Chapter 3: Karma-yoga

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 3.23

yadi hy aham na varteyam

jatu karmany atandritah

mama vartmanuvartante

manusyah partha sarvasah

SYNONYMS

yadi -- if; hi -- certainly; aham -- I; na -- do not; varteyam -- thus engage; jatu -- ever; karmani -- in the performance of prescribed duties; atandritah -- with great care; mama -- My; vartma -- path; anuvartante -- would follow; manusyah -- all men; partha -- O son of Prtha; sarvasah -- in all respects.

TRANSLATION

For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path.

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 Krsna, 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 Srimad-Bhagavatam it is understood that Lord Krsna was performing all the religious duties at home and out of home, as required of a householder.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness