Verse 10

In plain words

And there is more —

Toward me — toward the Lord himself — with a devotion that never splits its attention, an unwavering focus: this means holding firmly, without ever slipping, the conviction 'there is nothing higher than the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva; he alone is where I belong.' That settled, unshakable certainty is what undivided devotion means; and worship carried by that certainty is bhakti — never wavering, never straying. And that too is knowledge. 'Frequenting secluded places' means this: a place is 'secluded' whether by its own nature or because it has been made that way — free of filth, free of snakes and tigers and everything dangerous, marked out instead by forests, rivers, sandbanks, or temples. Someone whose habit is to seek out such places is called a 'frequenter of secluded places,' and this very habit is what the phrase names. Why does it matter? Because in a secluded place the mind settles, grows clear — and out of that clarity, contemplation of the Self begins to arise, right there in the silence. That is why seeking out solitude counts as knowledge. 'Non-delight' means finding no pleasure in a crowd — but which crowd? A gathering of people who are coarse, uncultivated, undisciplined; that is what 'crowd' means here, not a gathering of refined, well-trained people, since that kind of company actually helps you toward knowledge. So it is non-delight in the company of ordinary, unrefined people, specifically, that counts as knowledge — because that is exactly what it serves.

Close to the Sanskrit

And what more —

Toward me — that is, toward the Lord — by undivided devotion, [that is] by undistracted concentration — [namely,] the settled, unwavering conviction: 'There is no other higher than the Blessed Lord Vāsudeva; therefore he alone is our refuge' — [is] ananyayoga; devotion by means of that [is] bhakti — not of a wavering disposition, [that is,] unwavering. And that [is] knowledge. 'Viviktadeśasevitva' [means]: 'secluded' — whether by nature or by [deliberate] preparation, free from impurities and so on, and from snakes, tigers, and so on — a place made secluded by forests, rivers, sandbanks, temples and so on [is called] a 'place'; to frequent it is his habit — thus [he is called] a 'frequenter of secluded places'; the state of that [is] viviktadeśasevitva. For in secluded places the mind becomes tranquil; from which, contemplation of the Self and so on arises in seclusion. Therefore, dwelling in secluded places is called knowledge. 'Arati' [is] not delighting in the assembly of [common] people — a gathering of people who are unrefined, devoid of cultivation, undisciplined — [such] a gathering [is called] 'the assembly of [common] people'; not an assembly of the cultured, the disciplined — because that [latter kind] is helpful to knowledge. Therefore, non-delight in the assembly of ordinary people, because it serves the purpose of knowledge, [is] knowledge.

In plain words

“Next, to have ‘Bhakti without thought of another’. It is not like thinking of Veṅkaṭaramaṇa in a time of crisis and, the moment comfort comes, putting Śrīnivāsa out of one's mind. Nor is it like a relish used just for the moment, the way one takes a little sour pickle for taste when the mouth has gone stale. Whatever comes, at all times and in all states, one must remain never separated from God. Such ‘ananya yoga’ is what is called ‘ananya Bhakti’, Bhakti without thought of another. Whatever work one does, whatever word one speaks, whatever song one sings, if it holds attachment to God, that is ananya Bhakti.”

“Next, ‘ekāntavāsa’; one must have a relish for it. That is, merely keeping the body in a place where there is no one and no coming and going of people, in the forests, is not ekāntavāsa. To make Manas free of sense-objects is ‘abhyantara ekānta’: not keeping company with other thoughts or with other persons, but with God alone; and, even if one does join sādhakas who are elders, keeping one's relation with them free of sense-objects.”

In plain words

“Now the eighteenth quality of Jñāna: ‘having no fondness for crowds of people’. That is, not falling into company with those attached to sense-objects. Even in the midst of cruel beasts one may easily attain the settled state, but it is not possible to keep up sādhana while moving among ordinary, unlettered people. A person's sādhana forms its bond according to the company he keeps. Join the good, and good association follows; join the bad, and bad habits come about.”