Devotion and solitude deepen knowledge.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
मयि चानन्ययोगेन भक्तिरव्यभिचारिणी |विविक्तदेशसेवित्वमरतिर्जनसंसदि ||१३-११||
mayi cānanyayogena bhaktiravyabhicāriṇī . viviktadeśasevitvamaratirjanasaṃsadi ||13-11||
Use this verse for quiet devotion practice.
Meaning
Unswerving devotion to Me through undivided yoga, preference for solitude, and disinterest in crowds.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
True knowledge includes steady devotion and the ability to be inwardly alone.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
Krishna places bhakti inside the definition of knowledge. Undivided devotion, solitude, and freedom from crowd-dependence help the seeker hear the inner truth clearly.
Read the traditional commentary
At the heart of this catalogue of wisdom Krishna places ananya-bhakti — unwavering devotion to the Divine through the yoga of non-separation. Knowledge in the Gita is never bloodless analysis; it culminates in love. Avyabhichaarini bhakti is devotion that does not stray, a heart so settled in the Divine that it is no longer pulled apart by competing attachments.
To nurture such steadiness, Krishna commends seeking out clean, solitary places and feeling a natural disinterest in restless social crowds. This is not misanthropy but a recognition that the mind is shaped by its surroundings. Quiet supports inner depth, while constant noise scatters it.
The aspirant withdraws not from people in contempt but toward stillness in love. Solitude here is the soil in which uninterrupted remembrance of God can grow, ripening eventually into a devotion that remains unbroken even when one returns to the world.
In daily life
Create quiet space for Krishna remembrance.
A person can take five minutes away from social noise to chant or reflect.
Try this today
Spend five quiet minutes with Krishna today.
My devotion grows in quiet inner space.Reflect
Do I depend too much on crowds and noise?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘अरतिः जनसंसदि’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on bhakti, in other chapters
- Verse 11.54Only wholehearted, single-minded devotion opens the path to truly know, see, and unite with the Divine.
- Verse 14.26Unwavering devotion to the Divine carries you beyond Nature's qualities more surely than struggle ever could.
- Verse 15.19To truly know the Supreme is to love and worship Him with your whole heart.
- Verse 18.54The peace of Self-realization flowers naturally into the highest love and devotion for the Divine.
Swipe left for 13.12 · Knowledge is lived insight, not information alone.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 13.11
Who says Bhagavad Gita 13.11, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 13.11, in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga (Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 13.11 mean?
Unswerving devotion to Me through undivided yoga, preference for solitude, and disinterest in crowds. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 13.11 for daily life?
Create quiet space for Krishna remembrance. A person can take five minutes away from social noise to chant or reflect.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 13.11 mean?
मयि च अनन्ययोगेन — and unto Me by the yoga of non-separation; भक्तिः अव्यभिचारिणी — unswerving, unwavering devotion; विविक्तदेशसेवित्वम् — resort to solitary, clean places; अरतिः जनसंसदि — distaste for crowds and noisy gatherings.
Where does verse 13.11 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 11 of 35 in Chapter 13, Kshetra Kshetrajna Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 13.12.