Live Session - Pragmatic Gita - Chapter 5, Shlokas 10 to 13, Vancouver, BC

Verse 5.10 - 5.13

Practice detachment like a lotus leaf

In 5.10, Shri Krishna says that "One who performs their duty by dedicating their actions to the divine, abandoning attachment, remains unaffected by sin, just as a lotus leaf remains untouched by water."

Shri Krishna speaks about a few key terms here: Dedicating Actions to the Divine (ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि / brahmaṇyādhāya karmāni): This means dedicating to the Divine or Brahman. In the current context, Lord Krishna emphasizes the importance of performing actions as an offering to the Supreme. When one dedicates their actions to the divine, they are not seeking personal gains or rewards. This attitude transforms ordinary actions into sacred actions. It's a shift from "I am doing this" to "It's being done through me by the divine will."

Abandoning Attachment (सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा / saṅgaṁ tyaktvā): This translates to "abandoning attachment." Attachment here refers to the outcomes of our actions. In life, we often get attached to the results of our endeavors, leading to either elation when things go our way or disappointment when they don't. Krishna advises that while one should be dedicated to their duty, they should remain detached from the fruits of their actions. This detachment ensures mental equilibrium, irrespective of success or failure.

Unaffected by Sin (लिप्यते न स पापेन / lipyate na sa pāpena): This means "remains unaffected by sin." When actions are performed with selflessness, without ego and attachment, they don't accumulate karma, neither good nor bad. Such actions are pure, and the individual remains untainted.

पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा / padma patra mivāmbhasā: Shri Krishna compares such individuals to a lotus leaf in water. A lotus leaf, though born in water, floats on it without getting wet. Similarly, a self-realized person, though living in the material world, remains untouched by its dualities and temptations. The lotus leaf symbolizes purity and detachment, and its relationship with water exemplifies the ideal interaction one should have with the world around them.

In many Vedic traditions, the lotus is given a special status. For example, we call the Lord’s feet as lotus-feet (kamal-charan).