कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः ।
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥
Transliteration
karmanaiva hi samsiddhim asthita janakadayah
loka-sangraham evapi sampasyan kartum arhasi
yad yad acarati sresthas tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Translation
Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work. Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
Purport
In earlier Shlokas, Bhagvan Shri Krishna explained the secret of karma and that doing one’s natural duty is the core of Karma Yoga. Just doing honestly performing his duties one can achieve the supreme state. Bhagvaan Shri Krishna put an example of King janaka.
Janaka was a king, but he is regarded as one among the greatest of Sanayasis and Jnanis. He achieved such a high state of enlightenment following the path of Karma Yoga. He devoted his whole life to serving his people without being asking anything in return. He achieved a state of enlightenment which is rare to even great Sanyasis and Jnanis. He was called as Videha(one without body), this itself explains his spiritual position.
Bhagvan Shri Krishna then put the social perspective of performing the duty. Shri Krishna reminded Arjuna is known as the best archer and warriors in society. People regard him for this reason and look to him for the protection of society. If he does not perform his natural duty of warrior then this would put a negative example in front of society and start a dangerous trend. Later soldiers will start leaving the battlefield for one reason or other and this way whole security of society will be at stake. Society follows its leaders Whatever leaders do, normal people follow the same.
So even he(Arjuna) can’t understand philosophy, he should still stand to perform his natural duty of soldier for the sake of protection of society and put a positive example.
