BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:6

[Guest guest]

BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:6

 

bandhur atmatmanas tasya

yenatmaivatmana jitah

anatmanas tu satrutve

vartetatmaiva satru-vat

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

bandhuh--friend; atma--the mind; atmanah--of the living entity;

tasya--of him; yena--by whom; atma--the mind; eva--certainly;

atmana--by the living entity; jitah--conquered; anatmanah--of one who

has failed to control the mind; tu--but; satrutve--because of enmity;

varteta--remains; atma eva--the very mind; satru-vat--as an enemy.

 

TRANSLATION

 

For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends;

but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest

enemy.

 

PURPORT

 

The purpose of practicing eightfold yoga is to control the mind in

order to make it a friend in discharging the human mission. Unless the

mind is controlled, the practice of yoga (for show) is simply a waste

of time. One who cannot control his mind lives always with the

greatest enemy, and thus his life and its mission are spoiled. The

constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order

of the superior. As long as one's mind remains an unconquered enemy,

one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion,

etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide

by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within

the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting

the Paramatma within the heart and then following His dictation. For

one who takes to Krsna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to

the dictation of the Lord follows automatically.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.