Jnana yoga knowledge of a Vishnu avatar or Shiva or Shakti (Goddess) that is emphasized. In all its various interpretations, the paths are not necessarily mutually exclusive. A "Jnana yogi" may also practice "Karma yoga" or "Bhakti yoga" or both, and differing levels of emphasis. 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
Vedas and "Know your Ātman" their thematic focus. The Upanishads are the foundation of Hindu philosophical thought and its diverse traditions. Of the Vedic corpus, they alone are widely known, and the central ideas of the Upanishads have influenced the diverse traditions of Hinduism. "Aranyakas" are sometimes identified as "karma-kanda" (ritualistic section), while the Upanishads are identified as "jnana-kanda" (spirituality section). In an alternate classification, the early part of Vedas are called Samhitas and the commentary are called the Brahmanas which together are identified as the ceremonial "karma-kanda", while "Aranyakas" and "Upanishads" are referred to as the "jnana-kanda". The Vedangas developed