BG 3.24

उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् । सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥

utsīdeyur ime lokā na kuryāṃ karma ced aham | saṅkarasya ca kartā syām upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ ||

"If the great one withdraws, the worlds collapse and they become the cause of chaos — not a neutral bystander."

All public-domain translations

5 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources

Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)

[1]
These worlds would be ruined if I did not perform action; I should be the cause of confusion and of the destruction of these people.

Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)

[4]
These worlds would fall to ruin if I did not perform action; I should be the cause of confusion and should destroy these beings.

William Quan Judge, The Bhagavad Gita (1890)

[6]
These worlds would perish if I did not perform work, I should be the cause of confusion and the destruction of these people.

Sir Edwin Arnold, The Song Celestial (1885)

[7]
These worlds would fall to wrack If I withheld my hand; I should be seen Causing confusion of the castes, destroying These creatures.

K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)

[9]
These worlds would be ruined if I did not perform work; and I should be the cause of confusion of castes, and should destroy these creatures.