ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः । लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥
brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ | lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā ||
Translation
One who performs actions, having abandoned attachment, surrendering them to Brahman, is not tainted by sin — as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.
Interpretation
The lotus leaf simile is one of the most beautiful in the Gita. The lotus grows in water, is surrounded by water, yet the water does not cling to its surface — it rolls off, leaving the leaf dry. Similarly, the karma yogi lives in the world, acts fully in it, yet the world's impurities — desire, greed, selfishness — do not cling to them. This is the transformative power of offering all actions to the Divine (Brahman) and releasing attachment to outcomes.