referred to
as spiritual wisdom. “Jnana yoga is the way of knowledge or in the words of the text, spiritual
‘wisdom’. Precise exposition of this yoga is not undertaken in the text.” (Baird and Heimbeck,
144) Krishna does not go into very much detail about this particular yoga in the text of the Gita
which projects the idea that Krishna does not believe that this yoga is able to achieve the goals of
union and liberation as quickly and successfully as the other yogas. He often discusses the
context of the other yogas but deliberately evades Jnana as a plausible route to the goal. It is
evident however, that this is not the simplest path to union for it goes beyond following a
prescribed path and dedicating oneself to intellectual study. Jnana refers to knowledge but the emphasis is
not on acquiring information but on developing the analytical powers of the mind. There are in fact seven
stages to Jnana yoga or seven Jnana Bhumikas. “First, Jnana should be developed through a deep study of
Atma Jnana Sastras and association with the wise and the performance of virtuous actions without any
expectation of fruits. This is Subheccha or good desire, which forms the first Bhumika or stage of
Jnana…Constant Atma Vichara (Atmic enquiry) forms the second stage. The third stage is Tanumanasi.
This is attained through the cultivation of special indifference to objects. In the third stage, the aspirant is
free from all attractions. The above three stages can be included under the Jagrat state. The fourth stage is
Sattvapatti. This stage will destroy all Vasanas to the root. This can be included under the Svapana state.
The world appears like a dream. Those who have reached the fourth stage will look upon all things of the
universe with an equal eye. The fifth stage is Asamsakti. There is perfect non-attachment to the objects of
the world…The sixth stage is Padartha Bhavana. There is knowledge of Truth. The seventh stage is
Turiya, or the state of superconsciousness. This is Moksha. This is also known by the name
Turiyatita. All the Gunas disappear. This is above the reach of mind and speech. Disembodied
salvation (Videhamukti) is attained in the seventh stage.” (Swami Sivananda,”Jnana Yoga”, Par. 31)
Jnana yoga, thus, is a complex process that could take several lifetimes before a person could actually
achieve the ultimate goal of union. It is a yoga that does not come into the light much through the text of
the Gita.
There are several varying views on whether any one of these paths is alone sufficient or not.
Scholars tend to argue over the importance of each path and to pick one as the most preferable in order to
attain release and union. Some scholars argue that Karma yoga is the most important of the four and can
be considered the best path to attain the ultimate goal, “The truth is that, if you wish to attain the goal of
life, then you should seek and find the chintamani, the precious jewel, of renunciation of fruit…‘maa te
sango astu akarmani’ Do not be attached to actionlessness.” (Bhave, 263). On the other hand, however,
an in depth study of the text reveals that Krishna seems to hold that Bhakti yoga is by far, the most
preferable of the four. “Meditation is superior to severe asceticism and the path of knowledge. It is also
superior to selfless service…Even among those who medidate, the man or woman who worships me with
perfect faith, completely absorbed in me, is the most firmly established in yoga.” (Baird and Heimbeck,
164) Krishna, further goes on to say that those who are his bhaktas and are devoted to him can achieve
union more easily along with the removal of duality. “I am the source from which all creatures evolve.
The wise remember this and worship me with loving devotion…To those steadfast in love and devotion I
give spiritual wisdom, so that they may come to me. Out of compassion I destroy the darkness of their
ignorance. From within them I light the lamp of wisdom and dispel all darkness from their lives.” (Baird
and Heimbeck, 169) Krishna goes on to say that those who do not realize his true nature and see the world
as made up of different entities, cannot achieve union and therefore, must be reborn. “Those who fail to
see my true nature must be reborn…but my devotees will come to me…Whatever you do, make it an
offering to me – the food you eat, the sacrifices you make, the help you give, even your suffering. In this
way you will be freed from the bondage of karma, and from its results both pleasant and painful. Then,
firm in renunciation and yoga, with your heart free, you will come to me.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 168)
Despite these direct references to the superiority of Bhakti yoga, I believe that none of these paths can by
themselves be sufficient. In my opinion, as opposed to most scholars and theocrats, all four paths need to
be integrated in order to attain the final goal. Karma yoga seems to be the first step in the path to union,
by performing actions that are selfless and fruitless, one is led to the path of renunciation and thus,
meditation or Raja yoga. In Raja yoga, by centering one’s mind and focusing on the undifferentiated
Brahman/Self/Krishna, one can attain great knowledge and thus be placed on the third path, that of Jnana
yoga. Bhakti yoga, on the other hand, does not seem to stem from any of the other yogas but seems to be
an essential part of achieving union. It is my belief that devotion must pervade all stages of the yogas and
be practiced at every instance. In Karma, Raja and Jnana, Bhakti must be incorporated to legitimize each
of these paths. Even though there is little reference to such an integration of the four separate paths, there
are points in the text when Krishna makes subtle references to such a possibility. “Those who know truly
are free from pride and deceit…Free from selfish attachment, they do not get compulsively entangled in
home and family. They are even-minded through good fortune and bad. Their devotion to me is
undivided.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 177) This statement is a clear reference to the connectivity of the four
paths. Many such subtle references litter the text. “Be fearless and pure; never waver in your
determination or your dedication to the spiritual life. Give freely. Be self-controlled, sincere, truthful,
loving and full of desire to serve. Realize the truth of the scriptures; learn to be detached and to take joy in
renunciation. Do not get angry or harm any living creature, but be compassionate and gentle; show good
will to all. Cultivate vigor, patience, will, purity; avoid malice and pride. Then Arjuna, you will achieve
your divine destiny.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 181) Thus, Krishna, does not advocate a single path to
Arjuna, for achieving union but a blend of all four.
