The Yoga of Renunciation

Krishna provides a beautiful analogy: one who performs actions (karoti yaḥ), having offered them to Brahman (brahmaṇi ādhāya karmāṇi) and abandoned attachment (saṅgaṁ tyaktvā), is not tainted by sin (na lipyate sa pāpena), just as a lotus leaf (padma-patram) is not tainted by water (ambhasā). This is the essence of karma yoga: offer actions to the Supreme, abandon attachment to results, and you remain untouched by karma. The lotus leaf remains in water but isn't affected by it—similarly, the yogi acts in the world but isn't affected by it. The key: dedication and detachment. Offer actions as worship, perform them without attachment, and you're free from karmic bondage.