Jnana

In Indian philosophical thought, a
word with different meanings in
different contexts. The word jnana is
derived from the verb “to know,” and
one of its meanings, at least in a
perceptual context, is “awareness.” In a
more abstract sense it stands for what
it means to truly “know” something;
320
Jiva
along with karmamarga and the
bhaktimarga, the jnanamarga is one of
the paths to liberation of the soul
mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. In this
latter context, an appropriate translation might be “wisdom” or “realization,”
since this is not the sort of “knowledge”
that comes from reading a book or
receiving instruction, but instead
reflects profound understanding gained
through great effort.