न च मां तानि कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय । उदासीनवदासीनमसक्तं तेषु कर्मसु ॥
na ca māṃ tāni karmāṇi nibadhnanti dhanañjaya | udāsīnavadāsīnamasaktaṃ teṣu karmasu ||
Translation
And these actions do not bind Me, O Dhananjaya. I remain seated as if indifferent, unattached to these actions.
Interpretation
The profound freedom of the Divine: udāsīnavad āsīnam — seated as if indifferent, like a neutral witness. The entire cosmic drama of creation, sustenance, and dissolution happens, and yet the Divine remains unbound (na nibadhnanti), unattached (asaktam). This is the model for the karma yogi: act fully in the world while remaining internally unattached to the outcomes. The Divine's cosmic action without bondage is the archetype of nishkama karma. The one who realizes their identity with this Divine operates in the world with the same freedom.