CC Madhya 17.178
Madhya-līlā, Chapter 17, Text 178
যদ্যদাচরতি শ্রেষ্ঠস্তত্তদেবেতরো জনঃ ।
স যৎ প্ৰমাণং কুরুতে লোকস্তদনুবর্ততে ॥ ১৭৮ ॥
স যৎ প্ৰমাণং কুরুতে লোকস্তদনুবর্ততে ॥ ১৭৮ ॥
yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Word by word
yat yat — however; ācarati — behaves; śreṣṭhaḥ — the best man; tat tat — that; eva — certainly; itaraḥ — the lesser; janaḥ — men; saḥ — he; yat — which; pramāṇam — standard; kurute — shows; lokaḥ — the people; tat — that; anuvartate — follow.
Translation
“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”
Purport
This is a quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā (3.21).