Bhagavad Gita 3.24
Karma Yoga · English Translation
Sanskrit
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् | सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ||३-२४||
Transliteration
utsīdeyurime lokā na kuryāṃ karma cedaham . saṅkarasya ca kartā syāmupahanyāmimāḥ prajāḥ ||3-24||
These worlds would perish if I did not perform action; I should be the author of confusion of castes and destruction of these beings.
Word by Word
उत्सीदेयुः would perish, इमे these, लोकाः worlds, न not, कुर्याम् would do, कर्म action, चेत् if, अहम् I, सङ्करस्य of confusion of castes, च and, कर्ता author, स्याम् would be, उपहन्याम् would destroy, इमाःthese, प्रजाः beings
Classical Commentary
If I did not engage in action, people would also be inactive. They would not do their duties according to the Varnasrama Dharma (code of morals governing their own order and stage of life). Hence confusion of castes would arise. I would have to destroy these beings.