शक्तिमन: The Power of Mind

“The mind is its own place and in it self can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n.” John Milton wrote in his epic creation 'Paradise Lost'

This quote perfectly explain the inherent power and strength of our mind ( thoughts) which only shapes an individual's person and the world she lives in. It means that how we think, this only shapes our reality, more than our physical surroundings. Our own inner thoughts can turn any a miserable situation into peace, or otherwise, a wonderful situation into misery. The Satan, inside the one, tries to show strength and one being above and beyond the grace of God's will and power, though his(Satan's) this claim is ironic because he carries Hell with him wherever he goes.

In Chapter 6, Verses 5 and 6 of Srimadbhagvatgita too, it perfectly mirrors Milton's the above sentiment about the mind's power to shape its own reality.

उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत् ।

आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः ॥ 6.5 ॥

Meaning: "One must elevate oneself by one's own mind, not degrade oneself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and the mind is the enemy as well."

बन्धुरात्मात्मनस्तस्य येनात्मैवात्मना जितः ।

अनात्मनस्तु शत्रुत्वे वर्तेतात्मैव शत्रुवत् ॥ 6.6 ॥

Meaning: "For those who have conquered the mind, it is the best of friends. But for those who have failed to do so, their mind remains their greatest enemy." ( meaning: 6.6)

Thus, Lord Krishna explains here very explicitely that the mind can be either our greatest asset or our worst enemy.

To conlude, as the above famous quote from Milton's Paradise Lost invokes, the Srimadbhagavatgita too mirrors the same wisdom, regarding power of our thoughts(mind). Gita emphasizes, rather warns us , that our external circumstances do not dictate our internal peace, rather we create our personal Heaven( friendly world) or Hell (foe world) verily inside our mind: 

*The Mind as a Friend (Heav'n):* A controlled, positive mind lifts us up and creates peace, effectively turning our any earthly struggle into a heavenly experience.

*The Mind as an Enemy (Hell):* An uncontrolled, restless mind drags us down, creating torment, anxiety, and a personal "hell" even if our external world is perfect and coducive.