Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 3: The Path of Action

Bhagavad Gita 3.23

yadi hyahaṃ na varteyaṃ jātu karmaṇyatandritaḥ | mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ ||

For if I ever stopped acting, tirelessly as I do, people everywhere would follow my path, Arjuna.

Modern context

'If I ever stopped working, people would follow my example.' The more others look to a person, the less that person's choices are private. Krishna says he works 'tirelessly' for this reason. Responsibility grows with influence, and a lapse at the top is copied all the way down.