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Chapter 3 · Karma-yoga · 43 verses

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Duty & actionChapter 3 · Karma-yoga
3.223.24

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 3.23

Exemplary action and leadership by example

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।

मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ २३ ॥

yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ

jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ

mama vartmānuvartante

manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

Translation

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

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

What this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.

Kṛṣṇa Sets the Example

  1. 1Kṛṣṇa says that if He stopped carefully performing prescribed duties, everyone would follow His example.
  2. 2Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa followed religious rules to establish religion, though He Himself was not bound by them.
  3. 3Follow prescribed duties to help maintain peace in society and support progress in spiritual life.

Where we are

In the story

Chapter 3, Karma-yoga: exemplary action and leadership by example.

What it teaches

Theme summary

Act dutifully without attachment to fruits.

2

Key ideas in this verse

The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.

Key ideas: karma, sva-dharma.

3

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What does BG 3.23 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to duty & action?

Practice

Do one task today purely because it is right.

4

The story behind it

Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.

All stories for chapter 3 ›
5

Related verses

Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.

BG 3.19Exemplary action and leadership by exampleBG 3.20Exemplary action and leadership by exampleBG 2.47Responsibility without ownership of outcomes

Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.

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Ask about BG 3.23 — get a simple answer linked to related ideas and verses.

Back to step 3The key ideasNext · Step 5 of 7 · 5 minLive the teachingsBring it into your day with a practice and a question, straight from Prabhupāda's purports.