Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 3, Verse 21

Sanskrit Verse

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।

स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।।3.21।।

Transliteration

yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ

sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate

Word meanings

yat yat—whatever; ācharati—does; śhreṣhṭhaḥ—the best; tat tat—that (alone); eva—certainly; itaraḥ—common; janaḥ—people; saḥ—they; yat—whichever; pramāṇam—standard; kurute—perform; lokaḥ—world; tat—that; anuvartate—pursues

Swami Sivananda's translation

Whatever a great man does, others also do; whatever he establishes as the standard, the world follows.

Chapter link: Gita Chapter 3