Bhagavad Gita Chapter 3, Verse 23

यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः | मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ||

yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

If I did not engage vigilantly in action, O Arjuna, people would follow My path in every way.

Krishna reveals why His engagement matters: 'Yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ'—if I stopped engaging vigilantly in action (atandritaḥ means without laziness, with care), 'mama vartmānuvartante manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ'—people would follow My path in every way. When someone with influence withdraws, they don't just make a personal choice—they set a standard. If God checked out, humanity would think: 'Even the Supreme doesn't act, why should we?' Krishna acts not from need but to provide an example. This is influence's weight: your disengagement gives others permission to quit.