मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी | विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि || ११ ||
mayi cānanya-yogena bhaktir avyabhicāriṇī vivikta-deśa-sevitvam aratir jana-saṁsadi
mayi—unto Me; ca—also; ananya-yogena—with undivided devotion; bhaktiḥ—devotion; avyabhicāriṇī—unswerving; vivikta-deśa—solitary place; sevitvam—inclination; aratiḥ—detachment; jana-saṁsadi—from the crowd of people.
“Unswerving devotion to Me through undivided yoga; inclination toward solitary places; distaste for the company of the masses —”
Here bhakti (devotion) appears in the middle of the list of twenty qualities of knowledge. This is significant: the Gita consistently integrates devotion into the path of knowledge rather than separating them. The 'unswerving' quality (avyabhicharini) means the devotion does not waver regardless of circumstances. The preference for solitude (vivikta-desha) is the natural fruit of a mind that has found its joy within and no longer depends on external stimulation.
The quality of 'aratir janasamsadi' — natural inclination away from idle crowd-seeking — arises as the inner life becomes richer. Notice whether you seek company out of genuine love and purpose or out of the inability to be alone with yourself. The capacity to be contentedly alone is a mark of spiritual maturity. Begin cultivating small periods of intentional solitude.