Live in the world without being stained by attachment.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः |लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ||५-१०||
brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ . lipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā ||5-10||
Use this verse when you want to work without getting internally polluted.
Meaning
One who dedicates actions to Brahman and gives up attachment is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Offer action to the Divine and remain like a lotus leaf.
Word-by-word meaning
Tap a word to see its meaning.
Explanation
This is a beautiful image of detached action. The lotus grows in water but remains untouched by it. Similarly, the seeker can live in the world, work, earn, lead, care, and serve without being internally stained by ego and attachment. The key is offering the action to Brahman and releasing possessiveness.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna offers one of the Gita's most beloved images. The person who dedicates every action to Brahman (brahmani adhaya) and acts without attachment (sangam tyaktva) is untouched by sin, padma-patram iva ambhasa — like a lotus leaf upon water.
The lotus leaf rests on the pond yet remains dry; water rolls off it without soaking in. So too the karma-yogi lives fully in the midst of work, success, and worldly contact, yet none of it clings to the soul. The secret is the inner offering: when action is surrendered to the Divine rather than claimed by the ego, it leaves no binding residue.
Attachment is the moisture that would otherwise stick; release it, and you move through the world unstained. This is the art of being in the world but not of it.
In daily life
Before work, mentally offer the action and release personal ownership.
A business leader can act ethically in a competitive market without becoming greedy or corrupt.
Try this today
Before one task, say: I offer this and release attachment.
I act like a lotus leaf, engaged yet untouched.Reflect
Where do I need lotus-like detachment?
Private — only you can see this
Quick check
What does ‘पद्मपत्रम् इव’ mean in this verse?
The Gita on selfless action, in other chapters
- Verse 3.22Even one who needs nothing still chooses to act selflessly — completeness is no excuse for idleness but a reason for free, giving action.
- Verse 11.34Engage life's hardest duties without being crushed by grief, resting the outcome in the Divine.
- Verse 12.11If nothing else, surrender the fruits of all your actions and stay inwardly steady.
- Verse 1.14 · SanjayaInvite your inner wisdom to take the reins before entering any significant conflict or challenge.
Swipe left for 5.11 · Work becomes purification when attachment is dropped.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 5.10
Who says Bhagavad Gita 5.10, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 5.10, in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga (Karma Sannyas Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 5.10 mean?
One who dedicates actions to Brahman and gives up attachment is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is untouched by water. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 5.10 for daily life?
Before work, mentally offer the action and release personal ownership. A business leader can act ethically in a competitive market without becoming greedy or corrupt.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 5.10 mean?
ब्रह्मणि आधाय — offering / resigning to Brahman; कर्माणि — actions; सङ्गम् त्यक्त्वा — abandoning attachment; करोति यः — he who acts; लिप्यते न — is not tainted.
Where does verse 5.10 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 10 of 29 in Chapter 5, Karma Sannyas Yoga. The next verse is 5.11.