पत्रं पुष्पं फलं तोयं यो मे भक्त्या प्रयच्छति ।
तदहं भक्त्युपहृतमश्नामि प्रयतात्मनः ॥
patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati |
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā: 9.26)
“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
tad evaṁ sva-bhaktānām akṣaya-phalam uktam | anāyāsatvaṁ ca sva-bhakter darśayati—patram iti | patra-puṣpādi-mātram api mahyaṁ bhaktyā prītyā yaḥ prayacchati tasya prayatātmanaḥ śuddha-cittasya niṣkāma-bhaktasya tat patra-puṣpādikaṁ bhaktyā tena upahṛtaṁ samarpitam aham aśnāmi prāpnomi prītyā gṛhnāmi | na hi mahāvibhūti-pateḥ parameśvarasya mama kṣudra-devatānām iva bahu-vitta-sādhya-yāgādibhiḥ paritoṣaḥ syāt kintu bhakti-mātreṇa | ato bhaktena samarpitaṁ yat kiñcit patrādi-mātram api tad-anugrahārtham evāśnāmīti bhāvaḥ |
(Subodhinī-ṭīkā)
“Thus, in this way, the inexhaustible result of [i.e., attained by] his own bhaktas is described [in the previous verse]. [Now,] He also shows the non-difficulty of bhakti to himself: patram … [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa states BG 9.26]. I partake of (āśnāmi), that is, I accept with love, a leaf, flower, or otherwise offered (upahṛtam) out of bhakti from one of pure heart (prayatātmanaḥ), that is, from one of purified psyche (śuddha-citta), meaning, from a desireless (niṣkāma) bhakta, who with bhakti, that is, with love, offers me just a leaf, flower, or otherwise, since the full satisfaction of I who am the Supreme Īśvara, the Lord of superlative magnificences (vibhūtis), shall come about not by means of sacrifices and the like that are accomplishable [only] with great wealth like minor devatās but only by means of bhakti. Therefore, I partake of even just some leaf or otherwise offered (uphṛtam) out of bhakti specifically for the sake favoring him [i.e., the bhakta who offered me the leaf or otherwise and not for the sake of the leaf or otherwise itself]. This is the purport.”
sarva-sulabhaṁ patraṁ vā puṣpaṁ vā phalaṁ vā toyaṁ vā yo bhaktyā me prayacchaty atyartha-mat-priyatayā tat-pradānena vinā ātma-dhāraṇam alabhamānatayā tad-eka-prayojano yo me patrādikaṁ dadāti, tasya prayatātmanas tat-pradānaika-prayojanatva-rūpa-śuddhi-yukta-manasas tat tathā-vidha-bhakty-upahṛtam ahaṁ sarveśvaro nikhila-jagad-udaya-vibhava-laya-līlo’vāpta-samasta-kāmaḥ satya-saṅkalpo’navadhikātiśayāsaṅkhyeya-kalyāṇa-guṇa-gaṇaḥ svābhāvikānavadhikātiśayānanda-svānubhave vartamāno’pi, manoratha-patha-dūravarti priyaṁ prāpya ivāśnāmi | yathoktaṁ mokṣa-dharme—‘yāḥ kriyāḥ saṁprayuktāḥ syur ekānta-gata-buddhibhiḥ | tāḥ sarvāḥ śirasā devaḥ pratigṛhṇāti vai svayam ||’ iti ||
(Gītā-bhāṣya of Rāmānujācārya)
“One who with bhakti offers me a leaf that easily attainable for everyone, or a flower, or a fruit, or water [which are all also easily attainable for everyone]—one whose sole aim is offering such [to me] by virtue of being devoid of ability to sustain oneself without [doing] that on account of profound fondness (priyatā) for me and who [as such] offers me a leaf or otherwise—I—the Īśvara of everything, I whose līlā is the emanation, protection, and dissolution of the entire universe, I whose every desire is fulfilled, I whose resolve is [ever] true, I who am replete with uncountable, infinite, pre-eminent auspicious qualities, although abiding in the midst of my own experience of the infinite, pre-eminent bliss produced by my own nature—I as if attaining something pleasing [that was] far beyond the scope of my desires partake of that [leaf or otherwise] so offered [to me] out of bhakti [for me] from one who is of pure heart (prayatātmanaḥ), that is, of mind endowed with purity in the form of having the aim solely of offering that [item to me], as is described in the Mokṣa-dharma [section of Mahābhārata (12.320.64)], ‘Deva indeed personally accepts on his head all those acts which shall be engaged in by those whose intellect has become one-pointed.’”
bhakta-kartṛka-bhojana-pāyana-snapana-vījanādi-lakṣaṇa-lālanecchāpi tasyākṛtrimaiva jāyate | sādhāraṇa-bhakti-sadbhāvenaiva hi—‘patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati | tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ ||’ ity uktam |
(Excerpt from Bhakti Sandarbha: 325)
“He [viz., Bhagavān] even has entirely genuine [i.e., non-artificial] desire for the care offered by bhaktas [to him] in the form of feeding, presenting drinks, bathing, fanning, and so forth since just because of the presence of bhakti in general [i.e., much less rāgātmikā-bhakti] it has been stated [by Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa in BG 9.26], ‘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.’”
