FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 3.23

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः । मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ २३ ॥
yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ
[yadi hy aham na varteyam]
jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ
[jaatu karmany atandritah]
mama vartmānuvartante
[mama vartmaanuvartante]
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
[manushyaah paartha sarvashah]
Word-for-word
yadi — if hi — certainly aham — I na — do not varteyam — thus engage jātu — ever karmaṇi — in the performance of prescribed duties atandritaḥ — with great care mama — My vartma — path anuvartante — would follow manuṣyāḥ — all men pārtha — O son of Pṛthā sarvaśaḥ — in all respects .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ
yadi
if
hi
certainly
aham
I
na
do not
varteyam
thus engage
jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ
jātu
ever
karmaṇi
in the performance of prescribed duties
atandritaḥ
with great care
mama vartmānuvartante
mama
My
vartma
path
anuvartante
would follow
manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
manuṣyāḥ
all men
pārtha
O son of Pṛthā
sarvaśaḥ
in all respects .
Important Words
  • varteyam — thus engage
    Optative of √vṛt — *were I to engage*. The conditional voice is itself a teaching: Kṛṣṇa entertains the hypothetical only to dismiss it. The cosmos cannot afford His non-rotation.
  • jātu — ever
    Adverb — at any time at all. Even one moment of Kṛṣṇa not acting would unsettle the worlds. The word closes the loophole.
  • atandritaḥ — with great care
    Negative of tandrita, drowsy/lazy. Kṛṣṇa acts *without slumber*. The word echoes the Vedic image of the watchful Lord who neither sleeps nor blinks.
  • vartma — path
    From √vṛt — the *track of turning*. Kṛṣṇa's path is what the worlds inevitably follow, whether they consciously imitate or not. The leader's path is the world's track.
  • anuvartante — would follow
    Optative middle of anu-√vṛt — *would turn after*. The verb of imitation again, marking that following is the cosmic default. Leaders shape geometry, not just opinion.
For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
The cascading consequence of divine idleness: humans, taking Kṛṣṇa as standard, would imitate that idleness. The argument from verse 21 is now turned into a theology of obligation: even God must act, because His example is binding.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The chain is precise: if Kṛṣṇa were idle → men would copy → the cycle of yajña would break → the world would collapse (next verse). 'Atandritaḥ' (vigilant, untiring) reinforces that His action is constant — not occasional but pervasive. This anticipates the avatāra-doctrine of BG 4.7.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
हे पार्थ! हि यदि अहम् जातु अतन्द्रितः कर्मणि न वर्तेयम्, मनुष्याः सर्वशः मम वर्त्म अनुवर्तन्ते।
he pārtha! hi yadi aham jātu atandritaḥ karmaṇi na varteyam, manuṣyāḥ sarvaśaḥ mama vartma anuvartante|
O Pārtha, if indeed I ever failed to engage in action tirelessly, men would follow My path in every way.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
यदि हि अहम् न वर्तेयम् जातु कर्मणि अतन्द्रितः । मम वर्त्म अनुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
yadi hi aham na varteyam jātu karmaṇi atandritaḥ | mama vartma anuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
यदि yadi ind. (indeclinable), conditional if
हि hi ind. (indeclinable), emphatic indeed
अहम् aham अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) nom.sg. (nominative singular) I
न na ind. (indeclinable), negative not
वर्तेयम् varteyam √वृत् opt. (optative) 1sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) should engage
जातु jātu ind. (indeclinable), adv. ever, at any time
कर्मणि karmaṇi कर्मन् (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) in action
अतन्द्रितः atandritaḥ अ + तन्द्रित (p.p.p. (past passive participle) of √तन्द्र्) nom.sg. (nominative singular)m. untiring, vigilant
मम mama अस्मद् pron. (pronoun) gen.sg. (genitive singular) My
वर्त्म vartma वर्त्मन् (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) path
अनुवर्तन्ते anuvartante अनु+√वृत् pres. (present) 3pl.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) they follow
मनुष्याः manuṣyāḥ मनुष्य (m.) nom.pl. (nominative plural) men, humans
सर्वशः sarvaśaḥ ind. (indeclinable), adv. in every way
Purport

In order to keep the balance of social tranquillity for progress in spiritual life, there are traditional family usages meant for every civilized man. Although such rules and regulations are for the conditioned souls and not Lord Kṛṣṇa, because He descended to establish the principles of religion He followed the prescribed rules. Otherwise, common men would follow in His footsteps, because He is the greatest authority. From the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam it is understood that Lord Kṛṣṇa was performing all the religious duties at home and out of home, as required of a householder.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
23. If I were not to engage in work attentively at any time, men would follow My example in all respects.
Commentary

Anuvartante (they do follow) is used with the meaning anuvarteran (they would follow).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
23. If I were not to engage in work attentively at any time, men would follow My example in all respects.
Commentary

