Lord Krishna
Divine TeacherThe Supreme Lord, the charioteer and divine guide of Arjuna. Krishna delivers the eternal wisdom of the Gita, revealing the nature of the soul, duty, and the path to liberation.
Speaking: Chapter 9, Verse 26
Verse 26
The Yoga of Royal Knowledge and Royal Secret
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.
Context & Meaning
Perhaps the most tender verse in the entire Gita. The Supreme, who is the source of all creation, asks for nothing grand. A leaf. A flower. A fruit. Water. The offering matters less than the love with which it is given. Bhaktyā — with devotion — is the only condition. The poorest person in the world can satisfy the Divine completely.
Scholar Commentaries
2 commentaries · Public domainRamanujacharya
VishishtadvaitaThe word aśnāmi — "I eat," "I accept" — conveys the Lord's personal delight in receiving the humble gift of a loving heart. The infinite reduces itself to joy over a leaf offered in love. This is the miracle of bhakti.
Madhvacharya
DvaitaPrayatātmanaḥ — of the pure-hearted one. Purity of heart, not grandeur of offering, is the criterion. The Lord who commands all riches is satisfied by the gift of sincere love.