बन्धुरात्माऽऽत्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः ।
अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ।। ६.६ ।।

bandhur-ātmā’’tmanas-tasya yenātmaivātmanā jita: |
anātmanas-tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatruvat ||6.6||

Ascending spiritual ladder

Now comes a very strong and great exhortation in the Bhagavad Gita dialogue, which instills the dual notes of enlightenment and emboldenment. For discreet readers, listeners and thinkers, this exhortation is sufficient to bring a thorough change in their otherwise weak and undecided life. It can as well change the plight and fate of a society:

Elevate yourself by your own intrinsic power. Never enervate or degrade yourself. One’s self alone is one’s friend, and equally so one’s enemy.

For one with sufficient self-control and orientation, his self will be a friend; for one devoid of this self-control and self-orientation, he himself will be his enemy.

Every individual, says Krishna, has within him adequate mental and intelligential potential to elevate and upgrade his life to the extent needed. None can be excused for pleading any lack in the inner resources for creative elevation and achievement. All that a seeker may need to gain is a proper insight into his inner being and the art and process of self-refinement and self-mastery. Krishna’s call is thus to elevate oneself by himself. Never should anyone on any ground degrade himself at any time.

This is an open declaration that the possibility and resources to strive for and achieve self-elevation reign in adequate measure within every individual. There is no reference here to external resources. Krishna reminds all of the self-sufficiency potent or reserved in every human being.

Mythological narrations may tell us that each person is governed by factors that have preceded his bodily birth in the world. Heavenly bodies hovering in the sky are also said to exert their powers and influences on the earthly denizens. Likewise, many other theories and formulations may also be cited. But as against the worth and efficacy of all these, comes the sublime and categorical message of Bhagavad Gita, the supreme and profound Scripture of the world: Elevate yourself by yourself.

The Supreme Lord of the Universe does not impose any kind of doership, enjoyership or sufferership on anyone (5.14). Our own nature drives us to action. But we assume we are responsible and enjoy or suffer as a consequence. The whole triple process – doership, enjoyership and sufferership – is a product of ignorance about the true position of things. Ignorance in any sphere can work untold havoc. In gaining right knowledge alone lies the solution and correction for all the constricted and distorted notions.

It is true that body-wise an individual is quite limited, restricted. As its growth is arrested after a few years, so is its power of activity restricted greatly. But such restriction and limitation are annulled the moment he accesses his inner, supra-material mind and intelligence. These inner faculties provide ample potential and possibility. Everyone is free to shape himself, to reform himself, and to improve his powers and attain whatever he ideally aims at. In this, there is no hindrance.

The quality of thoughts and attitudes, emotions and inspirations, values and ideals will determine the direction the seeker will take and the possible outcome of his seeking. To upgrade and elevate oneself, everyone has equal and unhindered opportunity; and so also the possibility to slide down. The upbringing, circumstances and association one has had are contributory factors, no doubt. But none of these can take away the intrinsic scope and freedom from any human in carving out his fate and gaining the desired elevation, enrichment and expansion.

Krishna stresses that the way for elevating oneself is by exercising the necessary restraint over the senses and the mind. For this, the rational intelligence has to be employed. The rational intelligence should give the right and timely direction and guidance to the mind; and the mind must act upon the message to influence the senses effectively. The integral process will then result in the desired improvement, strength and cohesion. No external agent can thwart or dissuade this self-regulational and self-improvemental pursuit. Be sure of this fact, says Krishna.

Do not blame anyone for your degeneration. For the plight or fate you are in, the cause inheres in yourself. To set it right, first of all understand the freedom, the scope and the potential the mind holds within it. And then make the necessary effort for gaining whatever change or improvement you want. The whole of Bhagavad Gita beckons you for such a determined endeavour.

This exhortation for self-effort and self-elevation is quite in line with what Krishna spoke earlier (3.34). “Attraction and repulsion inhere the sensory objects. Do not fall a prey to them. Know them to be your stark enemies.” Are not the same caution and compulsion sounded here too, but in a more thorough and vigorous note?