Bhagavad Gita Chapter 6, Verse 5 contains one of the most empowering teachings in the entire scripture. Krishna places complete responsibility for spiritual progress in our own hands while simultaneously affirming our capacity for self-transformation.
This verse appears at the opening of Krishna's teaching on meditation (dhyana) in Chapter 6. Before explaining the techniques of meditation, Krishna establishes the fundamental principle: you must save yourself by yourself. No external force can do the inner work for you.
The repetition of "atman" (self) in various forms throughout this verse creates a powerful rhetorical effect while conveying precise philosophical meaning:
The verb "uddharet" (should lift up) comes from "ud" (up) and "hr" (to carry). It implies actively carrying oneself upward - not passive waiting but deliberate effort. This same root appears in "uddharana" (rescue, deliverance). We must rescue ourselves from the ocean of samsara (worldly existence). No one else can swim for us.
Chapter 6 (Dhyana Yoga - The Yoga of Meditation) focuses on meditation as the means to achieve the mental equanimity described in Chapter 2. Before giving meditation techniques, Krishna establishes foundational principles.
The chapter begins by clarifying who is a true yogi and renunciate:
Verse 6.5 introduces a theme that verse 6.6 elaborates. Where 6.5 speaks of the self as friend or enemy, 6.6 explains what determines which: whether the mind is conquered or unconquered. Together, these verses establish that our internal relationship with ourselves determines our spiritual destiny.
"Uddhared atmanatmanam" - Lift yourself up by your own self. This is both a command and an affirmation. You MUST do it yourself, and you CAN do it yourself.
1. No External Savior
While grace, teachers, and scriptures help, no one can do the inner work for us. Enlightenment cannot be transferred like knowledge of facts. Each person must walk the path themselves.
2. The Capacity Is Within
By telling us to uplift ourselves by our self, Krishna affirms we have the capacity. The higher self within each of us can transform the lower. We are not helpless.
3. The Urgency of Action
The imperative mood (uddharet - one SHOULD uplift) conveys urgency. This is not optional self-improvement but essential spiritual work. Our situation demands action.
The Sanskrit "uddharet" implies lifting from a lower to higher state:
"Natmanam avasadayet" - Do not let yourself sink. This is equally important. It's not enough to make occasional spiritual effort; we must also avoid choices that degrade us:
"The human being has the unique capacity for both great elevation and terrible degradation. Unlike animals fixed in their nature, we can rise to divine heights or sink to demonic depths. This freedom is both our glory and our danger."
- Traditional Commentary
The second half of the verse reveals a profound truth: we are our own best friend and worst enemy.
An external friend can offer advice, support, resources. But no friend can think your thoughts, make your choices, or walk your path. Ultimately, you must be your own friend - supporting yourself in doing what's right, encouraging yourself through difficulties, being compassionate yet honest with yourself.
Similarly, no external enemy can harm you as much as you can harm yourself. Others can damage your body, reputation, possessions. But only you can damage your character, waste your potential, and destroy your own peace. The unconquered mind causes suffering that no external enemy can match.
The Gita opens on a battlefield (Kurukshetra), but the real battle is internal. The Pandavas and Kauravas represent the higher and lower tendencies within us. Arjuna's dilemma is our dilemma: will we fight for dharma or surrender to adharma? Will we be our own friend or enemy?
This verse establishes radical self-responsibility. We cannot blame parents, society, karma, or God for our spiritual state. We have the power - and therefore the responsibility - to uplift ourselves. This is simultaneously terrifying and liberating.
The verse recognizes an internal duality - we can be friend or enemy to ourselves. This isn't the ultimate non-dual reality but the practical condition of the spiritual seeker. We experience ourselves as divided, with higher and lower aspects. Practice involves the higher aspect disciplining and eventually transforming the lower.
By commanding self-upliftment, Krishna affirms human free will. We are not mechanically determined by past karma or present circumstances. We have the capacity to choose, to change, to evolve. This freedom is the basis of all spiritual practice.
How does this verse relate to teachings on divine grace? Both are true at different levels. At the practical level, we must make effort - no one can meditate for us. At a deeper level, the very capacity for self-upliftment is a divine gift. Our effort and grace are not opposed but complementary.
The word "atman" appears multiple times in this verse, referring to different aspects of the self:
The aspect that does the uplifting. This is the discriminating awareness that can observe thoughts and feelings, make conscious choices, and direct attention. In this verse, it's the "self" that must be developed and employed in spiritual work.
The aspect that needs uplifting. The mind with its endless desires, the senses with their cravings, the ego with its defensiveness - these constitute what must be disciplined and transformed.
