Mūla — the verse
Gita Press numberingबन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः।
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत्
bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ
anātmanas tu śhatrutve vartetātmaiva śhatru-vat
Anuṣṭubh
Translation
Swami Gambhīrānanda · follows Śaṅkara-bhāṣyaHe who has conquered his own self by the self, his self is his own friend. But for one who has not conquered his own self, his self itself acts like an enemy.
हिन्दी अनुवाद — Swami Tejomayānanda
जिसने आत्मा (इंद्रियों,आदि) को आत्मा के द्वारा जीत लिया है, उस पुरुष का आत्मा उसका मित्र होता है, परन्तु अजितेन्द्रिय के लिए आत्मा शत्रु के समान स्थित होता है।।
Pronunciation — Vaamshii
from Vaamshiiबन्धु रात्मात् मनस् तस्य
येना त्मैवा त्मना जितः
अनात् मनस् तु शत्रुत् वे
वर्ते तात्मैव शत्रुवत्
॥ ६ ॥
Read each split group as one breath-unit; hyphens join pādas kept whole for the meter or a compound word. Symbols: # upadhmānīya (visarga before p/ph), % jihvāmūlīya (visarga before k/kh), ऽ avagraha (an elided a). Full method →
Word by word
padārthabandhuḥfriend
ātmāthe mind
ātmanaḥfor the person
tasyaof him
yenaby whom
ātmāthe mind
evacertainly
ātmanāfor the person
jitaḥconquered
anātmanaḥof those with unconquered mind
tubut
śhatrutvefor an enemy
vartetaremains
ātmāthe mind
evaas
śhatru-vatlike an enemy
Themes
from The Thematic Companion to the Bhagavad GītāMeaning — Questions & Solutions
from Q&A with KnA6.6When is one's own self a friend — and when a very enemy?
He who has conquered his own self by the self, his self is his own friend. But for one who has not conquered his own self, his self itself acts like an enemy.
The verse itself, in Swami Gambhīrānanda's rendering, is the answer. For reasoned solutions to knotty verses, browse the Q&A index.