What is the difference between karma yoga, buddhi yoga and bhakti yoga?

From Pandurang Charan P

Could you please explain the difference in detail between karma yoga, buddhi yoga, bhakti yoga. Prabhupada interchangeably uses bhakti vs buddhi yoga are they the same.

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna. Question from Panduranga Charan Prabhu. What is the difference between karma yoga, buddhi yoga and bhakti yoga? Prabhupada often uses the terms interchangeably, especially buddhi yoga and bhakti yoga.
Answer, all forms of yoga culminate in bhakti yoga. They attain their highest perfection in bhakti yoga. Now, if we look at the literal meanings of the words, karma yoga, that means the yoga which centers on action.
Bhakti yoga means the yoga which centers on devotion. Buddhi yoga is the yoga which centers on intelligence. Now, in the traditional way of looking at things, that means whatever is talked about, not just in the Bhagavad Gita, but in the broad Vedic wisdom tradition, there are four forms of yoga.
Karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhyana yoga and ashtanga yoga. So, buddhi yoga in and of itself is not a separate form of yoga. Now, Krishna uses the word buddhi yoga as a compound word a few times in the Bhagavad Gita.
First occurrence comes in 2.39. So, because buddhi yoga is not a distinct form of yoga, there are no sadhakas who will call themselves as buddhi yogis. Although, of course, buddhi is used, the intelligence used by anyone who is pursuing the path of transcendence. But buddhi yoga in and of itself is not a separate sadhana.
So, therefore, when Krishna uses the word buddhi yoga as a compound word of two components, buddhi and yoga, then we will have to look at the context to understand what the word means. So, now, if we look at the first occurrence in 2.39, एशाते अभीथा सांखे बुद्धिर्योगे त्वाइमां शुनो। बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्था कर्मबन्हन् प्रहास्यसी। So, एशाते अभीथा सांखे. So, Krishna is telling that till now, I have explained things to you in terms of Sankhya.
Sankhya is analysis of things into their individual components. So, he is talking about the difference between the body and soul from 11 to 30 verses. And then he says, बुद्धिर्योगे त्वाइमां शुनो। Now, I will explain it to you in terms of बुद्धियोगा.
And then he says, बुद्ध्या युक्तो यया पार्था कर्मबन्हन् प्रहास्यसी। If, oh Partha, if Arjuna, if you engage your intelligence in this way, कर्मबन्हन् प्रहास्यसी। You will be able to break free from the bondage of karma. So, essentially what Krishna is saying here is that बुद्धियोगा is a means to liberation, to freedom from karmic bondage. So, now if we look at what he describes in subsequent verses from 2.40 onwards.
So, essentially it is कर्मयोगा. He is not talking about the word, the maam doesn’t come too much in that section. That devote yourself to me, that comes only once in the subsequent verses, that is in 2.61. तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परहा। So, control your senses and fix your consciousness on me, मत्परहा। Apart from that, Krishna is not talking about maam too much.
So, essentially the analysis that Krishna gives thereafter is of working with detachment with the ultimate aim of liberation. And at that context, because Krishna has not introduced himself in the discussion, there the compound word बुद्धियोगा means actually just seeking, yoga as we know means connection, बुद्धि means intelligence. So, seeking a connection to transcendence with intelligence.
Now, what exactly the transcendence is, is not clear to the seeker at this point. And that’s why the seeker may attain Brahman, Paramatma, Bhagwan, whatever, depending on the conception that seeker acquires. But essentially, one can attain freedom from karmic bondage, कर्मवन्दः प्रहास्यसी.
So, here, बुद्धियोगा refers to any form of liberation, any form of yoga that is aimed for liberation. And if you look at the context, what is said subsequently, then it refers to कर्मयोगा. Now, Prabhupada in general talks about the various concepts in the Gita in their connection with their ultimate conclusion.
