Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 3, Verse 21

यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते

yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ | sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate

Translation

Whatsoever a great man does, that alone the other men do; whatever he sets up as the standard, that the world follows.

— Alladi Mahadeva Sastri

Word meanings

yat

what

yat

what

ācarati

does

śreṣṭhaḥ

the best

tat

that

tat

the other

eva

only

itaraḥ

the other

janaḥ

people

saḥ

he

yat

what

pramāṇam

measure (authority)

kurute

makes

lokaḥ

the world (people)

tat

that

anuvartate

follows

Śaṅkarācārya's commentary

Whatever authority the chief among men follows, whether in relation to spiritual or temporal matters, the same is regarded as the authority by his followers.