Verse 5.105.15.25.35.45.55.65.75.85.95.105.115.125.135.145.155.165.175.185.195.205.215.225.235.245.255.265.275.285.29

He who does actions, offering them to Brahman, and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus-leaf is not tainted by water.

One who acts, placing all actions in Brahman and giving up attachment, is not touched by sin, as a lotus leaf is not wetted by water.

This verse gives one of the Gita's best-loved images. A lotus leaf grows in water yet stays dry, the water rolling off its surface. In the same way, one who acts while offering all actions to Brahman and letting go of attachment is not touched by wrongdoing. The image is perfect for the teaching of karmayoga: one need not leave the world to be untouched by it. Like the lotus, one can live fully within the waters of activity and remain free. The verse is often quoted as a summary of detached action.