Swami Brahm Bodhi

Question

In Chapter 3, Verse 3 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna states that the Sankhya yogis are established in Jnana Yoga (the path of knowledge).
Who is meant here by Sankhya Yoga or a Sankhya yogi?
And what is the real significance of saying that a Sankhya yogi’s steadfastness lies in Jnana Yoga?
Kindly guide us. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Also, please clarify whether a Sankhya yogi should be understood only as one who knows the Sankhya philosophy.

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Answer

If the term Sankhya yogi is taken in a narrow sense, it refers to a practitioner who follows the Sankhya philosophy of Sage Kapila. Sankhya is fundamentally a knowledge-centred philosophy, in which the distinction between the Self and Nature is made clear through a careful analysis of fundamental principles.

However, in the Bhagavad Gita the expression Sankhya yogi is not used only in this limited sense. In its broader meaning, a Sankhya yogi is one who is endowed with intellect and discernment—one who is capable of understanding, through rational inquiry, the subtle distinctions between Brahman, the individual soul, and the world. For such seekers, the path of knowledge is naturally more suitable, since their spiritual discipline rests primarily on reflection, discrimination, and contemplation of truth.

Traditionally, seekers who are predominantly oriented toward knowledge have often adopted renunciation and pursued spiritual practice through Jnana. From this standpoint, it is not inappropriate, in a broader sense, to describe Sankhya Yoga as Jnana Yoga accompanied by renunciation.

Thus, it becomes clear that in the Gita the term Sankhya yogi does not merely denote a follower of Kapila’s Sankhya philosophy, but rather a seeker whose steadfastness is grounded in knowledge and discernment.