The Alternative Route to Hindu Bhakti - Sanatan Jnana Yoga
The Alternative Route to Hindu Bhakti
Hindu belief systems and their rituals are incredibly varied, with various norms originating as per local culture. But the question is, are these customs the only way to achieve God?
As more people become sceptical of rituals and move towards Sanatan, it is important to rewind to the most unadulterated form of Hindu concepts - as said by God himself in the Bhagavad Gita.
Let's see if it holds our answer by sticking closely to what God said in the Bhagavad Gita with references...
What The Bhagavad Gita Says
Hindu scholars are in consensus that the Gita is God's word. The unquestionable truth. So what does the Gita say about true Bhakti?
1. The Foundation: Karma Yoga
Let's start with the basics. The Gita explains that we must fulfill our duty without attachment to its results.¹ As per Karma Yoga, we must focus on being ethical, emotionally steady, and dedicated to our responsibilities. It's about duty without attachment, not necessarily renunciation.² We must also avoid anger, jealousy, greed and unregulated pleasures.³ The core understanding is that the soul is immortal and takes various bodies to complete different tasks.⁴
2. Achieving God: Bhakti Yoga
The second major concept is bhakti yoga. Lord Krishna explains the importance of Karma Yoga and right action while also presenting devotion to God as a path to attaining Him.⁵ And bhakti i.e. prayer can be performed through 2 methods.
2.1.
The first is religious rituals, temple visits and idol worship in line with local customs while respecting pandits. This can be understood as the easier approach to bhakti, since Krishna explains that worship directed towards Him is easier for embodied human beings than focusing on the unmanifest.⁶
The only problem? We all know that such rituals can be influenced by selfish interests and blind beliefs or stereotypes created by other humans. Concepts like hierarchical caste system (superior/inferior), sati practice, VIP lines in temples, "nazar", and predictions based on astrology are not supported by the Gita or even Vedas. We just made them up!
So if you choose this type of bhakti, it's wise to beware of blind, unscientific beliefs that could harm you.
Updating or explaining rituals to be understandable in today's context may also be an approach to keep
traditional bhakti yoga thriving. In any case, the Gita encourages reflection and individual judgement rather than simply acting without consideration.⁷
2.2.
The second approach to Hindu bhakti is praying to the formless power behind the universe with primary focus on your own soul and morality instead of looking for idols or rituals to follow.⁸ It believes in universal equality, respect, rational thinking, belief in science (that God made), and good virtues rather than rules.⁹ This is the core of jnana yoga in Sanatan dharma.
However, the Gita clarifies that even those following this tougher route must respect pandits and others who follow traditional bhakti rituals from any religion.¹⁰
You can follow either approach or mix both options to the right extent as per your choice.
Jnana Yoga in Sanatan
What Matters Most?
The most important point remains that all approaches to Hinduism must ultimately focus on following your duty, maintaining good virtues, and connection with God.¹¹
In today's time, it is getting increasingly important to maintain unity within the religion and respect for all other religions (and even aethists) even if we do not agree with every other practice of our or other religions.
You may choose worshipping the formless power, but that does not give you a high ground compared to those who follow rituals sensibly.¹²
At the same time, if you follow rituals to the dot, it does not give you the right to sneer upon those who choose the modern Jnana Sanatan route and worship the formless without rituals.
Closing Thoughts
All this might be looking like my personal opinion. But the key arguments stated here are supported by the Bhagavad Gita, in God's own words. Here are the Slokas and their translations that were referred to in this discussion.
---- Authored by Praharsh Chaubey
(AI was used for Slokas translation below only)
The Bhagavad Gita Verses Behind the Discussion
¹ Bhagavad Gita 2.47: Duty Without Attachment
कՉर्मण्येवा՚धिकारस्ते Չा फलेष कदाचन। ु
Չा कՉर्मफलहेतՈुर्मՉर्मा ते सԴ ՝ ङ्गोऽस्त्वकՉर्म՚णि॥
English: You have a right to perform your prescribed action, but never to its fruits. Do not make the
fruits of action your motive, nor become attached to inaction.
