Knowledge from the Gita

For His own realization, God has laid down   in the Gita two principal ways - Sankhya-yoga and Karma-yoga. Of these -

 a) All objects being unreal like the water in a mirage, or the creation of a dream, Gunas, which are the products of Maya, move in the Gunas, understanding this, the sense of doer-ship should be lost with regards to all activities of the mind, senses and the body and being established ever in identity with all pervading God, the embodiment of Truth, knowledge and Bliss, consciousness should be lost of the existence of any other being but God. This is the practice of Sankhya-yoga.

b)   Regarding everything as belonging to God, maintaining equanimity in success or failure, renouncing attachment and the desire for fruit, all works should be done according to God's behests and only for the sake of God, and, with utmost faith and reverence, surrendering oneself to God through mind, speech and body, constant meditation on God's Form with remembrance of His names, virtues and glory, should be practiced. This is the practice of Yoga by disinterested action.

The result of both these practices being the same; they are regarded as one in reality. But during the period of practice, they being different according to the qualifications of the Sadhaka, the two paths have been separately described. Therefore, the same man cannot tread both the paths at one and the same time, even as though there may be two roads to the Ganges, a person cannot proceed by both the paths at the same time. Out of these, Karma-yoga cannot be practiced in the stage of Sannyasa, for in that stage renunciation of Karma in every form has been advised. The practice of Sankhya-yoga, however, is possible in every Asrama, or stage of life.

If it is argued that the Lord has described Sankhya-yoga as synonymous with Sannyasa therefore, Sannyasis or monks alone are entitled to practice I t, and not householders, the argument is untenable, because in the course of His description of Sankhya-yoga, the Lord, here and there, showed to Arjun that he was qualified to fight, even according to that standard. If householders were ever disqualified for Sankhya-yoga, how could these statements of the Lord be reconciled? True, there is this special saving clause that the Sadhaka qualified for the path of Sankhya should be devoid of identification with the body; for so long as there is identification of the ego with the body, the practice of Sankhya-yoga cannot be properly under stood. That is why the Lord described the practice of Sankhya-yoga as difficult and disinterested Karma-yoga, being easier of practice, the Lord exhorted Arjun, every now and then, to practice it, together with ant meditation on him.

"W e bow to that Supreme Purusa, Narayana, who is extolled even by great gods like Brahma, Varun (The God of Water) , Indra (The God of Rain), Rudra (The God of Destruction), and the Maruts (The Wind Gods) through celestial hymns: whose glories are sung by those proficient in chanting the Samavedas through the Vedas along with the six Angas (branches of knowledge auxiliary to the Vedas), Pada (division of the Vedic text into separate words), Karma and Jata (particular forms of reciting the Vedas) and the Upanishads; who is perceived by the Yogis by means of their mind made steady through meditation and fixed on the Lord; and whose reality is not known even to gods and Asuras".

"Obeisance to Vishnu the dispeller of the fear of rebirths, the one Lord of all the regions, possessed of a tranquil form, lying on a bed of snake, from whose navel has sprung the lotus, the Lord of all celestials, the support of the universe, similar to the sky, possessed of the color of a cloud and possessed of handsome limbs, the Lord of Laksmi (the Goddess of Wealth), having louts-like eyes, and realized by Yogis in meditation.