The Four Paths of Yoga
The four classical paths of yoga in Hinduism, jnana, bhakti, karma and raja yoga, including Patanjali's eight limbs, and how they differ from yoga as exercise.
In the West, “yoga” usually means physical postures and breathing exercises. In Hinduism, yoga has a much wider meaning: it is any disciplined spiritual path that leads the practitioner towards union with the divine and liberation (moksha). Hindu tradition describes four main paths, suited to different temperaments: the paths of knowledge, devotion, action and meditation.
The Sanskrit word yoga comes from the root yuj, “to yoke” or “to join”, the same root as the English word “yoke”. It refers both to disciplining the mind and to uniting the individual self with the ultimate reality.
Four paths for four temperaments
The Bhagavad Gita discusses the paths of knowledge, action, devotion and meditation. The now-familiar scheme of exactly four yogas was popularised by Swami Vivekananda in his lectures and books of the 1890s, which introduced yoga philosophy to Western audiences. The idea is that people differ: some are thinkers, some are driven by emotion, some by activity and some by contemplation, and each can find a path that suits them. Most Hindus combine elements of all four.
| Path | Suited to | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Jnana yoga | The reflective, intellectual person | Study, reasoning and meditation leading to direct knowledge of the true self. |
| Bhakti yoga | The emotional, loving person | Loving devotion to a personal God. |
| Karma yoga | The active person | Selfless action, performing one's duty without attachment to the results. |
| Raja yoga | The contemplative person | Disciplined meditation and control of the mind. |
Jnana yoga: the path of knowledge
Jnana yoga seeks liberation through wisdom. The seeker studies scripture, especially the Upanishads, reflects deeply on it and meditates until they directly realise that the true self, the Atman, is not the body or mind. In Advaita Vedanta, this path culminates in the realisation that Atman is one with Brahman. Traditionally it involves three stages: hearing the teaching (shravana), reflecting on it (manana) and deep meditation (nididhyasana). It is considered the most demanding path.
Bhakti yoga: the path of devotion
Bhakti yoga is the path of love for God. The devotee worships a personal form of the divine, such as Krishna, Shiva or the Goddess, through puja, prayer, chanting God's names, singing devotional songs and surrendering their life to God. In the Gita, Krishna says that whoever offers him even a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water with love, he accepts (9.26). Bhakti is by far the most widely practised path in Hinduism today.
Karma yoga: the path of action
Karma yoga turns everyday work into spiritual practice. The practitioner fulfils their duties, their dharma, fully and well, but without selfish desire for reward, offering the results to God. Because selfish desire is what binds a person to karma, action performed in this spirit purifies rather than binds. Mahatma Gandhi regarded karma yoga as the heart of the Gita's teaching.
Raja yoga: the path of meditation
Raja yoga, “royal yoga”, is the path of meditation set out in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, a text compiled around the early centuries CE. Patanjali defines yoga as “the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind” (1.2) and describes an eightfold path (ashtanga):
- Yama: ethical restraints: non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, sexual restraint and non-possessiveness.
- Niyama: observances: purity, contentment, austerity, self-study and devotion to God.
- Asana: a steady, comfortable posture for meditation.
- Pranayama: control of the breath.
- Pratyahara: withdrawal of the senses from their objects.
- Dharana: concentration on a single point.
- Dhyana: meditation, unbroken flow of attention.
- Samadhi: absorption, in which the distinction between meditator and object disappears.
Hatha yoga and modern yoga
The physical yoga practised in gyms and studios today developed from hatha yoga, a later tradition that uses postures, breath control and cleansing practices to prepare body and mind for meditation. Its classic text, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, was written in the 15th century. Modern postural yoga took shape in the 20th century through teachers such as T. Krishnamacharya and his students, including B. K. S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. In 2014 the United Nations declared 21 June the International Day of Yoga.
Sources and further reading
- Swami Vivekananda, Karma Yoga (1896), Raja Yoga (1896), Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
- Edwin Bryant (trans.), The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (North Point Press, 2009).
- Mark Singleton, Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice (Oxford University Press, 2010).