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Offering to God
Tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami: A leaf, a little particle sticking to the vessel in which Draupadi had her meal satisfied everyone in the whole universe including Sri.Krishna and consequently Sage Durvasa and his thousand disciples.
A flower offered by the Elephant King brought SriVishnu hurrying down to save it from the jaws of a crocodile.
A forest fruit, that too tasted first by Sabari, was eaten with relish by Sri Rama.
BG 9.26
Pattram puspam phalam toyam
a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water,
Translation:
He who offers to Me with devotion and a pure heart
A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water,
That offering of devotion
I accept from him.
“I shall be easily pleased. My worship is not difficult.” We do not require large assets to please God. The samarpana or the naivedya that we have to offer to God is simple. Patram pushpam phalam toyam (9.26): “You can offer a leaf; I shall be satisfied. You can offer a single flower; I shall be satisfied. You can offer Me a spoon of water with devotion to Me; I am fully satisfied with it. But it has to be offered with devotion.” What is offered is not of consequence in the eye of God. The bhava, or the feeling, or the mode, or the attitude with which it is offered is what counts. God does not want anything from us.
This offer must be with complete devotion surrendering yourself manasaa vachaa karmanaa (trikarana suddhi)...then you are blessed.
Patram need not be a Tulsi leaf
It is said that Arjuna and Bhima were worshiping Lord Siva. Arjuna was collecting tons and tons of bilva leaves and offering mountains of these leaves to Lord Siva in worship; and Bhima was also worshipping Lord Siva, but he did it only in his mind. He had no physical leaf, and did not bring anything from the forest to offer to Lord Siva. One day, it seems, Arjuna and Bhima were taken to Kailasa for some reason. They saw cartloads and cartloads of bilva leaves being brought by the ganas of Siva, and they were poured at his feet. And some people were also bringing little handfuls of leaves, and throwing them. Arjuna asked, “Who are these people that are bringing little bunches of leaves and offering them, and who are these who are offering cartloads?” “That little bit is what that has been offered by Arjuna, and the cartloads are the offerings of Bhima.” “Bhima! He never does any worship,” said Arjuna. “He has done the worship, and Lord Siva is pleased,” they replied. Bhima offered cartloads, because his mind was there; and Arjuna offered a little bit, because it was a physical offering.
“Whatever you offer outside in the form of sacrifices – in yajnasalas – that is also an offering to Me, and whatever you offer inside also by way of a meal that you take, that is internal yajna that you perform as pranagnihotra. Therefore, may your actions be devoted to Me, dedicated to Me. Whatever be these actions, whether secular or religious – clerical, military, business, sweeping the floor, or anything that you perform according to the station of your life and location in society – let it be dedicated to Me, and you shall see that you are taken care of abundantly by the guardians of the Earth.”
How the poor offer to GOD
They worship from the bottom of their heart with pure devotion, and if it is even for a second, God will come to his rescue.
Tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami: A leaf, a little particle sticking to the vessel in which Draupadi had her meal satisfied everyone in the whole universe including Sri.Krishna and consequently Sage Durvasa and his thousand disciples.
A flower offered by the Elephant King brought SriVishnu hurrying down to save it from the jaws of a crocodile.
A forest fruit, that too tasted first by Sabari, was eaten with relish by Sri Rama.
BG 9.26
Pattram puspam phalam toyam
a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water,
Translation:
He who offers to Me with devotion and a pure heart
A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water,
That offering of devotion
I accept from him.
“I shall be easily pleased. My worship is not difficult.” We do not require large assets to please God. The samarpana or the naivedya that we have to offer to God is simple. Patram pushpam phalam toyam (9.26): “You can offer a leaf; I shall be satisfied. You can offer a single flower; I shall be satisfied. You can offer Me a spoon of water with devotion to Me; I am fully satisfied with it. But it has to be offered with devotion.” What is offered is not of consequence in the eye of God. The bhava, or the feeling, or the mode, or the attitude with which it is offered is what counts. God does not want anything from us.
This offer must be with complete devotion surrendering yourself manasaa vachaa karmanaa (trikarana suddhi)...then you are blessed.
Patram need not be a Tulsi leaf
It is said that Arjuna and Bhima were worshiping Lord Siva. Arjuna was collecting tons and tons of bilva leaves and offering mountains of these leaves to Lord Siva in worship; and Bhima was also worshipping Lord Siva, but he did it only in his mind. He had no physical leaf, and did not bring anything from the forest to offer to Lord Siva. One day, it seems, Arjuna and Bhima were taken to Kailasa for some reason. They saw cartloads and cartloads of bilva leaves being brought by the ganas of Siva, and they were poured at his feet. And some people were also bringing little handfuls of leaves, and throwing them. Arjuna asked, “Who are these people that are bringing little bunches of leaves and offering them, and who are these who are offering cartloads?” “That little bit is what that has been offered by Arjuna, and the cartloads are the offerings of Bhima.” “Bhima! He never does any worship,” said Arjuna. “He has done the worship, and Lord Siva is pleased,” they replied. Bhima offered cartloads, because his mind was there; and Arjuna offered a little bit, because it was a physical offering.
“Whatever you offer outside in the form of sacrifices – in yajnasalas – that is also an offering to Me, and whatever you offer inside also by way of a meal that you take, that is internal yajna that you perform as pranagnihotra. Therefore, may your actions be devoted to Me, dedicated to Me. Whatever be these actions, whether secular or religious – clerical, military, business, sweeping the floor, or anything that you perform according to the station of your life and location in society – let it be dedicated to Me, and you shall see that you are taken care of abundantly by the guardians of the Earth.”
How the poor offer to GOD
They worship from the bottom of their heart with pure devotion, and if it is even for a second, God will come to his rescue.