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BG 6.6 — 6.6 The Self is the friend of the self of him by whom the self has been conered by the Self, but to the unconered self, this Self stands in the position of
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बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः |
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ||६-६||

bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ . anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ||6-6||


6.6 The Self is the friend of the self of him by whom the self has been conered by the Self, but to the unconered self, this Self stands in the position of an enemy, like an (external) foe.

Word-by-word meanings

6.6 बन्धुः friend? आत्मा the Self? आत्मनः of the self? तस्य his? येन by whom? आत्मा the self? एव even? आत्मना by the Self? जितः is conered? अनात्मनः of unconered self? तु but? शत्रुत्वे in the place of an enemy? वर्तेत would remain? आत्मा the Self? एव even? शत्रुवत् like an enemy.Commentary Coner the lower mind through the higher mind. The lower mind is your enemy. The higher mind is your friend. If you make friendship with the higher mind you can subdue the lower mind ite easily. The lower mind

Commentaries

Non-dualism. The individual self and Brahman are one. The world is appearance (maya). Liberation through knowledge.

Sri Shankaracharya

6.6 Tasya, of him; yena, by whom; jitah, has been conered, subdued; his eva atma, very self, the aggregate of body and organs; that atma, self; is bandhuh, the friend; atmanah, of his self. The idea is that he is a coneror of his senses. Tu, but; anatmanah, for one who has not conered his self, who has no self-control; atma eva, his self itself; varteta, acts; satruvat, like an enemy; satrutve, inimically, with the attitude of an enemy. As an enemy, who is different from oneself, does harm to oneself, similarly one's self behaves like an enemy to oneself. This is the meaning. [If the body and organs are under control, they are helpful in concentrating one's mind on the Self; but, if they are not under control, they oppose this concentration.]

(Showing excerpt)

Swami Gambirananda

6.6 Of him, by whom has been conered his very self by the self, his self is the friend of his self. But, for one who has not conered his self, his self itself acts inimically like an enemy.

This interpretation draws on the Advaita tradition and may not represent the view of any single school. For authoritative guidance within a specific tradition, seek a qualified teacher.

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