Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3 Verse 24 भगवद् गीता अध्याय 3 श्लोक 24 उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम्। सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः।।3.24।। English Translation - Swami Gambirananda 3.24 These worlds will be ruined if I do not perform action. And I shall become the agent of intermingling (of castes), and shall be destroying these beings. English Translation - Swami Sivananda 3.24 These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I should be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings. English Translation - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 3.24. These worlds would perish if I were not to perform action; and I would be a cause of confusion; I would destroy these people. English Commentary - Swami Sivananda 3.24 उत्सीदेयुः would perish? इमे these? लोकाः worlds? न not? कुर्याम् would do? कर्म action? चेत् if? अहम् I? सङ्करस्य of confusion of castes? च and? कर्ता author? स्याम् would be? उपहन्याम् would destroy? इमाःthese? प्रजाः beings.Commentary If I did not engage in action? people would also be inactive. They would not do their duties according to the Varnasrama Dharma (code of morals governing their own order and stage of life). Hence confusion of castes would arise. I would have to destroy these beings. English Translation of Sanskrit Commentary By Sri Shankaracharya's 3.24 Cet, if; aham, I; na kuryam, do not perform; karma, action; all ime, these; lokah, worlds; utsideyuh, will be ruined, owing to the obsence of work responsible for the maintenance of the worlds. Ca, and, futher; syam, I shall become; karta, the agent; sankarasya, of intermingling (of castes). Conseently, upahanyam, I shall be destroying; imah, these; prajah, beings. That is to say, I who am engaged in helping the creatures, shall be destroying them. This would be unbefitting of Me, who am God. On the other, if, like Me, you or some one else possesses the conviction of having attained Perfection and is a knower of the Self, it is a duty of such a one, too, to help others even if there be no obligation on his own part. English Translation of Commentary - Dr. S. Sankaranarayan 3.24 See Comment under 3.25 English Translation of Ramanuja's Sanskrit Commentary 3.24 If I do not do the work suitable to My station in life, likewise all the virtuous men also, neglecting their duties by following My example, would be destroyed on account of not performing their duties. That is, they will become lost. Thus I would be bringing about chaos among all virtuous men on account of My failure to conduct Myself as prescribed in the scriptures. Therefore I would be destroying all these people. Even so, if you, Arjuna, a son of Pandu and a brother of Yudhisthira and the foremost of the virtuous, claim to be alified for Jnana Yoga, then the virtuous aspirants, who do not know everything and who follow your way, without knowing their own competency, would give up practising Karma Yoga and will be lost. Therefore work should be done by one who is recognised as learned and worthy. Commentary - Chakravarthi Ji Taking me as an example, the people, not performing dharma, would be destroyed. Mixed castes would result. I would be the cause of this. I would pollute the progeny. Rudra Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary What would happen then? Lord Krishna states that the world would degenerate and decay due to the absence of prescribed Vedic activities and that He would be the cause of the pollution of traditional values of the masses and the destruction of society. Brahma Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary There is no commentary for this verse. Shri Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary If Lord Krishna of infallible will, the Supreme Lord of all, and in whose control the entire phenomenal display of the total material creation is created, maintained and preserved by His inconceivable potency; if He were not to conduct Himself seriously and omit to perform prescribed Vedic activities for the benefit of all the worlds then others seeing Lord Krishnas indifference would also conduct themselves indifferently following His example. When Lord Krishna took birth, seemingly as a human being, as the son of the great righteous King Vasudeva, he conducted Himself in all ways and manners as appropriate for his position in society as a prince of the royal ksatriya or warrior class. If Lord Krishna acted otherwise all mankind would begin to imitate Him thinking that such actions were virtuous, the worthy actions, of a worthy son from a worthy father, the righteous King Vasudeva. In this way Lord Krishna is explaining that if He failed to perform Vedic activities mankind following His example would be led in a negative way