So, that’s why here Prabhupada equates बुद्धियोगा with भक्तियोगा. And he quotes the next reference to बुद्धियोगा that comes in the Bhagavad Gita, that is the famous verse 10.10, तेशाम् सतत्युक्तानं भजितां प्रेति पूर्वकं ददामि बुद्धियोगंतं येनमामुपयान्तिते। So, here Krishna is talking about those who devote themselves to Him, the first two lines, A and B, talk about the qualification of the तेशाम् सतत्युक्तानं, constantly engaged in my service, भजितां प्रेति पूर्वकं, they are worshipping me with a devotional disposition, प्रेति पूर्वकं, and then ददामि बुद्धियोगंतं, so here बुद्धियोगा is not so much some असाधना that is pursued by the seeker as a gift that is given by the Lord, so ददामि I give, बुद्धियोगंतं, so the yoga of बुद्धि, so now बुद्धियोगा can, now what exactly is the बुद्धियोगा, again we have to look at the context, what it is described, what happens by this बुद्धियोगा, by this you will attain me, मामुपयान्तिते, so whereas the 2.39 reference to बुद्धियोगा was that by which one attains कर्मबन्धन प्रहास्य, see one simply attains liberation, one simply becomes free from karmic bondage, but here it’s specifically one attains कृष्ण, and it’s also said this comes from कृष्ण, so this is not just simply some discrimination that we are conscious, we are cultivating by our conscious effort, it’s a gift that is coming from कृष्ण, because of our devotion, our practice of devotion, sincere practice of devotion, now here बुद्धियोगा, what does it mean, it is the intelligence that enables us to do योगा, योगा ultimately means connection, connection with कृष्ण, so the intelligence by which we can return back to कृष्ण, and that is the way Prabhupada normally used this word in many letters when devotees, in letters that Prabhupada wrote to devotees, when they came up with some good, very good ideas for sharing कृष्ण conscious with others, Prabhupada would say that because you are so sincere, कृष्ण is giving you intelligence to share his mission in wonderful ways, and दामि बुद्धियोगम, दामि, Prabhupada would quote that, so this is a gift that comes from कृष्ण, the बुद्धि that enables us to perform योगा, so intelligence by which we understand, okay how should I do devotional service in this situation, how should I act in this situation, by which I will be able to connect with कृष्ण, or connect others with कृष्ण, now of course, we can, here it can also be separated in other way, the yoga that enables us, yoga that is done with बुद्धि, so sometimes बक्तियोगा is thought of as simply sentimental, but what actually कृष्ण says is, the sentiment will lead to intelligence, when there is प्रिति पुर्वकम, when कृष्ण says, if you just have an affectionate attitude, I will give the intelligence, so it is not that the devotees will stay unintelligent, devotees will get intelligence, because they are affectionate to the supremely intelligent person, and that person will bestow, as a grace, intelligence to them. Now, another reference to बुद्धियोगा comes, this is the last reference in the Bhagavad Gita, is in 18.57, चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मैसन्यस्यमत्परह बुद्धियोगमुपार्षुत्य मचित्तः सततंभव So, चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि, with your consciousness, on all your activities, मैसन्यस्यमत्परह, so dedicate your activities to me, मत्परह, don’t just offer the activities to me, also make me as your ultimate goal, and then बुद्धियोगमुपार्षुत्य, with intelligence, with बुद्धियोगा, take shelter of me, मामुपार्षुत्य, and in this way, मचित्तः सततंभव, मचित्तः, be conscious of me constantly.
So, here we see, बुद्धियोगा clearly refers to something, which is done by the seeker, it is not bestowed by the Lord over you. Krishna is saying, बुद्धियोगमुपार्षुत्य, so take shelter of बुद्धियोगा, take shelter of me through बुद्धियोगा, depending on the way we analyze the words, but the point is, there is something which the seeker has to do, Krishna is telling the seeker to do it. So, here, clearly, if you look at the context, Krishna is telling that, use your intelligence to take shelter of me, or use your intelligence to stay conscious of me, बुद्धियोगम, means by taking shelter of बुद्धियोगा, you be conscious of me.
So, essentially, this is a call for practice of भक्ति, and माम is very clearly there in the verse. So, 18.57 reference to बुद्धियोगा is clearly भक्तियोगा. So, बुद्धियोगा can, according to the context, mean different things, and because conclusively in the Bhagavad Gita, all yogas culminate in भक्तियोगा, so Prabhupada uses बुद्धियोगा and भक्तियोगा interchangeably.
Now, regarding कर्मयोगा, we see that essential difference between कर्मयोगा and भक्तियोगा is in primarily not knowing or knowing the ultimate object of one’s yoga. So, in कर्मयोगा, one simply becomes detached from the fruits of the work without necessarily knowing who is the object to whom one should be attached or to whom one should be offering the fruits of the work, whereas in भक्तियोगा, one knows the ultimate goal to whom one is offering. So, now, if we look at 5.10 and 5.29 in the Bhagavad Gita, so 5.10 is ब्रह्मन्याधाय कर्माणि संगं त्यक्त्वा करोतियः लिप्यतेन सपापेन पद्मपत्रमिवां भसा। So, ब्रह्मन्याधाय कर्माणि, ब्रह्मन्या, offer your work to ब्रह्म, संगं त्यक्त्वा करोतियः, in this way, without attachment to your, the fruits of the work, do the work, लिप्यतेन सपापेन, such a person will not be bound by कर्म, and such a person will be पद्मपत्रमिवां भसा, such a person will be like a lotus leaf that is untouched by water.
