Vishnu Devotion & Surrender Bhagavad Gita Verse
Bhagavad Gita 9.26: Krishna says that a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, offered with devotion, is accepted. Sanskrit text and meaning.
Sanskrit
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ toyaṃ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṃ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
Meaning
Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water: I accept that offering made with love by one whose heart is pure.
Source / Textual Reference
Bhagavad Gita 9.26 (Chapter 9, verse 26)
The Bhagavad Gita is part of the Mahabharata. It records a talk between Krishna and the warrior Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra, just before a great battle. Krishna is the speaker.
Traditional Significance
This verse is often quoted to show that what counts in worship is the love behind the offering, not its price. The four things it names are simple and available to anyone.
Traditional Practice
The verse is often quoted in talks on worship and devotion. What to offer, and how, follows family and community custom.