into a hellish perdition unable to purify themselves enough so they could achieve atma-tattva or soul realisation. This would be considered as a very serious offence and Lord Krishna would be at fault. By not setting the example of what is righteous and by not following the traditions and customs established by performing the activities prescribed in the Vedic scriptures then all humanity would deviate from righteousness and become totally lost. If Lord Krishna failed to respect the injunctions and prohibitions of the Vedic scriptures then all the world would take that to be the standard of righteousness and the final verdict. There would soon ensue the mixing of classes and a mixture of moral and immoral standards in the class of pure and righteous people, leading to the complete degradation of society. Lord Krishna is stating that if He failed to follow and perform the Vedic injunctions then it would be the cause of the destruction of society. This is the purport. Also if Arjuna who was world famous for never having been defeated in battle and who was the brother of King Yudhisthira famed for his righteousness; if Arjuna refused to fight and protect dharma or righteousness then many other worthy and noble ksatriyas who were protectors of dharma might folow his example and also renounce their prescribed duties and refuse to protect righteousness then this would bring destruction to the world balance and ruination to the welfare of the people. Thus it can be understood that for specially qualified people prescribed Vedic activities must be performed for the benefit of the entire human race and the welfare of the world. Kumara Vaishnava Sampradaya - Commentary If Lord Krishna of infallible will, the Supreme Lord of all, and in whose control the entire phenomenal display of the total material creation is created, maintained and preserved by His inconceivable potency; if He were not to conduct Himself seriously and omit to perform prescribed Vedic activities for the benefit of all the worlds then others seeing Lord Krishnas indifference would also conduct themselves indifferently following His example. When Lord Krishna took birth, seemingly as a human being, as the son of the great righteous King Vasudeva, he conducted Himself in all ways and manners as appropriate for his position in society as a prince of the royal ksatriya or warrior class. If Lord Krishna acted otherwise all mankind would begin to imitate Him thinking that such actions were virtuous, the worthy actions, of a worthy son from a worthy father, the righteous King Vasudeva. In this way Lord Krishna is explaining that if He failed to perform Vedic activities mankind following His example would be led in a negative way into a hellish perdition unable to purify themselves enough so they could achieve atma-tattva or soul realisation. This would be considered as a very serious offence and Lord Krishna would be at fault. By not setting the example of what is righteous and by not following the traditions and customs established by performing the activities prescribed in the Vedic scriptures then all humanity would deviate from righteousness and become totally lost. If Lord Krishna failed to respect the injunctions and prohibitions of the Vedic scriptures then all the world would take that to be the standard of righteousness and the final verdict. There would soon ensue the mixing of classes and a mixture of moral and immoral standards in the class of pure and righteous people, leading to the complete degradation of society. Lord Krishna is stating that if He failed to follow and perform the Vedic injunctions then it would be the cause of the destruction of society. This is the purport. Also if Arjuna who was world famous for never having been defeated in battle and who was the brother of King Yudhisthira famed for his righteousness; if Arjuna refused to fight and protect dharma or righteousness then many other worthy and noble ksatriyas who were protectors of dharma might folow his example and also renounce their prescribed duties and refuse to protect righteousness then this would bring destruction to the world balance and ruination to the welfare of the people. Thus it can be understood that for specially qualified people prescribed Vedic activities must be performed for the benefit of the entire human race and the welfare of the world. Transliteration Bhagavad Gita 3.24Utseedeyur ime lokaa na kuryaam karma ched aham; Sankarasya cha kartaa syaam upahanyaam imaah prajaah. Word Meanings Bhagavad Gita 3.24utsīdeyuḥ—would perish; ime—all these; lokāḥ—worlds; na—not; kuryām—I perform; karma—prescribed duties; chet—if; aham—I; sankarasya—of uncultured population; cha—and; kartā—responsible; syām—would be; upahanyām—would destroy; imāḥ—all these; prajāḥ—living entities