Transliteration
jñāna vijñāna tṛptātmā kūṭastho jitendriyaḥ |
yukta ity-ucyate yogī sama-loṣṭāśma kāñcanaḥ || 8 ||
Translation
A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogī [or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge(jnana) and supra-sensory experience or science(vijnana). Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything-whether it be pebbles, stones or gold-as the same.
Purport
In this Shloka Bhagvan Shri Krishna emphasize the expertise in science along with self-realization. The two words used are used very clearly. The Jnana(ज्ञान) means the self-realization and Vijnana(विज्ञानं) means science. Where self-realization involves the senses and mind to look inward and search the consciousness, the science is empirical methods that involved physical methods, experiments, and observation of physical changes, etc to know the facts. Both are methods to know the truth. Self-realization and science hence are complementary methods and not contradictory.
A true yogi considers all methods of acquiring truth as sacrosanct and ready to use it when required.
