The goal matters more than the label of the path.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
यत्साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते |एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च यः पश्यति स पश्यति ||५-५||
yatsāṅkhyaiḥ prāpyate sthānaṃ tadyogairapi gamyate . ekaṃ sāṅkhyaṃ ca yogaṃ ca yaḥ paśyati sa paśyati ||5-5||
Use this verse when comparing spiritual paths.
Meaning
The state reached by followers of knowledge is also reached by followers of action. One who sees knowledge and action as one truly sees.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Different paths can lead to the same spiritual realization.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This verse deepens the previous teaching. Krishna says that knowledge and action, when correctly practiced, lead to the same goal. The key is not external label but inner maturity. A reflective seeker and an active servant can both reach truth if their practice is sincere, disciplined, and free from ego.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna drives the point home with luminous simplicity. The sthana — the supreme state attained by those on the path of knowledge — is exactly the same state reached by those who follow the path of selfless action. The destination is one; only the approaches differ.
The final line is a definition of true vision: 'He sees, who sees knowledge and action as one.' To perceive the underlying unity of the two paths is itself a mark of wisdom. The one who grasps this no longer wastes energy debating which is higher; they recognize that knowledge ripens in action and action is illumined by knowledge.
This integrated seeing — samyag-darshana — is the clarity Arjuna sought. Right understanding precedes right living, and here understanding and doing are revealed as a single movement.
In daily life
Respect different sincere spiritual temperaments.
One person may grow through meditation, another through service, and both can progress toward the same truth.
Try this today
Appreciate one sincere path different from your own.
I honor every sincere path to truth.Reflect
Do I judge others because their practice looks different from mine?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on action, in other chapters
- Verse 4.33All action ultimately ripens into knowledge; the offering of wisdom surpasses every material sacrifice.
- Verse 9.15The one Reality receives every sincere seeker, whether they approach it as one, as distinct, or as manifold.
- Verse 2.4 · ArjunaDistinguish between personal reverence and contextual duty — honoring someone does not always mean deferring to them.
- Verse 3.1 · ArjunaWhen spiritual ideals seem to clash with hard duties, bring the confusion into the open rather than using it as an excuse to retreat.
Swipe left for 5.6 · Inner discipline must support outer renunciation.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 5.5
Who says Bhagavad Gita 5.5, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 5.5, in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga (Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 5.5 mean?
The state reached by followers of knowledge is also reached by followers of action. One who sees knowledge and action as one truly sees. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 5.5 for daily life?
Respect different sincere spiritual temperaments. One person may grow through meditation, another through service, and both can progress toward the same truth.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 5.5 mean?
यत् स्थानम् — that state / abode; साङ्ख्यैः प्राप्यते — is reached by the followers of knowledge; तत् योगैः अपि — that too by the Yogis; गम्यते — is attained; एकम् साङ्ख्यम् च योगम् च — knowledge and action as one.
Where does verse 5.5 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 5 of 29 in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 5.6.