Uplift oneself by one’s own mind – Kṛṣṇa – BG 6.5

Bhagavad Gita 6.5

Sanskrit:
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥

Transliteration:

uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ

Meaning:

One should uplift oneself by one’s own mind, and not degrade oneself.
The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and likewise its enemy.

Context (important nuance):

Krishna is explaining the role of the mind (manas) in self-mastery. The “self” here refers to the embodied being (jīva in identification with mind-body), not the pure Ātman itself. The message is practical:

• If the mind is disciplined and aligned → it becomes a friend
• If uncontrolled and driven by desire → it becomes an enemy
• Liberation begins with inner responsibility, not external blame