Bhagavad Gita · Karma YogaChapter 3, Shloka 23 (3.23)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः
॥ 3.23 ॥
yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
Translation
"O Partha! If I did not ever remain engaged in action without slackening, people would follow my path in every way."
Interpretation
"Atandritaḥ" — without tandra (sloth, drowsiness). Not just action, but alert action.
Shankaracharya: mama śreṣṭhasya sataḥ vartma — people would follow in every way (sarva-prakāraiḥ) the path of me, who am the greatest.
Acharya Ramanuja — as the son of Vasudeva: Ramanuja makes Krishna's incarnation explicit: ahaṃ sarveśvaraḥ satya-saṅkalpaḥ … svacchandato jagad-upakṛtaye martyo jātaḥ api — I, the Lord of all, was born by my own will in mortal (human) form for the good of the world; śiṣṭa-janāgresara-vasudeva-gṛhe avatīrṇaḥ — I descended into the home of Vasudeva, foremost among good people. If I were not always alert tat-kulocite karmaṇi — in the actions proper to that family — then even good people who know only partly would follow me, thinking "ayam eva dharmaḥ" — this is dharma — and by neglecting their own duties ātmānam anupalabhya niraya-gāmino bhaveyuḥ — would fail to attain the self and head towards downfall.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.