Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita 6.6
Chapter 6, verse 6: the Sanskrit, the Roman letters, the meaning and what it is used for.
बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्
bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat
Meaning
For the one who has conquered the self by the self, the self is a friend; but for one who has not, the self remains hostile, like an enemy.
Explanation
This verse completes the idea of 6.5. The mind is not an enemy by nature, but untrained it behaves like one: it keeps reminding us of old resentments, it scrolls when we meant to sleep. Training it, through practice, makes it an ally.
Where it fits
This is verse 6 of 47 in chapter 6, "The yoga of meditation" (Dhyana Yoga). previous verse (6.5) · next verse (6.7)
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Related verses
- Bhagavad Gita 2.62
- Bhagavad Gita 2.63
- Bhagavad Gita 4.18
- Bhagavad Gita 6.5
- Bhagavad Gita 6.17
- Bhagavad Gita 6.35
Questions people ask
What does Bhagavad Gita 6.6 mean?
For the one who has conquered the self by the self, the self is a friend; but for one who has not, the self remains hostile, like an enemy.
Where is this verse?
It is verse 6 of chapter 6 (The yoga of meditation), which has 47 verses.
Meanings and explanations are our own wording, not an authorised translation. Readers of the Gita follow different traditions and teachers; please ask yours about what you read here.