He who abandons all desires, acting without attachment, stands untouched by sin, as the lotus-leaf by water
The lotus-leaf simile (padma-patram iva ambhasa) is India's most iconic image of non-attachment, and its translation reveals what each writer considers the agent of defilement. Arnold gives 'stands untouched by sin, as the lotus-leaf by water'--the passive 'untouched' mirrors the Sanskrit. Swarupananda says 'not soiled by evil,' using 'soiled' (physical contamination) rather than 'tainted' (moral corruption). Telang and Wilkins both use 'tainted,' but Wilkins adds a revealing phrase absent from the Sanskrit: 'having forsaken interest in its consequences'--inserting the language of British utilitarian philosophy. The word 'Brahman' versus 'the Supreme' also splits: Swarupananda and Telang keep 'Brahman,' while Wilkins translates it as 'the Supreme,' refusing to leave the key metaphysical term untranslated for his East India Company readers.
Krishna resolves the paradox of renunciation and action. True renunciation is not withdrawal from the world but performing action without attachment to results. The wise act in the world like a lotus leaf — in contact with water but never wetted by it.
The iconic lotus metaphor for non-attachment — acting in the world while remaining untouched, like a lotus floating on water.
