Like a lotus leaf on water

brahmaṇyādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṃ tyaktvā karoti yaḥlipyate na sa pāpena padmapatramivāmbhasā

One who offers all action to Brahman, letting go of clinging, stays untouched by wrongdoing, like a lotus leaf on water.

What it means

This is one of the Gita's most beloved images. A lotus leaf floats on water, yet water slides right off it. The leaf is in the pond, but not wet. In the same way, one who offers every action to Brahman, the infinite, and lets go of clinging, lives in the world without papa, wrongdoing, sticking to them.

The story

Arjuna is about to step into the muddiest place imaginable, a battlefield. Krishna gives him the lotus. You can be right in the middle of it, and remain clean, if you act from offering, not grasping.

In your life

Picture a social worker who deals with heartbreak all day and still goes home kind and whole. Like the lotus, in the water but not soaked. Before work tomorrow, picture a lotus leaf. Let things roll off.