Chapter 6 · Verse 5 · Dhyana Yoga
Bhagavad Gita 6.5
Sanskrit
उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्। आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः।।6.5।।
Transliteration
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ
In plain words
When you feel trapped by your own thoughts—by rage, despair, obsession, or the voice telling you that you're worthless—know that you are not a prisoner of your mind. Krishna says: your mind is not your enemy unless you make it so; it can become your greatest friend, the one who lifts you out of the dark. The power to turn your thoughts toward light, toward compassion for yourself, toward hope—that power is already yours, waiting in this very moment. And if those thoughts are heavy or won't leave, please talk to someone you trust, or a doctor or counsellor. Reaching out is part of being your own friend.
Word by Word
Krishna reveals the deepest truth of self-mastery: your own mind is either your greatest ally or your fiercest adversary — there is no neutral ground. The disciplined mind, turned inward through meditation and wisdom, becomes the ladder by which you ascend to your highest nature; the undisciplined mind becomes the pit into which you fall.
This is not punishment from outside, but the natural law of consciousness itself. In your daily struggles — whether with anger, doubt, or distraction — remember that the power to transform lies entirely within you; every moment offers a choice to elevate or degrade yourself.
Listen
Bhagavad Gita 6.5 — BG 6.5
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