So here it’s clearly talking about staying free from karmic bondage by offering the fruits of one’s work to ब्रह्मन्याधाय. Now what is that ब्रह्मन्याधाय? That the different Acharyas do different explanations. ब्रह्मन्याधाय, of course, can in the conclusive sense mean Krishna, but if you look what follows, what comes before and after these verses, then there is no direct reference to Krishna.
The previous verses were talking about how one understands that simply the senses are acting in contact with sense objects. So one understands that I am not the doer, and the verses after that are also talking simply about purification. That one acts for आत्मशुद्य.
So there is no reference to Krishna. So now here the word ब्रह्मन् can refer to the ब्रह्मजोति. Some Acharyas even explain that it can refer to ब्रह्मन् as material nature.
That means ब्रह्मन्याधाय कर्माणि means one simply offers the activities to material nature. That means one understands that actually these activities are simply being performed by material nature. So if a person is doing some activity, say for example, I am speaking, then I understand that it’s simply the throat interacting with the external world and producing some sounds.
So when I understand in that sense, I am not the doer, just like when we drive a car, although we think we are driving, most of the work in driving the car is done by the mechanism of the car. So of course, our presence is required, our intention is required, but most of the work is done by the car itself. So like that when one becomes detached from doership, then one can stay free from bondage.
So in this stage, one is not aware of who the goal of transcendence is. So that is कर्मयोगा and भक्तियोगा is 5.29 भुक्तारं यज्यतपस्तां सर्वलोक महेश्वरं सुरुदं सर्वभूतानां यात्वामां शान्तिम् रिच्छति So when one understands that Krishna is the goal, the supreme enjoyer, the greatest well-wisher, is the supreme possessor of everything, then one attains peace. This is how in this chapter’s flow also one ultimately comes to भक्ति.
So the primary difference between कर्मयोगा and भक्तियोगा is कर्मयोगी’s don’t know what is the goal. They are primarily focusing on staying disentangled from this world by staying detached from the fruits of the work. But they don’t know, okay, now I’m detached.
What will I attain from this detachment? Where should I be going? And in the transition in the fifth chapter where 5.17 talks about it that from just staying detached to becoming fixed on some higher reality. तद्भुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तनिष्ठास्तत्परायणवच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिम् ज्ञाननुधूतकल्मश्यः तद्भुद्धयस् When one has to fix the mind on तद्, that absolute truth. So that absolute truth is ultimately revealed in the Bhagavad Gita to be Krishna and that Krishna is one is able to fix the mind best on Krishna through Bhakti Yoga.
So now a devotee may also be practicing Bhakti Yoga at the level of a Karma Yogi. That means that the devotee is always practicing Bhakti Yoga but to practice at the level of Karma Yoga means that a devotee may not have complete attachment to Krishna and a devotee may be more acting according to one’s nature and that is not considered wrong. When Krishna talks about a descending, descending order of Bhakti Yoga in 12.8 to 12, then also he says that actually either you first fix your mind on me and live in me.
Mind and intelligence you fix on me, you live in me. Otherwise, strive to fix your mind on me. Otherwise, he says work for me.
Otherwise, work and give your fruits of your work to some good cause. So in this level, work for me. That can mean that doing direct seva to Krishna or it can mean also doing our own prescribed beauty and offering the fruits to Krishna.
So we don’t have, if as long as we know that Krishna is our ultimate goal and we are aiming for Krishna, then we are Bhakti Yogis. We don’t have to bother about whether we are practicing Karma Yoga or Bhakti Yoga. Just practice, continue practicing and we will attain the perfection of pure Bhakti Yoga, Kevala Bhakti eventually.
So what Buddha Yoga means will depend on the context. In the first reference 2.39, it refers primarily to Karma Yoga. Later on, it refers to Bhakti in different ways.
In 10.10, it refers to the gift of intelligence given by Krishna. In 10.57, it refers to the intelligence used to stay conscious of Krishna. Then, Karma Yoga in general refers to acting to get disentangled from the world without knowing the ultimate destination.
Bhakti Yoga means acting as a service to Krishna with the intention of attaining Krishna. From the external form, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga may be similar in the sense that Karma Yogi may also do prescribed duties and Bhakti Yogi may also do prescribed duties. Although, of course, Bhakti Yogi will have some additional sadhanas because the Bhakti Yogi knows Krishna as the goal.
So, Bhakti Yogi may do Navidha Bhakti in addition to one’s prescribed duties. Now, Karma Yogi may not do Navidha Bhakti because the Karma Yogi does not know about Krishna as the ultimate goal. But the Karma Yogi focuses on doing one’s prescribed duty with detachment and cultivating knowledge through that detached work and later on, gain the conception of who the absolute truth is.
Thank you.