III: 23

Chapter 3, Verse 23

"If I did not continue to work,
Untiringly as I do,
Humanity would still follow me,
No matter where I led them.

Swami Shivananda:

"Krishna is saying in so many words, 'If I became inactive, people would imitate me and pass into a state of sloth. Duties according to the code of morals governing the order of society and the stages of life would not be completed. Chaos and confusion would run amok."

[Chaos also reigns during those times in human history when the actions of government leaders fall out of sync (synchronism) with the greater good, because these leaders, whether because of political pressures or individual character flaws or what have you, do not imitate those shining examples from our spiritual traditions. One of these chaotic periods is unfolding before our eyes today, what with the inter-locking crises of climate change, pollution of the environment, population overshoot, and the approaching depletion of fossil fuels. Before the industrial revolution, there were around one billion people on the planet. As we careen towards the seven billion mark, the ecosystem of the Earth is finding itself unable to cope with these numbers which continue to grow exponentially. Inertia has set in; if the "powers that be" refuse to relinquish their grip on power and profits, a grip that has obliterated the moral code governing the order of society, confusion will continue to run amok, bringing with it catastrophic change. Lest we lose heart, let us remember that even during times of chaos and destruction, the Lord is present and at work, getting rid of the old to make way for the new.]