Chapter 06, Verse 05
श्रीभगवानुवाच:
उद्धरेदात्मनाऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन:॥6.5॥
sri-bhagavan uvaca:
uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet।
atmaiva hyatmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah ॥6.5॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
श्रीभगवानुवाच: (sri-bhagavan uvaca) |
The Supreme Lord said: This marks Krishna’s first direct
speech in the Bhagavad Gita, where he begins guiding
Arjuna. |
|
उद्धरेत् (uddharet) |
One should uplift |
|
आत्मना (atmana) |
By the self |
|
आत्मानम् (atmanam) |
The self (own self) |
|
न (na) |
Not |
|
अवसादयेत् (vasadayet) |
Degrade, bring down |
|
आत्मा (atma) |
The self |
|
एव (atmai) |
Certainly |
|
हि (hi) |
Indeed |
|
आत्मन: (atmanah) |
Of the self |
|
बन्धु: (bandhuh) |
Friend |
|
आत्मा (atma) |
The self |
|
एव (atmai) |
Certainly |
|
रिपु: (ripuh) |
Enemy |
|
आत्मन: (atmanah) |
Of the self |
Translation
“A man who does not think for himself does not think at all. A man has to work so hard so that something of his personality makes its entry into the work, he gives it himself. Mind is the friend of conditioned soul, and his enemy also.”
Context of the Verse:
This is verse from Chapter 6 Dhyana Yoga (Yoga through meditation). In this chapter Lord Krishna explains the necessity of following the procedures of meditation and self-realization.
In Verse 5 Krishna wins up this thought on salvation by self-effort and self-reliance. The candidate should rise spiritually, of his own accord, and not importune. The verse highlights the fact that one’s worst enemy or best friend is none other than Self whose control is a limit.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Self-effort is paramount: No one else can really lift you up. You must act yourself.
- Don’t degrade yourself: Refrain from acts of negativity, sloth or regret.
- Your mind can be a friend or an enemy: A disciplined mind is a powerful asset; with an undisciplined mind, you’re slave.
- Internal discipline: This plea is for one to master oneself and take ownership of one’s evolutionary path.
- Personal responsibility: We make our destiny.
Relevance to Arjuna:
- Arjuna became dispirited and bewildered on the battlefield. This verse describes his mental paralysis and despair.
- Krishna tells Arjuna that nobody can bring him out of this weakness except himself, he has to become his own support.
- It inspires Arjuna to quit making lame excuses and instead take control of his own mind and his Dharma (duty).
- This is a part of Krishna’s ploy to enable Arjuna to gather up emotional strength and then direct him towards more advanced Yogic
Explanation:
In the Vedas or Mahabharat it is said that this body like a chariot.
In Chariot there are horses. The horses stand for the organs. We have got five senses. Our body, chariot of body is five-horsed, eyes, ear, nose etc. It is because of these senses alone that we can move and do our activities. Chariot cannot run without horses. The horses are guided by reins. So, what are the reins in this body? That is the mind. Mind is controlling the senses. Sense-organs are compared with horses, and the mind with reins.
Who controls the mind? That is intelligence, faculty of discrimination. Intelligence is the charioteer, and who is the driver of the chariot? That is the soul. So, we’re the passenger in this chariot. And you are supposed to direct the intelligence. Intelligence tells me to start to head things this way. And intelligence controlling the reins. It directs the horses. You pick me up this side that side and if a person has not trained mind quite as well the senses are going to be loose and so you are going to have a very terrible ride. And now that’s what is going on with us. Rather than us (as an actor) straining the mind and intelligence. We are going by the senses. They are racing with a wild fury in every direction where they get a bit of grass or anything to eat and then we are having a fearfully rough ride and hard pulling. So, this Vedic culture is training so senses may be regulated very nicely by making controller, the chariot driver, the intelligence, strong.
