Today's Vedika insight
19 September 2026 · Bhagavad Gītā 6.5
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् । आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥ ६.५ ॥
uddhared ātmanātmānaṃ nātmānam avasādayet | ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ || 6.5 ||
“One should raise oneself by oneself; one should not cause oneself to sink. For the self alone is the friend of oneself, and the self alone is the enemy of oneself.”
Vedika literal rendering preserves the repeated ātman terms; commentators distinguish their senses as mind, embodied self and higher or disciplined self.
“Self-support is built through disciplined inner choices—not through contempt for the part of us that struggles.”
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5
Vedika commentary
The inner life is not automatically supportive. Repeated attention, habits and interpretations can either lift capacity or deepen discouragement. The verse places responsibility on training, while its commentarial setting reminds us that the word ātman carries several related meanings.
Vedika distinguishes the original Sanskrit, a literal rendering, and an interpretive paraphrase so that the words of the text are never confused with explanation.
Source
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5
Traditional commentary
Bhagavad Gītā 6.5–6; Vedānta and bhakti commentarial traditions
Explanation
Vedika
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