5-10

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गम् त्यक्त्वा करोति यः ।
लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्म पत्रम् इवाम्भसा ॥ १० ॥

brahmaNyAdhAya karmANi saGgam tyaktvA karoti yaH |
lipyate na sa pApena padma patram ivAmbhasA || 10 ||

यः [yaH] The person who आधाय [AdhAya] places कर्माणि [karmANi] all deeds ब्रह्मणि [brahmaNi] in nature itself करोति [karoti] and works सङ्गम् त्यक्त्वा [saGgam tyaktvA] while giving up all attachments सः न लिप्यते [saH na lipyate] is not bound by पापेन [pApena] any fault, पद्म पत्रम् अम्भसा इव [padma patram ambhasA iva] like a lotus leaf in water.

The word ब्रह्म [brahma] here refers to this world, our environment. It’s in line with 14-3, where the word ब्रह्म [brahma] is used to mean the world: ‘The entire world is My womb’.

A person who works while giving up all attachment to results, with the firm opinion that ‘I am not the one who makes things happen’ will know that the various forms and shapes of our organs are the effects of Nature. He places his actions in Nature itself, according to 5-8 – ‘while seeing, hearing, touching’

The word ‘Nature’ refers to the environment around us, which in turn is a manifestation of our sense organs.

In this way, he isn’t stuck to faults that cause limitations. He isn’t under the impression that the environment (his body) is his Self, even while being associated with the environment. He is like a lotus leaf in water. Even though the leaf is in water, the water does not stick to it – the leaf doesn’t get wet.