Mahabharata — Stree Parva, Shloka 35
Strī Parva, Adhyāya 2 — Vidura’s Consolation on Kāla, Karma, and the Limits of Lamentation (विदुरोपदेशः)
आत्मैव ह्ात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मन: । आत्मैव हात्मन: साक्षी कृतस्यापकृतस्य च,मनुष्य आप ही अपना बन्धु है, आप ही अपना शत्रु है और आप ही अपने शुभ या अशुभ कर्मका साक्षी है
ātmaiva hy ātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ | ātmaiva hy ātmanaḥ sākṣī kṛtasyāpakṛtasya ca ||
The self alone is one’s friend, and the self alone is one’s enemy; the self alone stands witness to what is done and left undone, to good and to evil.
विदुर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches personal moral responsibility: one’s own self determines one’s welfare or ruin, and the inner self remains the witness to both righteous and unrighteous actions. Therefore, ethical conduct and self-governance are paramount.
In the Stree Parva’s grief-stricken aftermath of the war, Vidura offers counsel that redirects attention from external enemies and circumstances to inner accountability—urging reflection on one’s own actions and their consequences.
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