Gita 05.05 – Sankhya and yoga aim for the same destination, yet they aren’t same

Thank you Bhagavad Gita 5.5 Krishna is continuing here answering Arjuna's question about which is better Karma Yoga or Karma Sanyasa and he is using the words Sankhya to refer to Karma Sanyasa and Yoga to refer to Karma Yoga so in the previous verse he stated that the wise people don't see the two as different because they lead to the same destination Krishna is reiterating and clarifying this point expanding this point here Sankhya whatever destination is attained by the practice of Sankhya that is also attained by the practice of Yoga and therefore one who sees the two as one that person actually sees such a person is the actual seer so significant verse so this is usage which involves like a rhetorical device or literal device as well as in which there is a repetition of the words Pashyati Pashyati and the point is this is used to rhetorically convey the point that this is the actual vision of reality so for example if we see that one who sees the speed breaker on the road actually sees that means somebody who doesn't see the speed breaker either that person is short sighted or whatever that person not actually sees this is the reality so Krishna is saying this usage comes frequently in scripture and that is one rhetorical way in which the true vision of reality as it is is conveyed by scripture so one who sees thus actually sees Krishna is saying now what exactly is this person to see that that destination is attained by Sankhya that same destination that same destination that same destination is attained by the path of yoga and therefore therefore both of them are one now in what sense are they one are they one in the sense that there is no difference between the two no obviously then it was not then there would be no need for two paths Krishna has used the word Sankhya Naam, Yogi Naam Jnana Yoga, Sankhya Yoga they are two distinct paths and there is not only from the nomenclature but also from if you look at their content their content is also substantially different because the problem is that one involves action yoga involves action and Sankhya involves renunciation of action and inner contemplation so when these two processes are different so how can it be said that they are one that oneness is definitely not in content it is in intent content means what those processes are comprised of they are definitely different in their content but in their intent they are same that both of them are meant to take us towards liberation so those who understand this Sankhya that Sankhya and Yoga both lead to the same destination such people are the actual seers so now does this verse support the oft quoted idea of that the Bhagavad Gita teaches all paths lead to the same goal first of all Krishna is not saying here all paths Krishna is only talking about two specific paths Sankhya and Yoga so in that sense this verse definitely does not support the idea that all paths lead to same goal and for that matter there are many clear verses in the Bhagavad Gita which say different paths lead to different goals for example Krishna has contrasted in the previous chapter in 4.39 and 40 that the faithful and the faithless they have different destinations same Krishna has talked about 3.31 and 32 faithful and faithless have different destinations so it is not true that this verse supports the idea that all paths lead to the same goal he is saying that he is saying that both paths are intended for the same goal later on in the 12th chapter he will state how the path of inaction, the path of impersonal meditation the path of dry analysis is difficult and in fact Krishna will mention this once again in the next verse itself after this 5.6 when we find the path of renunciation without yoga to be dukkhamaptha, to be misery giving it's not that Krishna is absolutely equalizing both the paths, he is saying that their intent is the same and in that sense we need to see their see beyond their different content to their common intent now what is the point in Krishna talking like this now Arjuna simply wanted to know whether I should fight or not fight and he basically was saying two different paths the path of action and the path of renunciation and he considered the path of renunciation to be superior because he thought the path of action will lead to entanglement, the path of renunciation will lead to disentanglement and so he wanted to choose the path of disentanglement now Krishna has earlier stated that quite a few times he has said that if you act with detachment that will also lead to liberation so in that sense this dichotomy which Arjuna has had that ok the path of action will lead to entanglement path of renunciation will lead to disentanglement that has already been indirectly refuted by Krishna when he said the path of action also can lead to liberation if the action is done with detachment so what exactly is Krishna stating here adding is just making it more emphatic by saying that whatever destination is attained by the path of renunciation is also attained by the path of action and so therefore Arjuna don't think that you will lose anything by not accepting the path of renunciation by sticking to the path of action also you can attain the supreme destination now this is not at all, this verse is not at all talking about the adoption of renunciation within the path of bhakti in bhakti yoga, Krishna will talk about bhakti yoga later from 7th chapter onwards and in bhakti yoga when say some devotees adopt the renounced order are they say giving up action for renunciation against Krishna's instructions no, because the action and renunciation dichotomy is with respect to the paths of karma and jnana whereas Krishna is talking about the path of whereas we when we are devoting we practice Krishna consciousness we are practicing bhakti and bhakti, first of all so this verse does not apply to that and secondly the process of bhakti is even for those who are in the renounced order it involves action it is not simply an inactive part but he was more busy, he travelled much more arguably than what most other people or any other person for that matter at his age would have travelled so he was busy he was active so this verse in principle does not apply to the discussion of bhakti and the ashram which devotees choose the emphasis of this verse in Arjuna-Krishna in the context of Krishna-Arjuna discussion is that Arjuna should not think that he will lose out anything by not accepting the path of renunciation whatever he could have got by accepting the path of renunciation he can get by accepting the path of engaged action he practices karma yoga and Krishna is telling Arjuna one who sees like this that means Arjuna when you see like this when you see that fighting on the battlefield will give you the same destination as going to a jungle and renouncing the world and engaging in silent meditation then you are the actual seer so in this way this was exhortation to Arjuna to persevere in Kshatriya duty in the spirit of karma yoga.