बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः | अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ||६-६||
bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ . anātmanastu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ||6-6||
Chapter 6 · Verse 6
Dhyana Yoga
ध्यानयोग
Translation
6.6 The mind is the friend of him by whom the mind has been conered. But for him whose mind is not conered, the mind, like an enemy, remains hostile.
Meaning
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 is filled with Rajas and Tamas (passion and darkness). The higher mind is filled with Sattva or purity. The Self is the friend of one who is selfcontrolled and who has subjugated the lower mind and the senses. But the Self is an enemy of one who has no selfrestraint and who has not subdued the lower mind and the senses. Just as an external enemy does harm to him so also his own (lower) self (mind) does harm to him. The lower mind injures him severely. The highest Self or Atman is the primary Self. Mind also is self. This is the secondary self.
Word by word
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.