Bhagavad Gita BG 9.26
Chapter 9, Verse 26 — Meaning, Translation & Explanation
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति । तदहं भक्त्युपहृतं अश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥
patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhaktyupahrtam ashnami prayatatmanah
Meaning
Whoever offers Me with devotion — a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water — I accept that loving offering of the pure-hearted one.
Understanding
The most democratic and intimate offering. Patram (a leaf), pushpam (a flower), phalam (a fruit), toyam (water). The simplest, most universally available things. The condition: bhaktya (with devotion/love). Prayatatmanah (of the pure-hearted, the sincere one). I ashnami (I eat, I accept) tat bhaktya-upahrtam (that offering brought with devotion). The Divine accepts whatever is offered with love — not the monetary value, not the ritual correctness, but the devotion behind it. This is the complete democratization of worship.
Word by Word
| Word | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| पत्रम् | patram | a leaf |
| पुष्पम् | pushpam | a flower |
| फलम् | phalam | a fruit |
| तोयम् | toyam | water |
| प्रयतात्मनः | prayatatmanah | of the pure-hearted one, the sincere one |
| पुष्पम् | puṣpam | a flower |
| यः | yaḥ | whoever |
| मे | me | to Me |
| भक्त्या | bhaktyā | with devotion |
| प्रयच्छति | prayacchati | offers |
| तत् | tat | that |
| अहम् | aham | I |
| भक्ति-उपहृतम् | bhakti-upahṛtam | offered with devotion |
| अश्नामि | aśnāmi | I accept, I eat |
| प्रयत-आत्मनः | prayata-ātmanaḥ | of the pure-hearted one |