किमुपायनमानीतं ब्रह्मन्मे भवता गृहात् ।
अण्वप्युपाहृतं भक्तैः प्रेम्णा भूर्येव मे भवेत् ।
भूर्यप्यभक्तोपहृतं न मे तोषाय कल्पते ॥
पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥
kim upāyanam ānītaṁ brahman me bhavatā gṛhāt |
aṇv apy upāhṛtaṁ bhaktaiḥ premṇā bhūry eva me bhavet |
bhūry apy abhaktopahṛtaṁ na me toṣāya kalpate ||
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.81.3–4)
“O brāhmaṇa, what gift has been brought by you from your home for me? Even something small offered by bhaktas with prema shall certainly be great to me. Even a great [i.e., lavish] offering by a non-bhakta [however] does not lead to satisfaction for me. One who with bhakti offers a leaf, flower, fruit, or water to me—I partake of that offered out of bhakti from one of pure heart.”
Commentary
bhaktais tatrāpi premṇā, kiṁ vā bhaktatvād eva premṇopahṛtaṁ samarpitam, yad vā bhakta-viṣayaka-mat-premṇā bhūry eva bhavet, abhaktair upahṛtaṁ tu na kalpate yogyaṁ na samarthaṁ vā na bhavati | akiñcanatvādinā annādy-asadbhāve sati kevalaṁ patrādikam api toyaṁ veti vikalpo’trānusandheyaḥ | bhaktyā premṇā ataḥ prakarṣeṇa yacchati, ahaṁ svayam evāśnāmi svīkaromi | kutaḥ? bhaktyopahṛtaṁ | tat kutaḥ? bhaktyā viśuddha-cittasya, yad vā bhaktyaivopahṛtaṁ svīkṛtaṁ, tad aśnāmi | tatra patra-puṣpayor aśanāyogyatve’py aśanaṁ bhakti-sudhā-sambandha-balāt | toyasya peyatve’pi tat-tat chatri-nyāyena toyaikāhārāpekṣayā veti dik |
(Excerpt from the Bṛhad Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“[Even something small] Offered (upahṛtam) by bhaktas, and also in that regard, [when that is offered] with prema, or, [when also that is offered] with prema specifically because of [one’s] being a bhakta, or, alternately, because of my prema for [my] bhaktas, [that offering even of something small] shall certainly be great [to me]. An offering by non-bhaktas, however, does not lead [to satisfaction for me], that is, it is neither fit nor capable [of satisfying me].
“In the case of an absence of food and so forth on account of being possessionless or otherwise [i.e., if on occasion one does not have any food or other items normally used for offerings as a result of being completely renounced, being stricken with poverty, or otherwise], just a leaf and so on [i.e., or a fruit, or a flower], or even water, as a substitute is to be sought out [as an article to be used for one’s offering]. One who with bhakti, that is, with prema, thus excellently offers (prayacchati) [a leaf or otherwise]—I indeed personally partake (aśnāmi), that is, I accept [that leaf or otherwise]. Why? It was ‘offered out of bhakti’ (bhaktyopahṛtaṁ). Why is that? [It was offered] ‘With bhakti’ (bhaktyā), and [it came] from one of completely pure psyche [i.e., from one of pure heart (prayatātmanaḥ)]. Alternately, I partake of that, which has been accepted (upahṛtam) [by me] specifically out of bhakti [for my bhakta, i.e., as my bhaktas make offerings to me out of bhakti for me, so I out of bhakti for them accept their offerings]. In this regard, the partaking (aśanam) [i.e., eating] of leaves and flowers even in the case of [their] being non-suitable for partaking [i.e., eating] occurs on the strength of connection with the nectar of bhakti [i.e., when even leaves and flowers become imbued with the nectar of bhakti by bhaktas by way of their offering these items to me with bhakti, then I take pleasure even in eating these items despite that the fact that they are not normally eaten]. In the case of water’s being a beverage [i.e., its being something that is drunk rather than something that is eaten], it is mentioned by way of the men with umbrellas principle (chatri-nyāya) [i.e., the custom of saying all the members of group possess a certain characteristic even though only some members of the stated group actually do possess the characteristic, as in the case of saying that the men approaching in a group are carrying umbrellas even though not every single one of them, and rather only some of them, are actually carrying umbrellas], or, out of regarding for water’s being one thing that is consumed [just as food is]. This is the direction.”
