कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादयः । लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २० ॥ यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः । स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ २१ ॥
karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ loka-saṅgraham evāpi sampaśhyan kartum arhasi yad yad ācharati śhreṣhṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute lokas tad anuvartate
Translation
It was through action alone that King Janak and others attained perfection. You, too, should act with the welfare of the world in mind. Whatever a great person does, ordinary people follow; whatever standard they set, the world pursues.
Hindi Meaning (हिंदी अर्थ)
कर्म के द्वारा ही राजा जनक और अन्य लोगों ने सिद्धि प्राप्त की। तुम्हें भी संसार के कल्याण को ध्यान में रखते हुए कर्म करना चाहिए। श्रेष्ठ पुरुष जो कुछ करता है, सामान्य लोग उसी का अनुसरण करते हैं; वह जो भी मानदंड स्थापित करता है, संसार उसी का पालन करता है।
Commentary
Krishna uses King Janak, famed for ruling wisely while remaining spiritually detached, as proof that action and liberation aren't opposites. The second half broadens the point beyond Arjun's personal situation: because people naturally imitate those they look up to, someone in a position of influence carries a responsibility for the example they set, independent of whether their own inner attachment to the outcome has fallen away.