You are Your Own Friend and Enemy!
By Dr. S. Kalyani Gannamaraju
Proprietor, Concept Pro Academy, Chennai
Introduction by Venkat
We all know that taking action is the positive way to progress and not reaction. Given the variables we find ourselves in – both internally and externally in our environment – there are three key levers that propel us towards positive action. Namely, keeping the mind free from distractions, accepting conditions / outcomes that are beyond our control and having clarity of purpose. Therefore given any kind of situation, the needed levers for action are always in our hands. Dr. S. Kalyani has shared a beautiful verse from the Bhagavad Gita on the same. It is so heartwarming to receive an article from her, who is much learned in Sanskrit and worked for long in the study of our ancient scriptures.
Dr. S. Kalyani completed B.Sc, B.Ed, (Mathematics) M.A., Ph.D (Sanskrit) & PG Diploma in Yoga. She passed the Junior grade music (vocal) examination from the Government of Karnataka. A gold medalist in M.A.
She has 15 years of experience in teaching Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu & various devotional chants offline and online. She has students of various age levels across the globe. She has written two books till date & are published. She enjoys bringing out various shlokas from Sanskrit literature, writing about them and making short videos. Her special interest lies in compositions of Śrī Ādiśaṅkara.
You are Your Own Friend and Enemy!
This is a quote from Bhagavadgita:
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् |
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: ||
uddharedātmanā”tmānaṃ nātmānamavasādayet।
ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripurātmanaḥ।।6.5।।
It means – One should uplift oneself and should not spoil oneself. One is one’s friend. One is one’s enemy.
The basic idea of this verse is to emphasize that we are the one who is responsible for what we are. Well-balanced and controlled senses and mind will make you a great personality, whereas if you cannot maintain composure, it will lead to your downfall.
It’s not an easy task to lead a structured life. It involves strong resolution and regular practice.
The following Swami Vivekananda’s statement reflects this quote
“You are the creator of your own destiny.”
By Dr. S. Kalyani Gannamaraju
Proprietor, Concept Pro Academy, Chennai