Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 13, Verse 11
Verse 11
The Yoga of the Field and the Knower of the Field
Unwavering devotion to Me through exclusive yoga, resorting to secluded places, and aversion to the company of worldly people—
Context & Meaning
Among the qualities of knowledge, devotion (bhakti) reappears — unwavering, exclusive, without deviation. This is the same avyabhicāriṇī bhakti that will be described in Chapter 18 as the highest form of worship. Along with devotion: a preference for solitude (vivikta-deśa — secluded places) and a natural distancing from excessive social noise (arati-janasaṃsadi — lack of enthusiasm for crowded worldly gatherings). These outer habits reflect an inner orientation — the seeker of truth naturally gravitates toward the conditions that support contemplation.
Scholar Commentaries
1 commentary · Public domainRamanujacharya
VishishtadvaitaIt is striking that bhakti — devotion — appears in this list of qualities that constitute jñāna, knowledge. For Ramanuja, this confirms what the entire Gita implies: knowledge and devotion are not two different paths but two aspects of the same orientation toward the Divine. True knowledge includes love; true devotion includes understanding.