Bhagavad Gita · Dhyana Yoga — The Yoga of Meditation
Chapter 6, Verse 5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
Meaning
One must elevate oneself through the power of 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.
मनुष्य को अपने ही मन के द्वारा स्वयं का उद्धार करना चाहिए, स्वयं को अधोगति में नहीं ले जाना चाहिए। मन ही आत्मा का मित्र है और मन ही आत्मा का शत्रु है।
Explanation
This verse places responsibility for one's inner state squarely on oneself, without appeal to external circumstances or outside help. The mind is described as capable of being either a person's greatest ally or their greatest obstacle — the same faculty that can lift someone toward clarity and discipline can just as easily pull them toward self-sabotage and confusion. Krishna isn't describing two different minds; it's the same mind, and the outcome depends on how it's directed and trained, which is the central concern of Chapter 6's teaching on meditation and self-discipline.
Life Lesson
This verse is often cited as an early, direct statement of a principle central to modern psychology and self-help thinking: your relationship with your own mind determines far more of your experience than external circumstances do. It places the work of growth within one's own control — not easy, but not dependent on anything outside oneself either.
Context
Spoken by Krishna early in Chapter 6, which is devoted to Dhyana Yoga, the practice of meditation. This verse sets up the chapter's broader teaching on self-mastery before moving into the more detailed instructions on meditative practice that follow, including the "lamp in a windless place" simile in [6.19](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-6/verse-19/).
Why this verse matters
This verse is frequently quoted independently of its scriptural context in discussions of self-discipline and mental health, as one of the clearest statements in classical Indian philosophy of the mind’s dual capacity to help or harm its owner.
Related verses
Read together with Chapter 6, Verse 19, which describes what a well-trained, steady mind actually looks like in practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.5 mean?
One must elevate oneself through the power of 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.
What is the life lesson of this verse?
This verse is often cited as an early, direct statement of a principle central to modern psychology and self-help thinking: your relationship with your own mind determines far more of your experience than external circumstances do. It places the work of growth within one's own control — not easy, but not dependent on anything outside oneself either.
What is the context of this verse?
Spoken by Krishna early in Chapter 6, which is devoted to Dhyana Yoga, the practice of meditation. This verse sets up the chapter's broader teaching on self-mastery before moving into the more detailed instructions on meditative practice that follow, including the "lamp in a windless place" simile in [6.19](/bhagavad-gita/chapter-6/verse-19/).