Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 23
भगवद् गीता अध्याय 3 श्लोक 23

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः।।3.23।।



English Translation - Swami Gambirananda
3.23 For, O Partha, if at any time I do not continue [Ast. and A.A. read varteya instead of varteyam.-Tr.] vigilantly in action, men will follow My path in ever way.


English Translation - Swami Sivananda
3.23 For, should I not ever engage Myself in action, unwearied, men would in every way follow My path, O Arjuna.


English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
3.23. For,  if  I were ever not at work unwearied,  all men would follow My path,  O son of  Prtha !


English Commentary  - Swami Sivananda
3.23 यदि if? हि surely? अहम् I? न not? वर्तेयम् engage Myself in action? जातु ever? कर्मणि in action? अतन्द्रितः unwearied? मम My? वर्त्म path? अनुवर्तन्ते follow? मनुष्याः men? पार्थ O Partha? सर्वशः in every way.Commentary If I remain inactive? people also will imitate Me and keep iet. They will all become Tamasic and pass into a state of inertia.


English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's
3.23 Again, O Partha, yadi, if; jatu, at any time; aham, I; an, do not; varteyam, continue; atandritah, vigilantly, untiringly; karmani, in action; manusyah, men: anuvartante, willl follow; mama, My; vartma, path; sarvasah, in every way, I being the Highest.
And if that be so, what is the harm? In reply the Lord says: [Ast. omits this sentence completely.-Tr.]


English Translation of Commentary  - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan
3.23 See Comment under 3.25


English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary
3.23 If I, the Lord of all, whose will is always true, whose sport consists in creation, sustentation and dissolution of universe at My will, even though I am born at My pleasure as a man to help the world - if, I thus incarnating in the family of Vasudeva who is the foremost among virtuous men, did not contine to work unwearied at all times suitable to that family, then, these men with incomplete knowledge would follow My path, thinking that the way adopted by the son of virtuous Vasudeva alone is the real way. And in place of winning the self, they would go to Naraka because of their failure to do what ought to be done and also because of the sin arising from non-performance of duty.


Commentary  - Chakravarthi Ji
Anuvartante (they do follow) is used with the meaning anuvarteran (they would follow).


Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary


This verse continues the theme of the previous verse that  if  Lord  Krishna
did not perform prescribed Vedic actions with vigilance and  attention  when
the need arose then lesser great personalities   would  follow  His  example
and it would bring ruin to the world.


Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
There is no commentary for this verse.


Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
There is no commentary for this verse.


Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary
Lord Krishna appeared as the son of  King  Vasudeva  from  the
Vrishni dynasty,  the  foremost  of  the  righteous.  If  Lord
Krishna was to fail to  perform  prescribed  Vedic  activities
then  so  many  lesser  personalities  would  follow  in   His
footsteps thinking that  is  the  standard.  Lord  Krishna  is
stating that He would be at fault for leading them falsely  in
the wrong way.


Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 3.23Yadi hyaham na varteyam jaatu karmanyatandritah;
Mama vartmaanuvartante manushyaah paartha sarvashah.


Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 3.23yadi—if; hi—certainly; aham—I; na—not; varteyam—thus engage; jātu—ever; karmaṇi—in the performance of prescribed duties; atandritaḥ—carefully; mama—my; vartma—path; anuvartante—follow; manuṣhyāḥ—all men; pārtha—Arjun, the son of Pritha; sarvaśhaḥ—in all respects