One must elevate oneself by one's own effort and not degrade oneself. For the self alone is the friend of the self, and the self alone is the enemy of the self.
Synthesis
One must elevate oneself by one's own effort and not degrade oneself — for the self alone is the friend or enemy of the self. The Advaita tradition sees this as the call to Self-knowledge through personal inquiry. Ramanuja teaches that the soul must make effort while trusting God's grace. The Bhakti tradition values the initial turning toward God. Madhvacharya teaches personal effort aided by grace. Abhinavagupta sees consciousness awakening to itself. Vallabhacharya teaches the Lord gave capacity for self-upliftment. Tilak reads the strongest call to personal responsibility. Vivekananda makes this the foundation of all self-empowerment.
Commentaries 8 traditions
Shankara interprets this as the purified intellect (higher self) raising the conditioned mind (lower self) out of ignorance. The Self is its own liberator through discrimination (viveka) and its own captor through identification with the body-mind complex.
Apply This Verse
Personal Growth
You are both your greatest ally and your worst saboteur. No one else can save you from your own self-destructive patterns, and no one else can do your inner work for you. Take radical responsibility.
Questions this verse answers
- ?"How do I stop being my own worst enemy?"
- ?"Why do I keep sabotaging myself?"
- ?"How do I take responsibility for my life without being harsh on myself?"
- ?"Can I really change myself by myself?"
- ?"How do I become my own best friend?"