Bhagavad Gita - 9.26

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Jaya Sri Radhey! Namaste.

 

patraM puSpaM phalaM toyaM yo me "bhaktyA" prayacchati

tadahaM "bhaktyupahRtam" aznAmi "prayatAtmanaH" 9.26

 

The blessed Lord said:

 

Whosoever offers Me "with DEVOTION" a leaf, a flower, a fruit or

water, I accept that gift of the "PURE-HEARTED" devotee, which has

been presented with "DIVINE LOVE"!

 

Plese note the excellent words chosen here by Lord Krishna in the

above verse.

 

Any person whosoever offers Me, the Supreme Lord, Who am possessed of

limitless splendor, a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, or anything

else whatever that is easily available WITH DEVOTION, under the

idea, 'There is nothing higher than Vasudeva, Lord Krishna';

(that is to say) brings it like a servant to his master, because

there is nothing that is beyond the pale of My ownership and

everything in the world is under my possession- and therefore a

person offers Me what is already Mine- that leaf or flower, etc;

of the "pure-hearted" devotee, who is giving with AFFECTION, even

though they are insignificant things, I, the Lord of all, accept;

I become satisfied by LOVINGLY accepting it like food.

 

Here the literal meaning for the word "aznAmi = I eat" is replaced

by "acceptance" because the expression of the particular form of

acceptance implied by 'eating' springs from "exceeding love" and it

has been said in the Shruti,

 

"The gods certainly do not eat or drink. They become contented by

seeing this very nectar. (Chandogya Upanishad. 3.6.1)"

 

Why do I (Lord) accept that offering though insignificant?

I accept it because it has bee 'bhaptyupahRtam = presented with LOVE'.

Therefore the meaning is that, offering with DEVOTION is the CAUSE of

My acceptance.

 

Here, after having said 'offers with devotion', the Lord, by saying

AGAIN, 'presented with love', indicates 'parisankhyA', the EXCLUSIVE

specification (of DEVOTION) thus:

The cause of My acceptance is not the brahminhood of the devotee or

his being a man of austerity. It is devotion alone, and its presence

or absence determines My accepting or not accepting the gift.

 

As in the case of My eating the particles of rice brought by the poor

friend Sudhama, or in the case of a child, whose discrimination

regarding what is to be or not to be eaten is obliterated by great

love, eating what is given by its mother or others, I (Lord) actually

eat the leaf or the flower, etc. offered with DEVOTION.

 

Therefore DIVINE LOVE alone is the cause of My satisfaction, and NOT,

as in the case of other deities, anything else like offering a

sacrificial victim, offering precious presents, etc., which need an

expenditure of a great amount of money and exertion.

 

Hence, avoiding other deities, one should worship Me ALONE with

devotion.

 

This is the purport.

 

(Excerpt from the translation of 'Gudartha Dipika' of Sri Madhusudana

Saraswati)

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!