3.23
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः | मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ||२३||
yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ mama vartmānuvartante manuṣhyāḥ pārtha sarvaśhaḥ
Translation
For if I did not perform prescribed duties, all men would certainly follow my path, O son of Pritha.
Interpretation
Even Krishna must act for the sake of the world — if he stopped, humans would follow his example and abandon action, leading to cosmic disorder. This is not false modesty but a deep statement about the nature of exemplary beings: their actions set standards that others follow. Power and wisdom carry responsibility.