This provides the foundation for the article's description of Karma Yoga: perform your duty without
attachment to its outcome.
² Bhagavad Gita 3.8: Action Rather Than Renunciation of Responsibility
՚नयतं कुरु कՉर्म त्वं कՉर्म ज्यायो ह्यकՉर्मणिः।
शरीरयात्रा՚पि च ते न पि्र՚स࿑द्ध्येदकՉर्मणिः॥
English: Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. Even the maintenance of your
body would not be possible through inaction.
This supports the distinction between Karma Yoga and simply withdrawing from worldly
responsibilities.
³ Bhagavad Gita 16.21: Desire, Anger and Greed
՚त्र՚वधिं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनՉात्Չनः।
काՉः क्रोधिस्तथा लोՈस्तस्Չादेतत्त्रयं त्यजेत॥ङ्
English: There are three gates leading to self-destruction: desire, anger and greed. Therefore, one
should abandon these three.
This directly supports the importance placed on regulating destructive desires, anger and greed.
⁴ Bhagavad Gita 2.22: The Soul Changes Bodies
वासां՚स जीणिर्मा՚न यथा ՚वहाय
नवा՚न गह्णा՚त नरोऽपिरा՚णि। ृ
तथा शरीरा՚णि ՚वहाय जीणिर्मान्यन्या՚न
संया՚त नवा՚न देही॥
English: Just as a person discards worn-out clothes and puts on new ones, the embodied Self leaves old
bodies and enters new ones.
This is one of the clearest verses supporting the article's description of the immortal soul passing
through different bodies.
⁵ Bhagavad Gita 18.65: Devotion as a Route to God
Չन्Չना Ոव Չदङ्Ոक्तो Չद्याजी Չां नՉस्कुरु।
ՉाՉेवैष्य՚स सत्यं ते पि्र՚तजाने ՚पि्रयोऽ՚स Չे॥
English: Fix your mind on Me, become My devotee, worship Me and bow to Me. You shall come to Me. I
promise you this truly, for you are dear to Me.
This provides direct support for Bhakti as a means of attaining God.
⁶ Bhagavad Gita 12.1-2: Devotion Directed Toward God
अजर्मन उवाच ु
एवं सततयक्ता ये Ոक्तास्त्वा ु ं पियर्मपिासते। ु
ये चाप्यक्षरՉव्यक्तं तेषां के योग՚वत्तՉाः॥
Arjuna asks:
English: Those devotees who constantly worship You, and those who worship the imperishable and unmanifest, which are better established in Yoga?
Krishna answers in 12.2:
Չय्यावेश्य Չनो ये Չां ՚नत्ययक्ता उपिासते। ु
श्र࿑या पिरयोपिेतास्ते Չे यक्ततՉा Չताः॥ ु
English: Those who fix their minds on Me, constantly worship Me and possess supreme faith, I consider
most perfectly established in Yoga.
These verses establish the two approaches being compared in Chapter 12: devotion directed toward
Krishna and contemplation of the imperishable, unmanifest reality.
⁷ Bhagavad Gita 18.63: Reflect and Decide
इ՚त ते ज्ञानՉाख्यातं गह्याद ु ङ्गह्यतरं Չया। ु
՚वՉश्यृ ैतदशेषेणि यथेच्छ՚स तथा कुरु॥
English: Thus I have explained to you this knowledge, more secret than all secrets. Reflect upon it fully,
and then act as you wish.
This is particularly relevant to the argument against completely blind acceptance. Krishna gives Arjuna
His teaching and then explicitly tells him to reflect upon it fully before deciding how to act.