Thus, by intelligence, by mind its mentioned here, one should make you raise and not fall. So one who has subdued the mind. The mind is friend, that which is does not have control over the mind. Mind will serve as enemy. That Krishna will clarify in the next verse.
Chapter 06, Verse 06
बन्धुरात्माऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः।
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्॥6.6॥
bandhur atmatmanas tasya yenatmaivatmana jitah।
anatmanah tu satrutve vartet atmaiva satruvat॥6.6॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
बन्धुः (bandhuh) |
Friend |
|
आत्मा (atma) |
The self |
|
आत्मनः (atmanah) |
Of the self |
|
तस्य (tasya) |
Of him |
|
येन (yena) |
By whom |
|
आत्मा (atma) |
The self |
|
एव (eva) |
Certainly |
|
आत्मना (atmana) |
By the self |
|
जितः (jitah) |
Conquered |
|
अनात्मनः (anatmanah) |
Of one who has not conquered the self |
|
तु (tu) |
but |
|
शत्रुत्वे (satrutve) |
In enmity |
|
वर्तेत (vartet) |
Behaves / acts |
|
आत्मा (atma) |
The self |
|
एव (eva) |
Indeed |
|
शत्रुवत् (satruvat) |
Like an enemy |
Translation
“One who has controlled the mind is the best of friends, but among those who have failed to do so, the mind will be the greatest enemy.”
Context of the Verse:
This verse from Chapter 6 verses introduces the path of meditation and self-control (Dhyana Yoga). In this chapter, Krishna explains how a Yogi be, act and tame mind and body. The struggle that each student experiences is described in verse 6, thus battling the self-discipline and gross mind-slavery.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Self-Mastery is Key: In the path of Yoga, as in the spiritual life, one must gain control over their own mind.
- The Mind is Dual in Nature:
- A friend when disciplined.
- An enemy when uncontrolled.
- Internal Success: Actual success is not what you do in life, but what you Become by mastering your thoughts and emotions!
- Self is Cause and Cure: The line lays the responsibility of one’s spiritual growth on the individual.
Relevance to Arjuna:
- The Gita opens with Arjuna in a state of emotional and mental crisis.
- Krishna insists with this verse that the real power must be internal for both himself and the sincere spiritual aspirants he represents to eventually come to terms with it.
- Prior to going out to battle or performing any external acts, one needs to attain inner clarity and control over the mind.
- It also sets up Arjuna to understand that triumph in battle must be preceded by transcending oneself.
Explanation:
Anyone who has conquered the mind, he’s able to very nice to control the mind, he is, because mind is best friend. And if one has not been, and one is following the orders of the mind then it is very dangerous. Mind becomes one’s enemy. What is enemy? Enemy is someone who takes over your treasures, who loots you, who makes you a prisoner or at the end, who comes and kills you. And in actual fact, everything is happening to us due to mind. The intellect makes us feel: “I am the body and the body enjoyment is my enjoyment,” and it is mine and therefore I spends up all the money earned in my life.
For fleeting temporary inferior sense pleasure, that we are not even satisfied with. It’s so fleeting and this desire to enjoy is always increasing here. In this process, mind loots all our money by dragging us in temporary sense enjoyments. So enemy is this uncontrolled mind, it is plundering you. Then the enemy can take you do slavery. And that’s what mind does to us. You are the body’s illusion created by the mind. This life is only live. You should be famous. I should keep and show status and status, so mind makes one work very hard day and night and mind doesn’t know no, I’m not the body, I’m spirit, I’m soul, I’m eternal. Why am I slaving away for a temporary job? I ought to hammer something on to the eternal platform that will last. The mind is the one which makes illusion and it makes us work very, very hard, day in and day out and everything that we achieve, it gets left here with the body. So, mind puts us to slavery. And then last of all mind generates such vast amount of material desiring that we have to accept so many bodies, one body after another, one after another, taking birth, dying. Thereby, uncontrolled mind is a cause of death.
