Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 6, verse 5 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 · Uddhared Atmanatmanam
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
uddharedātmanātmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet |
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ ||
Translation
Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is one’s friend, and the self alone is one’s enemy.
Explanation
A call to personal responsibility. Our own mind, disciplined, becomes our greatest ally; left undisciplined, it becomes our worst opponent.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga — “The Yoga of Meditation”, which has 47 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.5 mean?
Lift yourself by your own self; do not let yourself sink. The self alone is one’s friend, and the self alone is one’s enemy.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 6.5?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 6, Dhyana Yoga (The Yoga of Meditation).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.