⁸ Bhagavad Gita 12.3-4: The Formless Route
ये त्वक्षरՉ՚नदर्देश्यՉव्यक्तं पियर्मपिासते। ु
सवर्मत्रगՉ՚चन्त्यं च क՝टस्थՉचलं धि्रुवՉ॥ङ्
सं՚नयम्ये՚न्दयगन्द्रि ्राՉं सवर्मत्र सՉब࿑यः। ु
ते पि्राप्नव՚न्त ՉाՉेव सव ु र्मՈत՚हते रताः॥ ՝
English: Those who worship the imperishable, indefinable, unmanifest, all-pervading, inconceivable,
unchanging, immovable and eternal, controlling their senses, equal-minded toward all and devoted to
the welfare of all beings, they too attain Me.
This is perhaps the single strongest textual basis for the article's central argument.
Krishna explicitly recognizes worship of the अव्यक्तՉ, avyakta, the unmanifest ङ् , and says that its
followers also attain Him.
⁹ Bhagavad Gita 5.18: Equality
՚वद्या՚वनयसम्पिन्ने बाह्मणिे ग՚व ह՚स्त՚न। ्र
श՚न च ु ैव श्वपिाके च पि՚ण्ण्डिताः सՉद՚शर्मनः॥
English: The wise see with equal vision a learned and humble Brahmin, a cow, an elephant, a dog and
one regarded as an outcaste.
This strongly supports the article's emphasis on equality. Spiritual wisdom is associated with sama-
darshinah, equal vision, rather than superiority based upon social status.
¹⁰ Bhagavad Gita 12.13-14: Respect, Compassion and Absence of Hatred
अद्वेष्टा सवर्मՈताना ՝ ं Չैत्रः करुणि एव च।
՚नՉर्मՉो ՚नरहԴङ्कारः सՉदःखस ु खः क्षՉी॥ ु
सन्तष्टः सततं योगी यतात्Չा द ु ृढ՚नश्चयः।
Չय्य՚पिर्मतՉनोब՚࿑यर्यो Չद ु ङ्Ոक्तः स Չे ՚पि्रयः॥
English: One who hates no being, who is friendly and compassionate, free from possessiveness and
ego, equal in happiness and distress, forgiving, content, self-controlled and firmly resolved, with mind
and intellect dedicated to Me, such a devotee is dear to Me.
This provides stronger support for the article's broader point about respecting people whose spiritual
practices differ from our own. The verse does not specifically command respect for "pandits or other
religions"; rather, it establishes the wider principle of non-hatred, friendliness and compassion toward
all beings.
¹¹ Bhagavad Gita 12.4: Morality, Equality and Welfare of Others
सं՚नयम्ये՚न्दयगन्द्रि ्राՉं सवर्मत्र सՉब࿑यः। ु
ते पि्राप्नव՚न्त ՉाՉेव सव ु र्मՈत՚हते रताः॥ ՝
English: Controlling all the senses, equal-minded everywhere and devoted to the welfare of all beings,
they too attain Me.
This verse is particularly important because Krishna connects spiritual attainment with self-control,
equality and concern for others.
¹² Bhagavad Gita 9.29: God Shows No Partiality
सՉोऽहं सवर्मՈतेष՝ न Չे द्व ु ेष्योऽ՚स्त न ՚पि्रयः।
ये Ոज՚न्त त Չा ु ं Ոक्त्या Չ՚य ते तेष चाप्यहՉ ु ॥ङ्
English: I am equal toward all beings. None is hateful to Me, nor especially dear. Yet those who worship
Me with devotion dwell in Me, and I in them.
This supports the argument that choosing one legitimate spiritual approach does not automatically
provide grounds for looking down upon another person.
Bhagavad Gita 12.5: Krishna Explicitly Says the Formless Route Is Harder
क्लेशोऽ՚धिकतरस्तेषाՉव्यक्तासक्तचेतसाՉ।ङ्
अव्यक्ता ՚ह ग՚तदर्मःखं देहव՚द ु ङ्Ոरवाप्यते॥
English: Greater is the difficulty for those whose minds are attached to the unmanifest, because the
goal of the unmanifest is difficult for embodied beings to attain.
This completes the argument of 12.1-5.
The Gita does not reject formless worship. Krishna explicitly recognizes it in 12.3-4 and says its practitioners attain Him. He then explains in 12.5 that this path is more difficult for embodied human beings.
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