Jñāna-Yoga Path for Sāṅkhya-s (=Knowers) from Śaṅkara Gītā Commentary
II.21 The Knower (jñānin) has nothing to do with action.
(Question) What then has he to do?
(Answer) This is answered in III.3: ‘The Sāṅkhya-s should resort to jñāna-yoga.’
For the Knower and seeker of Liberation, who sees that the Self is actionless, there is qualification for renunciation-of-all-action alone (avikriyātma-darśino viduṣo mumukṣo ca sarva-karma- saṃnyāse eva adhikāra).
II.55 The Knower (vidvat), having renounced, makes efforts in jñāna-niṣṭhā.
The above quotations illustrate the path of Knowledge-yoga (jñāna-yoga). It begins with the rise of Knowledge, which distinguishes the Sāṅkhya. The path consists of (1) renunciation-of-action (saṃnyāsa): this renunciation is not necessarily of things, but is characterized as freedom from the notion ‘I do’; (2) establishment-in-Knowledge (jñāna-niṣṭhā), sustained meditations to throw off disturbances, by memory-illusions, of the naturally continuing current of Knowledge. When jñāna-niṣṭhā reaches its end (avasāna) in being-Brahman (anubhava), it is Freedom (mokṣa).
Here follow a few passages to illustrate Śaṅkara’s scheme. He does not spell out all the stages each time: for instance, saṃnyāsa may include jñāna-niṣṭhā.
| Rise of Knowledge | Saṃnyāsa | jṅāna-nistha | Moksa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| II.10,11 | self-knowledge | saṃnyāsa | end of | |
| (atma-jña) jñānin-Sāṅkhya | jṅāna-yoga | samsara | ||
| 21 | seer of Self (ātma-darśin) | saṃnyāsa | ||
| 21 | Knower=vidvat=Sāṅkhya | saṃnyāsa | ||
| by mind (5.13) | ||||
| 54,55 | vidvat | saṃnyāsa | jṅāna-yoga-nistha | Brahman |
| satmādhi-sthii | (2.56-72) | |||
| 69 | ātma-jña | saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | |
| III intro. | jṅāna | saṃnyāsa | jṅāna-nistha | |
| III.3 | Sāṅkhya-ātma-jña | saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | Goal |
| III.4 | rise of Knowledge | jñāna-niṣṭhā | ||
| 17 | Sāṅkhya Self-knower | saṃnyāsin | ātma-jñāna-niṣṭhā | |
| IV.39 | jṅāna-labha | quickly | mokṣa | |
| V intro. | ātma tattva-vid Self-knower | saṃnyāsa | jñāna- yoga -niṣṭhā | |
| Sāṅkhya | saṃnyāsin | jñāna-niṣṭhā | ||
| jṅāna | saṃnyāsa | siddhi (perfection) | ||
| V.4 | Sāṅkhya-Knower | saṃnyāsa | ||
| 5 | Sāṅkhya | saṃnyāsin | jñāna-niṣṭhā | mokṣa |
| 6 | paramātma-jṅāna | paramārthaka- | paramitma- | |
| saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | |||
| 12 | jñāna-prāpati | sarva-karma- | jñāna-niṣṭhā | peace |
| saṃnyāsa | moksa | |||
| 13 | paramārtha-darśin;vidvat | mental saṃnyāsa | rests happy | |
| 17 | Sāṅkhya | jñāna-niṣṭhā | live in | |
| (S.2.69) | Brahman | |||
| 25 | samyag-darśin | saṃnyāsa | Brahma- | |
| nirvāṇa | ||||
| 26,27 | Samyag-darśana | saṃnyāsa | samyag- darsana | mokṣa |
| jñāna-prāpati | niṣṭhā | |||
| VIIl.16-18 | jñānin | samadhi on | comes to | |
| tattva-vid | I am Vāsudeva | Me | ||
| 19 | jñāna-vat | paripāka-jñāna | comes to | |
| Me | ||||
| IX.22 | paramārtha-darśin | saṃnyāsin | 'Lord as Self' | |
| (=jñāna-niṣṭhā, Ś on18.66) | ||||
| X.8 | paramārtha- | intense | ||
| tattva-vid | meditation (bhavana) | |||
| X.10 | samyag-darśana | buddhi-yoga | ||
| 11 | jñāna | withdrawal | dhyāna vision | bliss |
| XII.4 | jñānin | saṃnyāsin | meditation | One with Me |
| 5 | paramātma- darśana | jñāna-niṣṭhā | mokṣa | |
| 10 | jñāna-prāpti | siddhi | ||
| 12 | samyag-darśin | saṃnyāsa | ||
| 13,14 | jñānin (of 7.17) mumukṣu | saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | immortality |
| -2.19 | ||||
| XIII.31 | parainartha- | paramahamsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | |
| darsin=Sāṅkhya | parivrājaka | |||
| XIV.1 | jñāna | saṃnyāsa | manana-śīla | mokṣa |
| 23-25 | ātma-vid = Sāṅkhya (3.5) | saṃnyāsin | mumukṣu | |
| 26,27 | saṃnyāsin | jñāna-niṣṭhā | mokṣa | |
| jṅāna-yoga | ||||
| XVIII.3 | tattva-vid = Sāṅkhya | perceives no pain | meditate: | |
| in Self | 'I do nothing' | |||
| 10 | jṅāna | mind-saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhā | |
| 12 | paramārtha-darśin | paramahamsa | kevala-samyag- | end of |
| parivrājaka | darśana-niṣṭhā | saṃsāra | ||
| 45,46 | jñāna-niṣṭhā | |||
| 49 | jṅāna | mind-saṃnyāsa | jñāna-niṣṭhāa = naiṣkarmyasiddhi | mokṣa |
