What are the four yogas of the Gita?
Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Dhyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are the four main paths taught in the Gita, and they complement one another.
Answer
Karma Yoga means doing one's duty without attachment to the results and offering every action to the Lord. Chapter 3 describes it in particular.
Jnana Yoga is the path of discernment, in which the seeker understands that he is not the perishable body but the imperishable self. Chapters 2, 4 and 13 explain it beautifully.
Dhyana Yoga is the practice of becoming steady within by restraining the mind and senses. Chapter 6 describes how to sit, the need for balance in food and rest, and how the mind is mastered through practice and detachment.
Bhakti Yoga is the path of loving surrender to the Lord. Chapter 12 lists the qualities of a true devotee, and at the very end the Lord calls on Arjuna to set aside all other duties and take refuge in him alone.
Different acharyas place different emphasis on these paths, but the spirit of the Gita is that together they make a balanced spiritual life.
- Yogas
- Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Dhyana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga