Bhagavad Gītā › Chapter 3 › Verse 23
Bhagavad Gītā 3.23: If I stopped
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥
yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
Recitation: NehalDaveND (Wikimedia Commons) · CC BY-SA 4.0, adapted, original recording
Meaning
For if I did not ever engage in action unwearied, O Pārtha, people would follow My path in every way. This takes up 3.21: the greater one’s influence, the more one’s conduct becomes a pattern for others.
For children
Krishna says: “If I stopped working, everyone would copy me and stop too!”
Kṛṣṇa explains why he acts though he needs nothing (3.22): others follow him.
Word by word
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं — For if I ever stopped
- yadi: if
- hi: for
- aham: I
- varteyam: I were to act
जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः — working tirelessly
- jātu: ever
- karmaṇi: in action
- atandrita: tireless, without laziness
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते — people would follow my way
- mama: my
- vartman: path, way
- anuvartante: follow
मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः — in everything, Arjuna
- manuṣya: people
- sarvaśaḥ: in every way
Kṛṣṇa speaks this verse. The Sanskrit is checked against four editions; meanings and word notes are simple learning aids written for MahaPrabha Gurukul, awaiting review by a Sanskrit teacher.