Different Paths Of Knowledge And Action?

[In the online satsaṅga held on October 17, 2020, Śrī Ganesh asked a question regarding the two types of persons having different mentalities mentioned in the Gītā for whom two separate spiritual paths are mentioned. For those inclined towards knowledge (sāṅkhyas), the path of jñāna yoga is prescribed, whereas, for those inclined towards action (yogis), the path of karma yoga is prescribed (Jñānayogena sāṅkhyānām…). But You have said that jñāna yoga (spiritual knowledge) leads to bhakti yoga (devotion), which finally results in karma yoga (practice). In other words, according to You, jñāna yoga, bhakti yoga and karma yoga are not separate paths, but sequential steps of the same path. How can Your knowledge be correlated with the above statement from the Gītā?]

Swami replied: O Learned and Devoted Servants of God! After the verse from the Gītā quoted by you, Kṛṣṇa later said that both Sāṅkhya (jñāna yoga) and Yoga (karma yoga) are one and the same and that only ignorant people find both to be different (Sāṅkhyayogau pṛthak bālāḥ…). The different mentalities mentioned by Kṛṣṇa are the different mentalities of the same person as the person grows in spiritual maturity. A school boy has one type of mentality; a college boy has a more matured mentality and a university student has the most matured mentality. These are three different mentalities of the same person, as he develops in academics. Of course, at a specific time in society, there are some school boys, some college students and some university students, all existing simultaneously. But it does not mean that school, college and university are always meant for different persons. Actually, they are sequential levels in the same academic system. The same person passes from school to college and finally to university.

Among the three divine preachers, Śaṅkara came first and stressed on the first step, which is jñāna yoga (Jñānādeva tu…). Then came Rāmānuja and stressed on the second step called bhakti yoga (Vedanādeva…). Finally, came Madhva and stressed on karma yoga (Sevya-sevaka-sambandhaḥ…). This sequence is perfectly true even in any worldly example. First you hear the details of Mumbai city from someone and this is the step of knowledge or jñāna yoga. Then, you develop attraction for that city and want to go to Mumbai. This is bhakti yoga. Finally, you take the practical step of making the journey to Mumbai, which is karma yoga. Karma yoga has two parts: (a) The first part is the sacrifice or the offering of service (karma saṃnyāsa). This is comparable to the effort of walking up to the railway station, in the given example and (b) The second part is the sacrifice of one’s hard earned money (karma phala tyāga). This is comparable to the spending of one’s hard earned money to purchase the ticket to Mumbai. Due to this final step of practice consisting of the two parts of service and sacrifice of money, the fruit of reaching Mumbai city is attained.

Another example is that of Rukmiṇī. She heard the detailed information about Kṛṣṇa from Sage Nārada and this is jñāna yoga. As a result of that knowledge about Kṛṣṇa, she developed attraction to Kṛṣṇa and this is bhakti yoga. Then, she wrote a love-letter to Kṛṣṇa and sent it to Kṛṣṇa along with her priest. This is karma yoga. The devotion leading to practice is very important and God said that He will be attained by this bhakti yoga (Bhaktyātvananyayā labhyaḥ…—Gītā). Another example is that jñāna yoga is like water, bhakti yoga is like fertiliser and karma yoga is like the mango plant. The mango plant alone yields the fruit. Even if you have 100 water tanks and 100 bags of fertiliser, you cannot get the mango fruit without the mango plant. Of course, without water, the mango plant will die and without fertiliser, the mango plant will not grow into a tree to yield the fruit. Hence, all the three are equally important, but we shall know that the fruit is borne only by the mango tree. God gave the final importance to karma yoga alone, everywhere in the Gītā. He even finally said to Arjuna that he should become a yogī by attaining karma yoga (Tasmāt yogī bhavārjuna…). 

Out of these three steps, you have to put effort in jñāna yoga and in karma yoga. In bhakti yoga, the attraction or emotion is spontaneous and does not involve any any effort. In the quoted verse, Kṛṣṇa is only speaking about the first and third steps which involve efforts. The middle step is partly related to the first step, in the sense that it is theoretical like jñāna yoga. It is also partly related to the third step because the attraction is for carrying out the necessary practical steps and attaining the goal.

By studying the Gītā, one cannot learn the concepts of spiritual knowledge in a systematic sequence. The reason is that Kṛṣṇa replies to the questions of Arjuna and the concepts that are related to the questions come one after the other. So, while studying the Gītā the various spiritual concepts appear to be scattered here and there, without a systematic sequence. You can learn the spiritual concepts in their proper sequence by studying the Upaniṣats with the help of the Brahma Sūtras. The Gītā will not give you the systematic sequence of the concepts, which makes it difficult to follow unless you have studied the Upaniṣats and the Brahma Sūtras well before studying the Gītā. The Upaniṣats and the Brahma Sūtras are like text books of spiritual knowledge, whereas, the Gītā is a like Ph.D. thesis containing research work. The present messages and replies given to devotees’ questions by God Datta through Datta Swami are like research papers.

The Gītā is really a marvellous creation of God because it refines even the concepts of the Upaniṣats. The Upaniṣats are the cows and the Gītā is its milk. For example, the Upaniṣat says that the sacrifice of money (Dhanena tyāgena…) should be done in karma yoga. But the Gītā says that the sacrifice of one’s hard earned money (karma phala tyāga) must be done. The reason is that a person’s bond with his hard earned money is the strongest. It is much stronger than other types of wealth like his ancestral wealth etc. The bond with God always competes with the strongest worldly bond. So, the sacrifice of one’s hard-earned money to God clearly proves that one’s bond with God is stronger than one’s strongest worldly bond. If the strongest worldly bond is defeated, it means that all the worldly bonds are defeated by the bond with God.

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| Shri Datta Swami | Different Paths Of Knowledge And Action? | Jnaanayogena sankhyaanam saankhyas jnana Gita Giita Saankhyayogau prithak pruthak baalaah Jnaanaadeva tu Sevya-sevaka-sambandhah Vedanaadeva Bhaktyaatvananyayaa labhyah Tasmaat yogi bhavaarjuna Dhanena tyaagena Upanishats

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