“Gnana” means “wisdom.”  This is the yoga of path of knowledge.  Otherwise called “Advaita Vedanta.”  Gnana yoga is one of the three yoga mentioned in Bhavat Gita book.  For a gnani, the material world is an illusion and only Brahman (God) is real.  According to Adi Sankara, he describes world as unreal and God is real.

Gnana Yoga claims that Brahman neither does any action nor enjoys the fruits of action.  Only the maya (illusion) does all creation, preservation, and destruction.  The goal of this path is to ascertain God or Brahman as real and maya as illusion.  The tool for this path is mind.  One should analyze what is good and bad by his own mind and reach Brahman.

The gnana yoga has 4 qualities to be followed esoterically by spiritual aspirants.  They are viveka (ability to discriminate between real and unreal), vairagya (dispassion from sensual and worldly pleasures), shadsampat (has six more qualities consists of self-control, serenity, etc), and mumukshutva (intense desire for liberation).

There is a Guru-Shishya equation in this yoga marg.  First, guru teaches the pupil.  Next, the pupil realizes his ignorance and leaves and follows the Guru’s words and lastly the disciple meditates to attain liberation.