VERSE 21
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥

yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate

SYNONYMS
yat—whatever; yat—and whichever; ācarati—does he act; śreṣṭhaḥ—respectable leader; tat—that; tat—and that alone; eva—certainly; itaraḥ—common; janaḥ—person; saḥ—he; yat—whichever; pramāṇam—evidence; kurute—does perform; lokaḥ—all the world; tat—that; anuvartate—follow in the footsteps.

TRANSLATION
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

VERSE 22
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥

na me parthasti kartavyam
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani

SYNONYMS
na—none; me—Mine; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; asti—there is; kartavyam—any prescribed duty; triṣu—in the three; lokeṣu—planetary systems; kiñcana—anything; na—no; anavāptam—in want; avāptavyam—to be gained; varte—engaged; eva—certainly; ca—also; karmaṇi—in one’s prescribed duty.

TRANSLATION
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything-and yet I am engaged in work.

VERSE 23
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥

yadi hy aham na varteyam
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah

SYNONYMS
yadi—if; hi—certainly; aham—I; na—do not; varteyam—thus engage; jātu—ever; karmaṇi—in the performance of prescribed duties; atandritaḥ—with great care; mama—My; vartma—path; anuvartante—would follow; manuṣyāḥ—all men; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; sarvaśaḥ—in all respects.

TRANSLATION
For, if I did not engage in work, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.

VERSE 24
यदि उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम्‌ ।
संकरस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥

utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah

SYNONYMS
utsīdeyuḥ—put into ruin; ime—all these; lokāḥ—worlds; na—do not; kuryām—perform; karma—prescribed duties; cet—if; aham—I; saṅkarasya—of unwanted population; ca—and; kartā—creator; syām—shall be; upahanyām—destroy; imāḥ—all these; prajāḥ—living entities.

TRANSLATION
If I should cease to work, then all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would also be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings.

VERSE 25
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम्‌ ॥

saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham

SYNONYMS
saktāḥ—being attached; karmaṇi—prescribed duties; avidvāṁsaḥ—the ignorant; yathā—as much as; kurvanti—do it; bhārata—O descendant of Bharata; kuryāt—must do; vidvān—the learned; tathā—thus; asaktaḥ—without attachment; cikīrṣuḥ—desiring to; loka-saṅgraham—leading the people in general.

TRANSLATION
As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly the learned may also act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.

VERSE 26
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङि्गनाम्‌ ।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन्‌ ॥

na buddhi-bhedam janayed
ajnanam karma-sanginam
josayet sarva-karmani
vidvan yuktah samacaran

SYNONYMS
na—do not; buddhi-bhedam—disrupt the intelligence; janayet—do; ajñānām—of the foolish; karma-saṅginām—attached to fruitive work; joṣayet—dovetailed; sarva—all; karmāṇi—work; vidvān—learned; yuktaḥ—all engaged; samācaran—practicing.

TRANSLATION
Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion.