Bhagavad Gita Chapter 5, Verse 10

ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति यः | लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ||

brahmaṇy ādhāya karmāṇi saṅgaṁ tyaktvā karoti yaḥ lipyate na sa pāpena padma-patram ivāmbhasā

One who performs actions, having offered them to Brahman and abandoned attachment, is not tainted by sin, just as a lotus leaf is not tainted by water.

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.