Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 4: Knowledge and the Renouncing of Action

Bhagavad Gita 4.14

na māṃ karmāṇi limpanti na me karmaphale spṛhā | iti māṃ yo'bhijānāti karmabhirna sa badhyate ||

Actions do not stain me, and I have no longing for the fruit of action. One who knows me in this way is not bound by actions.

Modern context

Why does action leave no mark on Krishna? Because he wants nothing from it. The verse puts the stain in the craving for the result. The act itself does not bind. Work done with no hunger for what it will bring leaves no residue of pride, anxiety or disappointment. Understanding how he acts shows us how we might act, and so the second line says that one who knows this is also free.