What is Yoga According to the Bhagavad Gita?

Krishna's Three Definitions of Yoga

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to yoke" or "to unite." In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna provides at least three major definitions, each revealing a different dimension of this profound practice.

Definition 1: Yoga as Equanimity

This is perhaps the most practical definition. Yoga is not about withdrawing from the world — it is about engaging with the world while maintaining inner balance. Whether you succeed or fail, whether people praise or blame you, you remain centered. This equanimity (samatva) is yoga.

Definition 2: Yoga as Skill in Action

Yoga is not just equanimity — it is excellence. When you perform your duties free from attachment, anxiety, and ego, your actions naturally become more skillful. The doctor who operates without anxiety performs better. The musician who plays without craving applause plays with more soul. Nishkama Karma — selfless action — is the application of this principle.

Definition 3: Yoga as Freedom from Suffering

Here Krishna defines yoga as the disconnection from suffering. Not from life, not from action, but from the psychological suffering caused by attachment, desire, and ignorance. This is the ultimate purpose of all yoga practice — complete inner freedom.

The Four Paths of Yoga in the Gita

The Gita is unique among world scriptures in presenting multiple valid paths to spiritual realization. Krishna does not insist on a single way — He acknowledges that different temperaments require different approaches.

1. Karma Yoga — The Path of Selfless Action (Chapter 3)

Karma Yoga is the path for those who are naturally active and engaged with the world. It teaches performing your duty (dharma) without attachment to results. The karma yogi works not for personal gain but as service to God and humanity. Key verse: BG 3.19 — "By working without attachment, one attains the Supreme."

This path is particularly relevant for householders, professionals, and anyone who cannot withdraw from worldly responsibilities. It transforms ordinary work into spiritual practice.

2. Jnana Yoga — The Path of Knowledge (Chapter 4)

Jnana Yoga is the path of intellectual inquiry and discrimination. The jnana yogi seeks to distinguish the real (eternal atman) from the unreal (temporary body and mind). Through study of scripture, contemplation, and viveka (discrimination), the seeker realizes their true nature. Key verse: BG 4.38 — "In this world, there is nothing as purifying as knowledge."

3. Dhyana Yoga — The Path of Meditation (Chapter 6)

Dhyana Yoga is the path of direct inner experience through meditation. Chapter 6 provides detailed instructions: find a quiet place, sit steadily, focus the mind on the Self, and practice regularly. Krishna acknowledges the difficulty — Arjuna himself says the mind is as hard to control as the wind (BG 6.34) — but promises that practice and detachment (abhyasa and vairagya) make it possible (BG 6.35).

4. Bhakti Yoga — The Path of Devotion (Chapter 12)

Bhakti Yoga is the path of love and surrender to God. Krishna declares it the easiest and most direct path: "Those who fix their minds on Me and worship Me with steadfast devotion, they are the best in yoga" (BG 12.2). Bhakti does not require intellectual prowess or physical austerity — only sincere love for the Divine.

In BG 9.34, Krishna simplifies it further: "Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice for Me, bow down to Me. Having thus disciplined yourself and regarding Me as the supreme goal, you will come to Me."

Each Chapter Is a Yoga

A unique feature of the Gita is that each of its 18 chapters is named a yoga, indicating that the entire text is a systematic yoga manual:

