Jnana Yoga

Jnana Yoga is the yoga of knowledge — the path of self-inquiry through which the Upanishads and Advaita Vedanta locate liberation: not knowing more, but removing ignorance (avidya) about what the Self already is.

Overview

The Gita’s jnana-chapters (the knower and the field, ch. 13; the immutable Self, ch. 2); Shankara’s systematization (the sadhana-chatushtaya — the four qualifications: discernment, dispassion, the six treasures, the longing for liberation); the three-step method (shravana — hearing, manana — reasoning, nididhyasana — deep contemplation) as the path’s engine.

Philosophical Context

Advaita is jnana-yoga’s home (liberation by knowledge alone — the jivanmukta’s possibility); the debate with bhakti and karma (Shankara’s hierarchy; the Gita’s integration of all three); the inquiry-method’s descendants (the atma-vichara “Who am I?” of Ramana Maharshi as the modern classic).

Practice

Study of the mahavakyas (the great statements — “That thou art”), discrimination between Self and not-Self (the viveka-exercises), self-inquiry, and the surrender of the ego at knowledge’s dawn.

Verification notes

• The system is standard Advaita; the method’s texts are cited accurately.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).