svalpam apy annādikaṁ bhaktaiḥ sādaraiḥ, tatrāpi premavadbhiḥ premṇā, yad vā bhakta-viṣayaka-mat-premṇā bhūry eva bhavet, tāvataiva bahu-kāla-tṛptiḥ syād ity arthaḥ | abhaktair upahṛtaṁ me toṣāya na kalpate na sampadyate, teṣu na kiñcid api rocata ity arthaḥ | asadbhāve sati patrādīnāṁ madhye yat-kiñcil labhyate tad ekam apīty arthaḥ | ata eva kramānuktiḥ | bhaktyā premṇā, ataḥ prakarṣeṇa yacchati | ahaṁ svayam evāśnāmi svīkaromi | kutaḥ bhaktyopahṛtaṁ | tatas teṣām upaharaṇa-mātraṁ mad-aśane kāraṇaṁ, na tu mantrādikam apīti bhāvaḥ | punar uktir bhaktau svalālasāṁ khyāpayati | bhakty-upahṛtatve hetuḥ prayatātmanaḥ viśuddha-cittasya kāmanāntara-śūnyasyeti yāvat | tatra patra-puṣpayor asanāyogyatvam apy aśana-nirdeśas te apy aśnann ivopabhuñje, kiṁ vā bhojyābhāve te aśnāmi, phala-toye tu sutarām aśnāmy eveti gamayati | toyasya peyatve’py aśana-nirdeśas toyāhāravat tad-eka-tṛpty-apekṣayā |
(Excerpt from the Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā)
“Even a little food or otherwise [offered] by bhaktas, that is, by those who are respectful, and also in that regard, [when that small amount of food or otherwise is offered] with prema by those possessed of prema, or, alternately, because of my prema for [my] bhaktas [who offer me food or otherwise], [even that small amount of food or otherwise] shall certainly be great [to me], that is, indeed so greatly [my] satisfaction for a long time shall come about [because of it]. This is the meaning. An offering by non-bhaktas [however] does not lead (na kalpate) to satisfaction for me, that is, I am not pleased by them at all. This is the meaning.
“In the case of an absence [of foods and other items that are customarily offered], even any one of those among a leaf and so on [that were mentioned in the verse] which is available [can be offered]. This is the meaning. Therefore, there is a non-mention of an order [of items in the verse]. ‘With bhakti’ (bhaktyā) means with prema. One thus excellently offers (prayacchati) [a leaf or otherwise]. I myself certainly partake, that is, accept [such an offering]. Why? It was ‘offered out of bhakti’ (bhaktyopahṛtaṁ). Thus, their [i.e., bhaktas’] act of offering itself is the cause in regarding to my partaking [of it], and not, rather, even a mantra and so on [i.e., I partake of an offering because that act of offering itself is an expression of bhakti with prema; it is not that anything else, such as the mantra with which the offering is made or the exact content of the items in the offering, be it exceptional or unexceptional, extensive or minimal, shall be a cause of my accepting the offering]. This is the purport. The repeated mention [of bhakti in the verse] conveys his own ardent desire for [the] bhakti [he receives from his bhaktas]. The cause in regard to their being an offering [made] out of bhakti is [indicated by the mention of] ‘from one of pure heart’ (prayatātmanaḥ), that is, from one of fully purified psyche, meaning, more specifically, from one who is free from all other desires [than the desire to serve Bhagavān]. In this regard, the specific mention of partaking [i.e., eating] (aśana) even though leaves and flowers have no suitability for partaking [i.e., eating], means he enjoys even these [i.e., leaves and flowers] as though partaking [of them as one partakes of fruits and water], or, even in the case of the non-existence of [their] edibility, he partakes of them [i.e., he eats them anyway and enjoys doing so]. Consequently, [the sense is that] ‘I certainly partake of fruit and water [since I partake even of leaves and flowers].’ This he makes known [in this verse]. Even in the case of water’s being a beverage [i.e., its being something that is drunk rather than something that is eaten], the specific mention of partaking [of it] is [made] out of regard for the same satisfaction [felt] from that since water is like a food [in that it is consumed in a similar way].”
