The Path to Enlightenment: Exploring Four Yogas in the Bhagavad Gita

🙏Hare Krishna To All Dear Devotees🙏🙏 .

 The Bhagavad Gita, one of the most revered texts of the Hindu tradition, is a timeless source of wisdom that offers practical guidance for all aspects of life. In particular, the Gita offers a rich understanding of Yog, which is traditionally understood as a path to spiritual enlightenment. However, the teachings of yogas are not limited to spiritual seekers alone, but are relevant to all people, including the youth of today who are seeking to navigate the challenges of personal, and professional life. In this blog, we will explore the teachings of KarmYog, JnanYog , dhyanYog and bhaktiYog  as explained in the Bhagavad Gita and also by Swami Vivekananda, and discuss how these teachings can be relevant for today's youth, especially students.

"The sacred knowledge of Yog and its multifarious expressions were magnanimously gifted to the world by Yogeshwar Parmatma Shri Krishna."

Karm-Yog:

Karm-Yog is the yoga of action, which emphasizes the importance of performing actions selflessly, without attachment to the results of those actions. As explained by Lord Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita:

Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called KarmYog."

"कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥"(B.G 2.47)

Translation: You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.

As Swami vivekananda also  described that  Karma Yoga as a mental discipline that allows a person to carry out his/her duties as a service to the entire world, as a path to enlightenment

Approach your work with a sense of detachment from personal desires and with the intention of serving others or the greater good.By This you can develop a sense of purpose and inner peace. For example, a student who studies hard not just for personal gain but also to contribute to society can find a sense of fulfillment and meaning in their  pursuits.

Moreover, Bhagavad Gita taught that every action has consequences, and one must accept and face the consequences of their actions. This is a key aspect of Karma Yoga as it encourages individuals to take responsibility for their actions and become more self-aware. Through self-awareness, one can become more conscious of their thoughts, words, and actions, and gradually transform themselves into better individuals.

Jnan(Gyan)-Yog:

Jnan-Yog is the yoga of knowledge, which emphasizes the pursuit of wisdom and self-knowledge. As explained in the Bhagavad Gita:

"Know that which is knowledge, and that which is ignorance. Knowledge pertains to the Self, and ignorance to the not-Self." (13.11)

न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते।

तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्धः कालेनात्मनि विन्दति॥(B.G 4.38)

Translation: "There is nothing as purifying as knowledge in this world. One who has become perfected in yoga finds this knowledge within the self in due course of time."

This verse emphasizes the importance of knowledge in the spiritual path and how it can lead to purification of the mind and soul. It also highlights that the ultimate realization of this knowledge comes from within, through the practice of yoga and meditation.

The deep meaning of Jnana Yoga can be understood in terms of its emphasis on the nature of the self and reality. The practice of Jnana Yoga involves a rigorous process of self-inquiry and introspection, through which the practitioner seeks to penetrate the veil of illusion and gain direct knowledge of the true nature of the self and reality.

According to Jnana Yoga, the ultimate reality is beyond all conceptualization and description, and can only be realized through direct experience. This direct experience of the ultimate reality is known as "Jnan" or "knowledge".

The most renowned Jnana Yogis in history includes Adi Shankara, Ramana Maharshi, Swami Vivekananda, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Dhyan-Yog:

Dhyan-Yog, also known as the Yoga of Meditation, is a spiritual path that emphasizes the practice of meditation as a means to attain liberation or self-realization. The Bhagavad Gita emphasized the importance of Dhyana Yoga in attaining spiritual growth and self-realization.

"योगिनामपि सर्वेषां मद्गतेनान्तरात्मना।

श्रद्धावान्भजते यो मां स मे युक्ततमो मतः॥"( B.G 6.41)              

This verse means that among all yogis, those who worship and have faith in the divine within themselves, and who constantly meditate on Me, are the most steadfast in their yoga and are the highest in their devotion.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna speaks extensively about the practice of meditation and how it leads to spiritual growth and liberation.Thus, with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from materialistic desires, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life."

Most renowned Dhyan Yogis in history includes Ramakrishna Paramahamsa , Paramahansa Yogananda ,Swami Rama . 

Bhakti-Yog:

Reestablishing our lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bhakti-Yog is the yoga of devotion, which emphasizes the cultivation of a loving relationship with a higher power (that could be connected with Parmatma Shri Krishna directly or indiretly, whether that be a deity, a guru, or the divine within oneself. As explained by Sri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita:

Shrimad Bhagavatam is the largest scripture on Bhakti Yoga. It explains the easiest  path to liberation through Bhakti Yoga for the current age of KaliYuga.

"अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते ।

तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्॥"(B.G 9.2)

Translation: Those devotees who worship me with single-minded devotion and chanting, I personally ensure their welfare and carry their burdens

Lord Shri Krishna emphasizes the superiority of Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion) in bhagavad Gita, over all other types of spiritual disciplines and reveals various aspects of devotion and further explains that the devotees who perform pure devotional service to Him, with their consciousness, merged in Him and all their actions dedicated to Him, are quickly liberated from the cycle of life and death. 

"Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, worship Me, and offer homage to Me. Thus, you shall come to Me alone, I promise you, for you are dear to Me." (18.65)

This is a path that anyone can easily follow, but it requires faith and devotion in the Supreme Being. Bhakti Yoga is not possible without faith in God, so everyone must engage in chanting as a necessary practice.

An example of Bhakti Yoga is the devotion  of Meera Bai, a 16th-century poet and devotee of Lord Krishna. Meera Bai was a princess who renounced her luxurious lifestyle and became a devoted disciple of Lord  Shri Krishna. She composed numerous poems and songs expressing her devotion to Lord Krishna and her longing to be with him. In the end, Meera Bai attained union with Shri Krishna through the practice of BhaktiYog, and she presented a great example for all of us.

In conclusion, the teachings of Karm-Yog,  Jnan-Yog, dhyan-Yog and Bhakti-Yog offer practical guidance for today's youth, especially students, who are seeking to find meaning, purpose, and a sense of connection with something greater than themselves(Parmatma Shri Krishna). These ancient teachings, as explained in the Bhagavad Gita , are still relevant today and can help everyone to navigate the challenges of  life. By cultivating a spirit of selfless action, devotion, and knowledge, everyone can find inner peace, purpose, and fulfillment. Therefore, it is worth exploring these teachings and applying them in our daily lives to achieve a balanced and harmonious existence.

With this, I hope that you adopt one of the yogic paths and create a way to reach our Supreme Power, Lord Shri Krishna. Remember that our Parmatma is always with you,the only need is to self realisation .My best wishes to all of you on this journey.🙏🙏

                 -Krishn Das Prakash.