186
Bhagavad-pitā  As It las
[Ch.3
himself smokes. Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave properly even before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called  ācārya , or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of  śāśtra  (scripture) to reach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed scriptures, like  Manu-samhitā  and similar others, are considered the standard books to be followed by human society. Thus the leader's teaching should be based on the principles of the standard rules as they are practiced by the great teachers. The  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  also affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization. The king or the executive head of a state, the father and the school teacher are all considered to be natural leaders of the innocent people in general. All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their dependents; therefore they must be conversant with standard books of moral and spiritual codes.
TEXT 22
न मे पार्थास्सि कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किंचन । नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥२२॥
na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ varta eva ca karmaṇi
na —none;  me —Mine;  pārtha —O son of Pṛthā;  asti —there is;  kartavyam —any prescribed duty;  triṣu —in the three;  lokeṣu —planetary systems;  kīñcana —anything;  na —no;  anavāptam —in want;  avāptavyam —to be gained;  varte —engaged;  eva —certainly;  ca —also;  karmaṇi —in one’s prescribed duty.
TRANSLATION
O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything—and yet I am engaged in work.