nanu nirbuddhinā mayā yadā sva-gṛhād idaṁ tvad-arthaṁ gṛhītaṁ tadā kim api na vicāritam adhunā tu vimṛśāmi tvad-bhakṣaṇa-yogyam idaṁ na bhavaty ato na dīyata ity ata āha—patram iti | atra bhakty-upahṛtam iti paunaruktyād bhaktyeti na karaṇe tṛtīyā, kintu sahārthe | tena bhaktyā yukto mad-bhakta-jano yad dadāti tac ca bhaktyaiva upahṛtaṁ cet tarhy aśnāmi na tu kasyacid anurodhena ity arthaḥ | ayam arthaḥ—vastu khalu svādv asvādu vā bhavatu kintu svādv idam iti buddhyā mad-bhaktena bhaktyaiva yat dīyate tan me atisvādv eva bhavet tatra na me ko’pi vivekas tiṣṭhatīti | aśnāmīti ghreyam apy anaśanīyam api puṣpam ahaṁ bhakta-prema-mohito’śnāmi | nanu devatāntara-bhaktasya bhakty-upahṛtaṁ vastu kiṁ nāśnāsi yato mad-bhakta-jano yad dadātīti brūṣe tatra satyaṁ nāśnāmy evety āha—prayatātmana iti | mad-bhaktyaiva sa śuddhāntaḥkaraṇo bhavati nānyathā | yad vā bhaktau prakarṣeṇa yatamāna-manasaḥ | atas tasyaivāśnāmi nānyasya ity arthaḥ |
(Excerpt from the Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“[Śrīdāma may reply to Śrī Kṛṣṇa after he speaks SB 10.81.3,] ‘Well, when this [broken flat rice] was brought for you from my house by I who am devoid of intelligence, then nothing was [properly] considered. Now, however, I see that this is not fit for you to eat. Therefore, I did not offer it [to you].’ Thus, he says patram … [i.e., in response to Śrīdāma’s hesitation to offer the broken flat rice, Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks SB 10.81.4]. Here, because of the repetition ‘offered out of bhakti’ (bhakty-upahṛtam) [i.e., because there is a second mention of bhakti in the second half of the verse], the third case in [the word] bhaktyā [mentioned in the first half of the verse] is not in the sense of a cause but in the sense of ‘with.’ So, when that which one endowed with bhakti, that is, my bhakta, offers is also offered verily with bhakti, then I partake [of it], and not, rather, because of anyone’s urging. This is the meaning. The meaning [of the verse] is [thus] this: an item itself may be palatable or unpalatable, but that which is offered by my bhakta verily with bhakti out of the thought, ‘This is palatable,’ shall become indeed highly palatable to me. In this regard, no sort of discrimination is present on my part. Thus, I partake [of the offering my bhakta makes, whatever it may be], and thus, being bewildered by my bhakta’s prema, I partake [even] of a flower even though it is [normally] meant to be smelled and not meant to be partaken [i.e., eaten].
“[Śrīdāma further questions Śrī Kṛṣṇa:] ‘Well, why don’t you partake of an item of a bhakta of another devatā that was offered with bhakti [by that bhakta to that devatā]? Do you reply, “Because [I partake of that] which my bhakta offers [me and not other things]?’ In this regard, [Śrī Kṛṣṇa responds], ‘True, I certainly do not partake [of that which a bhakta of another devatā offers to that other devatā with bhakti].’ Thus, he says ’from one of pure heart’ (prayatātmanaḥ). One becomes of pure psyche only by means of bhakti to me, and not otherwise. Alternately, [the word prayatātmanaḥ means] ‘from one whose mind is endeavoring in full for the sake of bhakti [to me].’ Thus, I partake only [of offered items] from him, and not of others. This is the meaning.”