Jñāna yoga, also known as Jnanamarga, is one of the several spiritual paths in Hinduism that emphasizes the «path of knowledge», also known as the «path of self-realization». The jnana yoga is a spiritual practice that pursues knowledge with questions such as «who am I, what am I» among others. Jnana is knowledge, and refers to any cognitive event that is correct and true over time. According to Jones and Anti gravity yoga amsterdam, jnana in jnana yoga context is better understood as «realization or gnosis», referring to a «path of study» wherein one knows the unity between self and ultimate reality called Brahman in Hinduism.

This explanation is found in the ancient Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita. Jñāna yoga is the path towards attaining jnana. It is one of the three classical types of yoga mentioned in Hindu philosophies, the other two being karma yoga and bhakti. Of the three different paths to liberation, jnana marga and karma marga are the more ancient, traceable to Vedic era literature. These teachings are found in the early Upanishads.

The teachings in the Upanishads have been interpreted in a number of ways, ranging from non-theistic monism to theistic dualism. According to Robert Roeser, the precepts of Jnana yoga in Hinduism were likely systematized by about 500 BCE, earlier than Karma yoga and Bhakti yoga. In the Bhagavad Gita, jnana yoga is also referred to as buddhi yoga and its goal is self-realization. The text considers jnana marga as the most difficult, slow, confusing for those who prefer it because it deals with «formless reality», the avyakta. It is the path that intellectually oriented people tend to prefer. The chapter 4 of the Bhagavad Gita is dedicated to the general exposition of jnana yoga, while chapters 7 and 16 discuss its theological and axiological aspects.

Truly, there is nothing here as pure as knowledge. In time, he who is perfected in yoga finds that in his own Atman. Classical Advaita Vedanta emphasises the path of Jnana Yoga to attain moksha. Advaitin listens and discusses the ideas, concepts, questions and answers. Manana refers to thinking on these discussions and contemplating over the various ideas based on svadhyaya and sravana. Nididhyāsana refers to meditation, realization and consequent conviction of the truths, non-duality and a state where there is a fusion of thought and action, knowing and being. These practices, with the help of a guru are believed to lead to correct knowledge, which destroys avidya, psychological and perceptual errors related to Atman and Brahman.

Both the theistic and monistic streams of Shaivism include jnana yoga ideas, along with those related to karma yoga, and in the case of Saiva Siddhanta ideas related to bhakti yoga. The Shaivism traditions do not consider renunciation necessary for practicing jnana yoga, leaving ascetic yogi lifestyle optional. The methodology of sravana, manana and nididhyasana similar to Advaita Vedanta are also found in various traditions of Shaivism. However, nistha or samadhi is sometimes added in Shaiva methodology. The aim of jnana yoga in Vaishnavism differs from that in other schools. Advaita, for example, considers jnana yoga as the path to nondual self-knowledge and moksha.