Beyond both higher and lower aspects is the eternal atman - pure consciousness, witness of all. This atman is already liberated, already perfect. The "upliftment" is really a removal of ignorance that obscures this ever-present truth.
Spiritual practice involves the higher self (buddhi) using various means to discipline and transform the lower self (manas), eventually revealing the true Self (atman) that was never bound to begin with. This verse captures the beginning of this process - taking responsibility and beginning the work.
This verse speaks directly to mental health. Our internal self-relationship determines psychological well-being. Self-criticism, self-sabotage, negative self-talk - these are ways we become our own enemy. Cultivating self-compassion, self-acceptance, and positive self-care - these are ways we become our own friend.
Addiction perfectly illustrates being one's own enemy - knowingly choosing what harms us. Recovery involves becoming our own friend - supporting ourselves in making different choices, being patient with setbacks, creating conditions for change.
This verse is the foundation of all genuine self-improvement. External resources help, but change happens only when WE do the work. No book, course, or coach can substitute for our own effort. The responsibility is ours.
How we treat ourselves affects how we relate to others. Those who are their own enemy often project that hostility outward. Those who are their own friend can more easily be friends to others. Self-cultivation is not selfishness but the basis for healthy relating.
Before leading others, one must lead oneself. A leader who cannot manage their own mind, emotions, and impulses will struggle to guide others effectively. Self-mastery is the foundation of all leadership.
Ask yourself: If I treated a friend the way I treat myself, would they feel supported or undermined? Would they feel encouraged or criticized? Would they feel helped or sabotaged? This comparison often reveals how we've become our own enemy without realizing it.
Shankara explains that the higher self (associated with discriminating wisdom) must discipline the lower self (mind identified with body). The "enemy" is the mind immersed in worldliness; the "friend" is the mind turned toward knowledge. Ultimately, the atman neither rises nor falls - it's the mind that needs transformation.
Ramanuja emphasizes that while self-effort is essential, its success depends on divine grace. We uplift ourselves by aligning with God's will through devotion. Being our own friend means choosing devotion; being our own enemy means choosing separation from God.
Madhva stresses that the jiva (individual soul) is distinct from God yet dependent on God's grace. We "uplift ourselves" by surrendering to God's will and accepting His guidance. The soul becomes its own friend through devotion and its own enemy through pride and independence from God.
Contemporary teachers often emphasize the psychological dimension - cultivating self-awareness, managing thoughts and emotions, developing positive habits. The verse is seen as affirming human agency and the importance of taking responsibility for one's own growth.
Each morning, set the intention: "Today I will be my own friend, not my own enemy." Each evening, review: Where did I support myself? Where did I sabotage myself? What can I learn?
Notice your internal self-talk throughout the day. Is it the voice of a friend or an enemy? A friend encourages without indulging. An enemy criticizes destructively. Begin shifting the dialogue toward genuine friendship.
Identify one area where you've been letting yourself "sink." Choose one specific action that would represent self-upliftment. Commit to it. This is being your own friend in practice.
Sit quietly and repeat the verse slowly. Contemplate: Who is doing the uplifting? Who is being uplifted? Notice the awareness that can observe both. Rest in that awareness - neither friend nor enemy but the witness of both.
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 teaches that one must elevate oneself by one's own effort - not degrade oneself. The self is its own friend when it supports spiritual growth, and its own enemy when it sabotages growth. This verse places complete responsibility for spiritual progress on the individual while affirming their capacity for self-transformation.
The Sanskrit verse is: "uddhared atmanatmanam natmanam avasadayet, atmaiva hy atmano bandhur atmaiva ripur atmanah." This translates to: "One must elevate oneself by one's own self, not degrade oneself. The self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self."
You become your own friend (bandhur) when the higher self controls the lower self. This happens through self-discipline, meditation, spiritual practice, and aligning actions with dharma. Being your own friend means supporting your growth - encouraging without indulging, being honest without being harsh, making choices that serve your highest welfare.
The self becomes its own enemy (ripu) when the lower nature dominates - undisciplined mind, uncontrolled senses, destructive habits. This self-sabotage manifests as harmful behaviors, self-destructive patterns, negative self-talk, and choices that undermine wellbeing. No external enemy can harm us as much as our own unconquered mind.
Both are important and complementary. At the practical level, we must make effort - no one can meditate or practice for us. At a deeper level, the very capacity for self-upliftment is a divine gift. Grace enables effort; effort opens us to grace. The Gita teaches both self-responsibility (verse 6.5) and divine protection (verse 18.66).
Verse 6.5 establishes the principle: you are your own friend or enemy. Verse 6.6 explains what determines which: one who has conquered the mind has the mind as friend; one who hasn't has it as enemy. Together, they show that our internal relationship with our own mind determines our spiritual destiny.
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