🌟 Leaders Set the Standard: Why Your Actions Matter More Than You Think | Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Shloka 21 Explained

📜 श्लोक (Sanskrit)

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ 21 ॥

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🔤 IAST Transliteration

yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate ॥ 21 ॥

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🇮🇳 हिन्दी अनुवाद (Hindi Translation)

जो श्रेष्ठ पुरुष जैसा आचरण करता है, अन्य लोग भी वैसा ही करते हैं। वह जो भी आदर्श स्थापित करता है, समस्त समाज उसका अनुसरण करता है।

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🌐 English Translation

Whatever a great person does, others follow. Whatever standard they set by their actions, the world follows it.

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🧠 व्याख्या (Detailed Explanation in Hindi)

इस श्लोक में श्रीकृष्ण कर्म के सामाजिक प्रभाव को स्पष्ट करते हैं, विशेष रूप से उन लोगों के लिए जो समाज में नेता, गुरु, या प्रेरणास्त्रोत होते हैं।

• "श्रेष्ठः" — श्रेष्ठ व्यक्ति यानी ज्ञानी, नेता, राजा, शिक्षक या कोई भी प्रभावशाली व्यक्ति।

• "यद्यद् आचरति" — वह जो जैसा आचरण करता है…

• "तत्तद् एव इतरो जनः" — अन्य लोग भी वैसा ही करते हैं।

• "स यत् प्रमाणं कुरुते" — जो वह मानक स्थापित करता है…

• "लोकः तद् अनुवर्तते" — समाज उसी का अनुकरण करता है।

👉 इसका अर्थ है कि श्रेष्ठ व्यक्ति का हर कार्य समाज के लिए मार्गदर्शक बन जाता है।

यदि वे कर्म छोड़ देंगे, तो आम लोग भी अपनी जिम्मेदारियों से पीछे हटेंगे।
यदि वे लोभ से कर्म करेंगे, तो लोग भी ऐसा ही करेंगे।

इसलिए, श्रेष्ठ लोगों को केवल अपने लिए नहीं, बल्कि समाज के आदर्श के रूप में कार्य करना चाहिए।

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📖 Detailed Explanation in English

Krishna now highlights a universal truth about influence and responsibility:

• What the great or influential person does, others observe and imitate.

• Their behavior becomes the standard others measure themselves against.

Whether you’re a leader, teacher, parent, or role model, your actions are not just personal—they ripple out into the world.

This means that your karma carries weight beyond your own life. It sets the tone for your environment, your community, and even future generations.

Krishna is telling Arjuna—and all of us—that leadership is not optional when you are looked up to. With greatness comes accountability.

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💡 Life Lessons / Practical Takeaways

• 👀 People watch what you do more than what you say.

• 🧭 Your actions set the tone—for family, workplace, and society.

• 🎯 Be the example you wish others to follow.

• 🧘 Spiritual seekers must embody what they preach.

• 🔁 Change begins with leadership—especially through behavior.

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🔚 Conclusion

This verse delivers a profound message:

If you are a person of influence, your karma is not just your own—it is a lighthouse for others.

In a world that often follows the crowd, it becomes vital for the "श्रेष्ठ" — the wise, the powerful, the respected — to act with integrity, clarity, and compassion.

Krishna is gently reminding Arjuna (and us) that his actions on the battlefield will influence generations to come.

In the next verse, Krishna will give his own example—despite being God, even He continues to act for the welfare of the world.