Chapter 3 Overview
Verse 3.21
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः। स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।।3.21।।
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 3, Verse 21
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Scripture Translation Room
Sanskrit to English Translation
Translator:
Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.
A Reading - Rantideb
Why: whatever a great person does, others imitate, whatever standard they set, the world follows, leaders shape behavior simply by what they visibly do.
In life: your actions, especially if others look up to you, teach more than your stated advice does.
Teaching: audit the gap between what you tell people and what you actually do in front of them. The second one is what's really being learned.
yat yatwhatever
ācharatidoes
śhreṣhṭhaḥthe best
tat tatthat (alone)
evacertainly
itaraḥcommon
janaḥpeople
saḥthey
yatwhichever
pramāṇamstandard
kuruteperform
lokaḥworld
tatthat
anuvartatepursues
Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)
Author:
3.21 यद्यत् whatsoever? आचरति does? श्रेष्ठः the best? तत्तत् that? एव only? इतरः the other? जनः people? सः he (that great man)? यत् what? प्रमाणम् standard (authority? demonstration)? कुरुते does? लोकः the world (people)? तत् that? अनुवर्तते follows.Commentary Man is a social animal. He is an imitating animal too. He takes his ideas of right and wrong from those whom he regards as his moral superior. Whatever a great man follows? the same is considered as an authority by his followers. They try to follow him. They endeavour to walk in his footsteps.