3.21
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः | स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ||२१||
yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Translation
Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
Interpretation
Leadership through example: society follows the behavior of its exemplary members. This is not a sociological observation alone but a principle of dharmic responsibility. Those who are gifted — with wisdom, position, or power — have a proportionally greater responsibility, because their example shapes the behavior of many.