Verse 6.5
Speaker: Krishna
Sanskrit
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
Transliteration (IAST)
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Word-by-Word Meanings
uddharet-one must elevate
ātmanā-by the mind
ātmānam-the self
avasādayet-degrade
bandhuḥ-friend
ripuḥ-enemy
Translation
One must elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. The mind alone is the friend of the self, and the mind alone is the enemy of the self.
Commentary
This is one of the Gita's most empowering verses. Krishna places full responsibility for spiritual progress on the individual. The mind (ātmā used in the sense of manas) is both the instrument of liberation and bondage - it depends entirely on how one trains it.
Themes
atmanyogamoksha