yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ
"If I ever stopped working vigilantly, O Arjuna, all people would follow my path in every way."
What This Means:
Krishna continues: 'If I stopped working, everyone would follow my example. Humans copy what the highest does. If the Lord became lazy, laziness would become the norm.'
Going Deeper:
This reveals divine responsibility. Krishna acts not for himself but because beings follow the divine example. The word 'atandrita' (vigilantly, without laziness) shows that divine action is continuous and alert. The cosmos is maintained by constant divine activity. If God rested, creation would collapse.
How To Apply This:
Your inaction has consequences too. If you stop doing your part, others who look to you will also slack off. Parents who quit learning signal to children that learning isn't important. Leaders who cut corners permit everyone to cut corners. Your diligence or laziness ripples outward.
Key Sanskrit Terms: