Bhagavad Gita 3.21: The importance of good qualities in a leader.
Topics include:
- Developing good qualities
- Krishna’s instructions on meditation
Stream
Subscribe
[iTunes] [Stitcher] [Hipcast]Homework
Continue reading Chapter 3 of Bhagavad Gita As It Is
Find an article and analyze it from a bhakti perspective
Mentioned in this podcast
Abbreviations used in these notes: BG for Bhagavad Gita
Books
Verses
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Synonyms
yat yat — whatever; ācarati — he does; śreṣṭhaḥ — a respectable leader; tat — that; tat — and that alone; eva — certainly; itaraḥ — common; janaḥ — person; saḥ — he; yat — whichever; pramāṇam — example; kurute — does perform; lokaḥ — all the world; tat — that; anuvartate — follows in the footsteps.
Translation
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
Purport
People in general always require a leader who can teach the public by practical behavior. A leader cannot teach the public to stop smoking if he himself smokes. Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave properly before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called ācārya, or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of śāstra (scripture) to teach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures, like Manu-saṁhitā and similar others, are considered the standard books to be followed by human society. Thus the leader’s teaching should be based on the principles of such standard śāstras. One who desires to improve himself must follow the standard rules as they are practiced by the great teachers. The Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam also affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization. The king or the executive head of a state, the father and the schoolteacher are all considered to be natural leaders of the innocent people in general. All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their dependents; therefore they must be conversant with standard books of moral and spiritual codes.
Vocabulary
- Bhava – Ecstatic love for God
- Guru – Gu-darkness, ru-dispeller. Guru is one is one who dispels the darkness of ignorance. Guru also means heavy (with knowledge).
- Saucha – Purity. Refers to cleanliness inside and out.
- Sisya – Disciple. One who voluntarily submits to discipline in spiritual life
Recommended Reading
Bhagavad Gita As It Is
Gita Wisdom: An Introduction to India’s Essential Yoga Text