1. Arjuna Vishada Yoga — The Yoga of Arjuna's Grief
2. Sankhya Yoga — The Yoga of Knowledge
3. Karma Yoga — The Yoga of Action
4. Jnana Karma Sanyasa Yoga — Yoga of Renunciation of Action Through Knowledge
5. Karma Sanyasa Yoga — The Yoga of Renunciation
6. Dhyana Yoga — The Yoga of Meditation
7. Jnana Vijnana Yoga — Yoga of Knowledge and Wisdom
8. Aksara Brahma Yoga — Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
9. Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga — Yoga of Royal Knowledge
10. Vibhuti Yoga — Yoga of Divine Glories
11. Vishwarupa Darshana Yoga — Yoga of the Universal Form
12. Bhakti Yoga — The Yoga of Devotion
13. Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga — Yoga of the Field and the Knower
14. Gunatraya Vibhaga Yoga — Yoga of the Three Gunas
15. Purushottama Yoga — Yoga of the Supreme Person
16. Daivasura Sampad Vibhaga Yoga — Yoga of Divine and Demoniac Qualities
17. Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — Yoga of the Three Types of Faith
18. Moksha Sanyasa Yoga — Yoga of Liberation Through Renunciation

Even Arjuna's grief in Chapter 1 is called a "yoga" — because the crisis of despair is itself the starting point of spiritual transformation. You cannot seek truth until you confront the insufficiency of your current understanding.

Classical Commentary on Yoga

Shankaracharya (Advaita)

For Shankara, the highest yoga is jnana yoga — the direct realization that the individual self and Brahman (the Absolute) are one. All other yogas are preparatory practices that purify the mind for this ultimate knowledge. Karma yoga removes selfish desires; bhakti yoga softens the ego; dhyana yoga calms the mind. All lead to jnana.

Ramanujacharya (Vishishtadvaita)

Ramanuja considers bhakti yoga the highest path, with karma and jnana as its supports. The soul's natural state is loving service to God. All yoga is ultimately an expression of this devotion — action offered to God, knowledge that reveals God, meditation that connects to God.

Madhvacharya (Dvaita)

Madhva emphasizes that yoga is only possible through God's grace. The individual soul, being eternally distinct from God, cannot achieve union by its own effort alone. Bhakti (devotion) combined with pramana (right knowledge) is the path, and God's grace is the enabling force.

Yoga in the Gita vs. Modern Yoga

Modern yoga, as practiced in studios worldwide, focuses primarily on asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing exercises). While the Gita mentions these in BG 6.11-13, its concept of yoga is vastly broader:

Aspect	Gita's Yoga	Modern Yoga
Primary focus	Mind, consciousness, soul	Body, flexibility, fitness
Goal	Liberation (moksha), self-realization	Health, stress relief, wellness
Scope	All of life — work, relationships, ethics	Mat practice, typically 60-90 minutes
Paths	Four integrated paths (action, knowledge, devotion, meditation)	Primarily asana-based with some meditation
Duration	24/7 lifestyle practice	Scheduled sessions

This is not to diminish modern yoga — physical practice has genuine health benefits. But the Gita's yoga encompasses the totality of human life. Every action, every relationship, every thought can be a yoga practice when performed with awareness, equanimity, and dedication to truth.

How to Practice Gita Yoga in Daily Life

Morning: Dhyana Yoga

Begin each day with meditation, even 10-15 minutes. Sit quietly, focus on the breath or a sacred mantra, and let the mind settle. As BG 6.10 instructs, the yogi should constantly engage the mind in meditation, remaining in seclusion, alone, with mind and body controlled.

Workday: Karma Yoga

Transform your work into yoga by focusing on the quality of your effort rather than the outcome. Practice nishkama karma — do your best work because it is right, not because of what you will get. BG 2.47: "You have the right to work, but not to the fruits."

Relationships: Bhakti Yoga

See the Divine in every person you encounter. Practice forgiveness, compassion, and service without expectation of return. BG 12.13-14 describes the ideal devotee: "One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities."

Evening: Jnana Yoga

Study the Gita or other scriptures. Reflect on your day: Where was I attached? Where did ego control my actions? Where did I act from a place of truth? This self-inquiry (atma-vichara) is the essence of jnana yoga.

Throughout: Samatva (Equanimity)

In every situation — praise or criticism, success or failure, pleasure or pain — practice maintaining your center. This is the thread that connects all four paths. As BG 2.14 teaches: these contacts of the senses come and go. Learn to endure them.