If I, the Lord of all, who, though complete in all respects, have appearing in the Yadu family, were ever (jātu) to fail to perform attentively (atandritaḥ) actions prescribed in the scriptures, men, taking My example, would follow My path, since I am the leader. They would reject the conduct prescribed in their family, and would thereby be destroyed.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

COMMON THEME: Second example of performing duties as a leader – “Krishna also performs prescribed

duties” although He has no material desires

PLEASE NOTE: Points of the purports for Texts 3.22 – 3.33 are included as some of the sub-points below; as such

there is no individual Focus of Learning section for these texts; This is however, a separate Focus of Learning section

for Text 3.24

Why He has no prescribed duties (Bg. 3.22)
There is no work prescribed for Me within all three planetary systems
Nor am I in want of anything; Nor have I the need to obtain anything
Srila Prabhupada gives a supporting reference – Ref Svetasvatara Upanisad Bg. 6.7-6.8 –Describes Krishna as Supreme self-sufficient, beyond all the prescribed duties
Conclusion – Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
Why He still carefully performs prescribed duties (Bg. 3.23)
To set example
To keep social tranquility for progress in spiritual life (Bg. 3.23)
To establish religion (purpose of descent) (Bg. 3.23)
What if He does not follow (Bg. 3.24)
All the worlds would be put into ruination, because all would follow My path
Unwanted population (Varna-sankara) will be created
“I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings”

Focus of Learning

(a) This verse shows ‘varna-sankara’ is caused by ‘not fighting’ and not by ‘fighting’ (refutes Bg. 1.40)

This refutes Arjuna’s argument based on “Destruction of family” as given in Text 1.37 – 1.43

(b) ‘Imitating’ and ‘following’ are not on the same level. The examples are

We cannot imitate Krishna’s Rasa Lila or lifting Govardhana Hill, but one should follow the instructions
Many pseudo devotees of Lord Shiva indulge in smoking ganja and other drugs, but one cannot imitate Lord Shiva’s drinking the ocean of poison

(c) Suggestion to prevent us from imitating – One should consider the position of the Ishvaras

(controllers) who can actually control the movements of the sun and moon; therefore we cannot

imitate the Ishvaras who are super powerful; one should simply follow their instructions

(e) Examples of ‘Natural leaders’ and their ‘responsibility’

Natural leaders – The King or the executive head, the father and the school teacher
Responsibility – They have great responsibility to their dependents to help them progress on the spiritual path

(f) Srimad Bhagavatam’s recommendation for progress – Follow in the footsteps of great devotees

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
3.23 Again, O Partha, yadi, if; jatu, at any time; aham, I; an, do not; varteyam, continue; atandritah, vigilantly, untiringly; karmani, in action; manusyah, men: anuvartante, willl follow; mama, My; vartma, path; sarvasah, in every way, I being the Highest. And if that be so, what is the harm? In reply the Lord says: [Ast. omits this sentence completely.-Tr.]
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
3.23 If I, the Lord of all, whose will is always true, whose sport consists in creation, sustentation and dissolution of universe at My will, even though I am born at My pleasure as a man to help the world - if, I thus incarnating in the family of Vasudeva who is the foremost among virtuous men, did not contine to work unwearied at all times suitable to that family, then, these men with incomplete knowledge would follow My path, thinking that the way adopted by the son of virtuous Vasudeva alone is the real way. And in place of winning the self, they would go to Naraka because of their failure to do what ought to be done and also because of the sin arising from non-performance of duty.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
3.23 See Comment under 3.25
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
3.23 For, should I not ever engage Myself in action, unwearied, men would in every way follow My path, O Arjuna.
Commentary

3.23 यदि if? हि surely? अहम् I? न not? वर्तेयम् engage Myself in action? जातु ever? कर्मणि in action? अतन्द्रितः unwearied? मम My? वर्त्म path? अनुवर्तन्ते follow? मनुष्याः men? पार्थ O Partha? सर्वशः in every way.Commentary If I remain inactive? people also will imitate Me and keep iet. They will all become Tamasic and pass into a state of inertia.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
3.23 For, O Partha, if at any time I do not continue [Ast. and A.A. read varteya instead of varteyam.-Tr.] vigilantly in action, men will follow My path in ever way.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
3.23 For were I not to act without ceasing, O prince, people would be glad to do likewise.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 3.24 BG 3.21 BG 4.8 SB 10.29.31 SB 5.4.14 SB 1.8.36 CC Ādi 3.26 CC Madhya 9.138 CC Madhya 12.21 Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 3.19Īśa Upaniṣad 4
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
If I did not engage in action, all worlds would be ruined — the cosmic order rests on the example of the great.
Practical Applications
  • Take seriously the cosmic stakes of your example, not just personal preference.
  • Stop rationalizing inaction as a private matter.
  • Recognize the chain of imitation you participate in.
Reflection Questions
  • What ruination, even small-scale, follows when I don't act?
  • Whose path to dharma might I be inadvertently blocking?
Analogy

If the sun, who needs no salary, took a single day off, every plant on earth would fail. The cosmic example-setters cannot stop without the dependent worlds falling.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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