Gyan Marg has been extolled by the scriptures as the best route to salvation in the Hindu, as well as allied religions, who have either originated from or diversified from the mainline Hindu religion, including Budhism, Jainsm, and Sikhism.
The third chapter of the Bhagwadgita opens with a question. Arjuna asks Krishna:
ज्यायसी चेत्कर्मणस्ते मता बुद्धिर्जनार्दन |
तत्किं कर्मणि घोरे मां नियोजयसि केशव || 1||
O Krishna!, if You deem knowledge/wisdom superior to karma (action), then why do You want me to engage in this terrible war?
Indeed, the question is quite pertinent one and Krishna’s answer to Arjun’s query explains the basic ingredients of the theory of Karma Yoga. To this I will come later. Let’s take up the first thing first.
Gyan Marga, or the path to knowledge/wisdom, is said to be the most difficult and tricky one yet ancient Hindu sages have, time and again, extolled its virtues. Rigveda in its very first Chapter, first sukta (verse) of mantra 89 defines the basic tenet of Gyan Marga.
आ नो भद्राः क्रतवो यन्तु विश्वतोऽदब्धासो अपरितासउद्भिदः।
देवा नो यथा सदमिद् वृधे असन्नप्रायुवो रक्षितारो दिवे दिवे॥
Let favourable/noble thoughts that reveal the unknown come unimpeded, uninterruptedly from all sides; may the gods favour me, protect me day by day.
This Vedic verse serves as the beacon to guide us in our quest for knowledge and wisdom: openmindedness, acceptability of ideas and universality.
One of the most revered Upanishads, the Kathopnishad in Chapter 1, Valli 3, Mantra 1 explicitly describes the excellence of Gyan (wisdom/knowledge) over karma (deeds/vedic rituals)
Kathopnishad 1.3.1
ऋतं पिबन्तौ सुकृतस्य लोके गुहां प्रविष्टौ परमे परार्धे ।
छायातपौ ब्रह्मविदो वदन्ति पञ्चाग्नयो ये च त्रिणाचिकेताः ॥ १ ॥
Those who commit themselves to vedic rituals (पञ्चाग्नयो), as well as those who devote themselves to Gyan marga or the path of wisdom/knowledge (त्रिणाचिकेताः) —both experience ecstasy/bliss vested deep down in their inherent Self. However, wise men say, the ones committed to Vedic rituals experience the shadowy side of the spiritual ecstasy/bliss while the ones who follow the Gyan marga or the path of wisdom/knowledge experience spiritual ecstasy/bliss in full radiance.
The subsequent verse, i.e Kathopnishad 1.3.2 says:
यः सेतुरीजानानामक्शरं ब्रह्म यत्परम् ।
अभयं तितीर्षतां पारं नाचिकेतँ शकेमहि ॥ २ ॥
The ones who perform Vedic rituals with devotion so as to attain absolute bliss or Brahm, must switch to Gyan Marga or the path of wisdom/knowledge because that’s the only bridge to attain bliss in all its radiance.
The Gyan Marga, or the path of knowledge/wisdom, is difficult and tricky because the scriptures haven’t defined or suggested a cut and dried way to attain salvation through the path of knowledge.
Gautam Buddha (born: 564 BC, Lumbini, Nepal), the enlightened one, went on a long search for salvation and found his way. Mahavira (born 599 BC), a contemporary of Buddha, went on in search for salvation and found his own solution to man’s varied problems. As with Moses, the Grace dawned upon Guru Nanak in the wilderness when Nanak was wandering like a hermit.
In Sanskrit there is a word “Mumuxu” or Mumukshu (मुमुक्षु) which specifically means: “a person who is out to seek truth so as to achieve salvation”. The word is widely used in Buddhism as well as in Jainism and connotes the same meaning.
In Bhagawadagita chapter 4, shlok 37 Krishna extols the virtues of Gyan Yoga and says:
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन |
ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा || 37||
As the fire burns all the fuel reducing it to a naught, so sublime knowledge/wisdom burns all the sins of your karma/deeds.
German author Hermann Hesse (2 July 1877 – 9 August 1962) wrote a small but beautiful book Siddhartha (1922) depicting turmoil and turbulence of a young Brahmin boy, a mumuxu, who wanders all over is search of Moksha or salvation. In 1972, Conrad Rooks, an able filmmaker made an equally nice film Siddhartha on the book. Both, the book and the film, amicably depict the spirit behind a true truth-seeker, a mumuxu.
The Hindu scriptures, unfortunately, give no specific guidelines on how to proceed on the Gyan Marga but does say that an able Guru can indeed help one achieve salvation through Gyan Marga.
While most Hindu scriptures suggest study of Hindu scriptures, particularly Vedas and Vedanta in order to achieve salvation through Gyan Marga, I for one, firmly believe that knowledge and wisdom is not the sole monopoly of the Hindus. The west has given us great thinkers as well.