यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
हे पार्थ अगर मैं किसी समय सावधान होकर कर्तव्यकर्म न करूँ तो बड़ी हानि हो जाय क्योंकि मनुष्य सब प्रकारसे मेरे ही मार्गका अनुसरण करते हैं । यदि मैं कर्म न करूँ, तो ये सब मनुष्य नष्टभ्रष्ट हो जायँ और मैं वर्णसंकरताको करनेवाला होऊँ तथा इस समस्त प्रजाको नष्ट करनेवाला बनूँ ॥
English
For if I ever stopped acting with care, people would follow my path in every way, Arjuna.
What this verse means
Krishna says that if he stopped doing his duty carefully, people would copy that neglect and society would suffer.
Context & commentary
On the Kurukshetra field, Krishna is explaining to Arjuna why even the highest being keeps acting. If he became careless and stopped fulfilling duty, ordinary people would imitate that failure, and the social order would collapse.
Why this verse still matters
A parent says, “Do your homework,” while scrolling on a phone all evening. The child learns the real lesson from the behavior, not the lecture.
The takeaway
Your example teaches more loudly than your advice.
Word-by-word translation
यदि (if) / हि (indeed) / अहं (I) / न (not) / वर्तेयं (were to act) / जातु (ever) / कर्मणि (in action) / अतन्द्रितः (without negligence) / मम (my) / वर्त्मन् (path) / अनुवर्तन्ते (follow) / मनुष्याः (people) / पार्थ (Arjuna) / सर्वशः (in every way)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3: Karma Yoga — The Yoga of Action, which contains 43 verses.
Explore related themes: karma yoga (55 verses), duty (13 verses)