Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3, verse 21 · Krishna
Bhagavad Gita 3.21 · Yad Yad Acharati Shreshthah
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥
yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ |
sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate ||
Translation
Whatever a great person does, others follow. Whatever standard they set, the world follows.
Explanation
A teaching on leadership and responsibility: people learn far more from example than from instruction, so those in positions of influence must act with special care.
Context
Spoken by Krishna in chapter 3, Karma Yoga — “The Yoga of Action”, which has 43 verses.
Frequently asked questions
What does Bhagavad Gita 3.21 mean?
Whatever a great person does, others follow. Whatever standard they set, the world follows.
Who speaks Bhagavad Gita 3.21?
Krishna, speaking to Arjuna, in chapter 3, Karma Yoga (The Yoga of Action).
Sanskrit text: traditional, public domain. Translation and explanation are our own.