So, the death and other problem. diseases, old age, so much hard working, so much mental anxiety, so much stress, so many – all these things are being given to just on account that we have a mind which is uncontrollable and who happens to be also our enemy. So, this is very important. We are trying to control missiles, cruise missiles, satellites, space vehicles, but we have not learned to control aggression, jealousy, envy, the mind that produces all these.
So, Krishna is saying your mind is the greatest enemy if it is uncontrolled, and it is the best friend if it is controlled. So controlling of mind, this training, is most, most important. It is known as Shamaha mind control, which the Brahmacharis were taught in the, Vedic system. Now our children are encouraged. From giver to gifted During my feedback interviews, one parent said, “I believe that if I give them what they want, it will help them.” But actually, it is a reverse. The more you’re teaching them simple living census regulation. The more of knowledge they can gain and they can guide themselves to have best use of mind as best friend.
So, we have to start practicing this very important part of the Yoga, it’s called – dominating the mind. So, there are two ways of doing it, what Krishna will elaborate more.
Chapter 06, Verse 07
जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः।
शीतोष्णसुखदुःखेषु तथा मानापमानयोः॥6.7॥
jitatmanah prasantasya paramatma samahitah।
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu tatha manapamanayoh॥6.7॥
Word-by-Word Analysis
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
|
जितात्मनः (jitatmanah) |
Of one who has conquered the mind |
|
प्रशान्तस्य (prasantasya) |
Of the peaceful one |
|
परमात्मा (paramatma) |
The Supreme Self |
|
समाहितः (samahitah) |
Is perfectly situated / well-established |
|
शीत (siat) |
Cold |
|
उष्ण (usna) |
Heat |
|
सुख (sukha) |
Pleasure |
|
दुःखेषु (duhkhesu) |
In pain / sorrows |
|
तथा (tatha) |
Likewise / also |
|
मान (mana) |
Honor |
|
अपमानयोः (apamanayoh) |
And dishonour |
Translation
“To him who has conquered the mind, the super soul is reached out, either having obtained peace. To such a man prosperity and adversity, heat and cold, honour and dishonour are same to him.”
Context of the Verse:
In Chapter 6, Lord Krishna furthers explains about the characteristics of a Yogi-one who meditates and does inner discipline. This verse is a continuation of verse 6 which spoke about the significance of self-control. Here, Krishna describes the positive ramifications of such mastery; inner peace, stillness and connection with the Paramatma (Supreme Self) irrespective of any external duality.
Key Teachings in This Verse:
- Conquest of Mind is Victory: Conquer the mind to attain peace.
- Union with the Supreme: The tranquil and controlled soul is already united with the Paramatma.
- Equanimity is Important: Because a yogi does not affect by binary natures such as:
- Heat and cold
- Pleasure and pain
- Honor and dishonours
- Therefore, Realization takes place within: It is the result of self-discipline, not external practice.
Relevance to Arjuna:
- Arjuna is feeling so weak and drowning in grief and doubt.
- Krishna is leading him to a state of inner equilibrium: something which is very essential to take wise decisions.
- It also focuses on mental balance in detached situations, something Arjuna must have as a soldier on the field.
- It unconsciously conditions him to do duty detached-a fundamental Gita teaching.
Explanation:
One has transcended the mind super-soul. All this is the end of this eightfold Yoga, viz., that which is here described.
It is already arrived, because mind is our driver. It’s taking us all over the place, either to repeated birth and death or to the kingdom of God. Meanwhile if you sit in a grand car with a driver who’s pretty disciplined, you are supposed to have arrived. You relax the moment you’re on the plane, train, bus. It’s just a matter of time. So am I to my goal likewise. Christianized Telly Super Soul already reached simply. If you can accomplish this, our perfection is secured. Just a matter of time. And to such as he hath subdued the mind, he is always very serene.
We don’t need any external changes if for peace of mind, just control the mind that’s it, and then cold and heat and honour and dishonour is all the same.