यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते।।3.21।।
Whatever a superior person does, another person does the same! Whatever they uphold as authority, an ordinary person follows that.
Osho’s Commentary
Man is an imitative animal. From childhood, we learn by imitating others. We watch our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and we follow them. Very few people have the courage to find their own path. Most people simply follow the well-trodden road. Krishna is telling Arjuna, “You are a shreshtha, an eminent man, a leader. The common man will follow your example. If you run away, millions will use your escape as a justification for their own cowardice. If you stand and fight, you will inspire millions to face their own duties with courage.” The responsibility of a great man is immense. He is not just living his own life; he is setting a standard for the whole of society. A Buddha, a Mahavira—when they renounced the world, millions followed them, creating a culture of world-negation. Their renunciation was authentic, born of their own experience. But the imitation was inauthentic, a mere copy. Krishna is telling Arjuna, “Think of the masses. Think of the impact of your actions. For their sake, you must act. Your action or inaction will create a ripple that will affect generations to come.”