Jnana means knowledge. Jnana yoga is the path on which we discover reality through insight, practice and knowledge. Jnana yoga is characterized by four principles:

I. Viveka - true discernment

II. Vairágya – renunciation

III. Shat sampatti – six jewels

IV. Mumukshtva – constant striving for knowledge of God

Viveka - true discernment

Viveka is the purest form of knowledge. We also consider it to be the highest instance of our conscience, which tells us what is right and what is wrong. Most of the time, we know very well what we should do, but our selfish desires usually turn out to be stronger and drown out the voice of conscience.

Vairágya – Renunciation

Vairágya means inner liberation from all desire for worldly possessions and pleasures. In the eyes of the jnana yogi, all worldly pleasures appear unreal and therefore have no lasting value for him. He is looking for an unchanging, eternal, supreme principle - God. Everything earthly is transitory and therefore a form of the unreal. Atma, the Divine Self, which is indestructible, eternal and unchanging, is real. Atma can be compared to space. Space still remains space; we cannot burn it or cut it up. When we build walls, we create individual sections of space. However, the space itself will not change. When one day we remove the walls again, only undivided, endless space will remain.

Shat Sampatti robe - six jewels

Six principles are hidden under this label:

• self - withdrawal of senses and mind inward

• dama - control of senses and mind, refraining from negative activities such as stealing, lying, negative thinking

• uparati - maintaining perspective, standing above things

• titiksha - constancy, self-discipline, endurance and overcoming all difficulties

• shraddha - faith and trust in the holy scriptures and words of the Master

• samadhāna - determination to achieve the goal, awareness of the goal. Whatever happens, our efforts should be focused only on the goal. Nothing should be able to take us away from him

Mumukshtva - constant striving for knowledge of God

Mumukshtva is an insistent desire in the heart to know God and unite with him. Atma jnana is the highest and eternal knowledge, the knowledge of our true Self. Self-knowledge means experiencing that we are not separate from God, but that we are united with Him and with all living things. This will open the boundaries of our intellect and flood our hearts with limitless and all-encompassing love. Then it will be completely clear to us that everything that harms others also harms us. We will understand and follow the universal commandment of ahimsa - non-harming. This ultimately combines the path of jnana yoga with the principles of bhakti yoga, karma yoga and raja yoga.