Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 6 › Verse 5
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5: Be your own best friend
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥
uddharedātmanātmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ
Meaning
One should raise oneself by oneself and not let oneself sink; for the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is its enemy. The following verse (6.6) explains when the self is friend and when foe.
For children
Krishna says: “Help yourself up when you feel down. Be a good friend to yourself, and say kind things to yourself.”
In the chapter on meditation, Kṛṣṇa explains how the disciplined mind helps a person.
Word by word
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं — Lift yourself up by yourself
- uddharet: one should lift up
- ātman: self, oneself
नात्मानमवसादयेत् — do not let yourself sink down
- na: not
- avasādayet: one should let sink, discourage
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुर् — you alone are your own friend
- eva: indeed, alone
- hi: for, surely
- bandhu: friend, relative
आत्मैव रिपुरात्मनः — and you alone can be your own enemy
- ripu: enemy
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.