Who is the friend of the self? He answers: the mind is the friend of the self. ‘Ātmā’ here is the mind of the jīva. By the self with the mind, the jīva knows the self; by the self with mind and intellect, or by the jīva with intellect, one overcomes. Indeed the intellect conquers. It is said: since the mind is the supreme cause, the mind is the cause of bondage and liberation for humans. ‘Uddharet manasā jīvam’ — one should lift the jīva with the mind and not depress the jīva. The mind is surely the friend and the enemy of the jīva. When by the jīva with intellect the mind is conquered, then the bond becomes the enemy and is no more elsewhere. A man who conquers by the power of intellect and devotion to God overcomes enemies like Madhu and Kaitabha — so it is said in the Brahmavaivarta. The non‑self is hostile to the unconquered self; even if it serves, it does not properly act as a servant — hence it functions as an adversary to the self.