Bhagavad GitaBhagavad Gita 9.26
Chapter 9, verse 26: the Sanskrit, the Roman letters, the meaning and what it is used for.
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः
patraṃ puṣpaṃ phalaṃ toyaṃ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tadahaṃ bhaktyupahṛtamaśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ
Meaning
Whoever offers me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that offering of love from the one whose heart is pure.
Explanation
Here the emphasis is on the devotion, not on the value of the offering. Anyone can find a leaf and a little water. The verse is often quoted in temples and homes in support of simple worship and is a reminder that nobody is shut out of devotion for being poor.
Where it fits
This is verse 26 of 34 in chapter 9, "The royal knowledge and royal secret" (Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga). previous verse (9.25) · next verse (9.27)
Related verses
- Bhagavad Gita 4.7
- Bhagavad Gita 4.8
- Bhagavad Gita 7.14
- Bhagavad Gita 9.22
- Bhagavad Gita 10.8
- Bhagavad Gita 15.15
Questions people ask
What does Bhagavad Gita 9.26 mean?
Whoever offers me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I accept that offering of love from the one whose heart is pure.
Where is this verse?
It is verse 26 of chapter 9 (The royal knowledge and royal secret), which has 34 verses.
Meanings and explanations are our own wording, not an authorised translation. Readers of the Gita follow different traditions and teachers; please ask yours about what you read here.