Vishnu Mind & Self-Control Bhagavad Gita Verse
Bhagavad Gita 6.5: Krishna says one should lift oneself up and not let oneself sink, for the self is both friend and enemy. Sanskrit and meaning.
Sanskrit
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
The word “ātman” (self) appears several times in this verse, joined to other words, which is why the lines look crowded. The text is not changed.
Transliteration (IAST)
uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet |
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ ||
Meaning
Lift yourself up by your own effort; do not let yourself sink down. The self alone is its own friend, and the self alone is its own enemy.
Source / Textual Reference
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 (Chapter 6, verse 5)
The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. It records a talk between Krishna and the warrior Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra, just before a great battle. Krishna is the speaker.
Traditional Significance
Many teachers read “self” here as the mind. The verse says that a person’s greatest helper or hindrance is within. The next verse (Gita 6.6) explains it: the self is a friend to the person who has mastered it, and acts like an enemy to the person who has not.
The verse is an encouragement to take responsibility for one’s own steadiness.
Traditional Practice
The verse is read, studied and reflected on, often together with Gita 6.6. There is no fixed time or number of repetitions.
Related Content
- Gita 6.35, steadying the restless mind
- Krishna Janmashtami
- Yaj Jagrato Duram Udaiti, a prayer for a good mind