Intrinsically, two of the four yogas seem to stand out as more preferable and these are
somewhat inconsistent with the yoga that Krishna seems to propagate as the most important. The
first yoga that seems to have intrinsic properties that make it stand out is the Raja (Dhyana) yoga.
Meditation has the intrinsic properties of one-pointedness and a controlled mind, both of which
have been accepted as important elements of an enlightened mind since the Vedas. This unified
mind takes away duality and those who are established in the path of meditation do not
differentiate one thing from the other. “Those who possess this wisdom have equal regard for
all…Such people have mastered life. With even mind they rest in Brahman, who is perfect and is
everywhere the same…With mind established in Brahman, they are free from delusion…With
consciousness unified through meditation, they live in abiding joy.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 161)
This yoga has been the preferred path to release since the Upanishadic times and continues to be
of vital importance even in the Orthodox period. The second yoga that seems to have some
intrinsic properties that makes it preferable to others, is the Karma yoga. This yoga, though
radically opposite to Upanishadic views has the distinct property of action as opposed to
inaction. It is a simple path that simply calls for the renouncement of attachment to selfish
desires and to the outcome of actions. “Both renunciation of action and the selfless performance
of action lead to the supreme goal. But the path of action is better than renunciation.” (Baird and
Heimbeck, 160) This property makes it far more accessible to the common folk than the other
yogas. In this sense, Karma yoga would most definitely, appear to be the preferred path of the
masses. “As long as one has a body, one cannot renounce action altogether.” (Baird and
Heimbeck, 184)
The Gita hints that certain yogas have intrinsic properties that make them superior but
does not clearly state that one is superior to the other merely because of its intrinsic properties.
Krishna spends a great deal of time, however, explicating the two yogas discussed in the
previous paragraph. Despite several direct references to the superiority of the Bhakti yoga,
Krishna spends more time explaining the properties and values of Raja and Karma. Even though,
he makes them out to be lesser than Bhakti, if we read between the lines and into the actual
matter of the text, it will seem evident that Krishna propagates Raja and Karma more than
Bhakti. “Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to
results, because there follows immediate peace.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 176) There is no mention
of Bhakti in this statement and it is clear that meditation and selfless action are intrinsically
designed to attain peace. He also propagates the idea that devotion is merely a part of meditation
and not a separate entity in itself, thus making devotion an intrinsic property of meditation and
strengthening Raja. “Those who meditate upon this immortal dharma as I have declared it, full of
faith and seeking me as life’s supreme goal, are truly my devotees, and my love for them is very
great.” (Baird and Heimbeck, 176) Thus, we can see that there are several subliminal messages
hidden within the folds of the text of the Bhagavad Gita which are not always consistent with the
ideas developed from a first reading of the text. There is more to this text than meets the eye.
Work Cited
Baird, Robert E. and Raeburn S. Heimbeck. Philosophic Classics Volume VI Asian Philosophy.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall 2006.
Bhave, Acharya Vinoba. Talks on the Gita. New York: The Macmillan Company 1960.
“Bhakti Yoga.” Yoga Paths. 2008. Sanatan Society.
<http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_meditation/bhakti_yoga.htm>
“Jnana Yoga.” Teachings. The Divine Life Society. October 17, 2004.
< >
“Bhakti Yoga.” Teachings. The Divine Life Society. October 17, 2004.
< http://www.dlshq.org/teachings/bhaktiyoga.htm>