varaṁ devāntara-bhaktāv āyāsādhikyaṁ na tu mad-bhaktāv ity āha—patram iti | atra bhaktyeti kāraṇaṁ tṛtīyāyāṁ bhakty-upahṛtam iti paunaruktaṁ syāt | ataḥ sahārthe tṛtīyā | bhaktyā sahito mad-bhaktā ity arthaḥ | tena mad-bhakta-bhinno janas tātkālikyā bhaktyā yat prayacchati tat tenopahṛtam api patra-puṣpādikaṁ naivāśnāmīti dyotitam | tataś ca mad-bhakta eva patrādikaṁ yad dadāti tat tasyāham aśnāmi yathocitam upayuñje | kīdṛśam? bhaktyopahṛtam | na tu kasyacid anurodhādinā dattam ity arthaḥ | kiṁ ca mad-bhaktasyāpy apavitra-śarīratve sati nāśnāmīty āha prayatātmanaḥ śuddha-śarīrasyeti rajaḥsvalādayo vyāvṛttāḥ | yad vā prayatātmanaḥ śuddhāntaḥkaraṇasya, mad-bhaktaṁ vinā nānyaḥ śuddhāntaḥkaraṇa iti, ‘dhautātmā puruṣaḥ kṛṣṇa-pāda-mūlaṁ na muñcati’ iti parīkṣid-ukter mat-pāda-sevā-tyāgāsāmārthyam eva śuddha-cittatva-cihnam | ataḥ kvacit kāma-krodhādi-sattve’pi utkhāta-daṁṣṭroraga-daṁśavat tasyākiñcitkaratvaṁ jñeyam |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“‘There is, on the contrary, a high degree of difficulty in bhakti to other devas, and not rather, in bhakti to me.’ Thus, he says patram … [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks BG 9.26]. Here, in regard to [the word] bhaktyā, if the third case were to refer to a cause [i.e., if the intended sense of the third case declension of the word bhakti here in the first half of the verse were interpreted as being that of a cause, which is one of the potential meanings this case can in general be used by a speaker to convey], a repetition [in meaning] would occur because of [the mention later in the verse of] ‘offered out of bhakti’ (bhakty-upahṛtam). Therefore, the third case [in the word bhaktyā] is in the sense of ‘with’ [rather than in the sense of a cause]. ‘With bhakti, my bhaktas [offer me a leaf, etc., out of bhakti]’ is the meaning. Thus, when a person other than a bhakta of mine offers a leaf, flower, etc. [to me] with [merely] momentary bhakti, I certainly do not partake of that even though [it is] offered by them [to me]. Consequently, furthermore, the leaf or otherwise which specifically my bhakta offers—I partake of that, that is, I enjoy [it] as is appropriate. Of what nature [is that leaf, etc.]? ‘Offered of out bhakti’ (bhakty-upahṛtam), and not, rather, given at the urging of anyone or otherwise. This is the meaning. ‘Moreover, when even a bhakta of mine is of impure body, I do not partake [of any offering they make].’ Thus, he says, ‘from of one of pure body’ (prayatātmanaḥ), meaning, from one of purified body. Thus, a menstruating woman and others [who are in a state of bodily impurity] are excluded [from making offerings]. Alternately, prayatātmanaḥ refers to one of pure psyche because no one else except my bhakta is of pure psyche since as per the statement of Parīkṣit [in SB 2.8.6], ‘A person of purified psyche does not give up the soles of Kṛṣṇa’s feet,’ specifically inability to relinquish the service of my feet is the sign of purity of the psyche. Therefore, even in the presence of desire (kāma), anger, and the like sometimes [i.e., even if these are observed to occur in my bhakta on occasion], that’s being insignificant like the bite of a defanged serpent is to be understood.”
evam akṣayānanta-phalatvān mad-bhaktiḥ kāryety uktvā sukha-sādhyatvāc ca sā kāryety āha—patram iti | patraṁ vā puṣpaṁ vānyad vā yat sulabhaṁ vastu yo bhaktyā prīti-bhareṇa me sarveśvarāya prayacchati, tasya bhakty-upahṛtaṁ prīty-arpitaṁ tat-tad-ananta-vibhūtiḥ pūrṇa-kāmo’py aham aśnāmi yathocitam upabhuñje | tat-prīty-udita-kṣut-tṛṣṇaḥ san tad-bhaktyāveśāt tat sarvam admīti vā | tasya kīdṛśasyety āha prayatātmano viśuddha-manaso niṣkāmasyety arthaḥ | tathā ca niṣkāmeṇa mad-anuraktenārpitaṁ tad aśnāmi | tad-viparītenārpitaṁ tu nāśnāmīty uktam | bhaktyā ity uktvāpi punar bhakty-upahṛtam ity uktir bhaktir eva mat-toṣikā, na tu dvijatva-tapasvitvādir iti sūcayati | iha satatam ananyaḥ patram ity ādibhis tribhir uktā kīrtanādi-rūpa-viśuddha-bhaktir arpitaiva kriyeta, na tu kṛtvārpiteti | ‘iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā | kriyeta bhagavaty addhā tan manye’dhītam uttamam ||’ iti prahlāda-vākyāt | atas tathātra nokteḥ |
(Gītā-bhūṣaṇa-ṭīkā)
“‘Thus, because of [its] being of inexhaustible and infinite result, bhakti to me is fit to be performed.’ Having said this [earlier], he says that it is fit to be performed also because of [its] being easily accomplishable: patram … [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa speaks BG 9.26 to convey this teaching]. One who with bhakti, that is, with an abundance of love, offers me, the Īśvara of everything, a leaf, or a flower, or any other easily attainable item—I partake of, that is, I enjoy as appropriate, that [item] offered out of bhakti, meaning, offered out of love, from him even though I am possessed of all variegated, infinite magnificences and am of fulfilled desire [in and of my own self], or, [the sense is that] I become filled with hunger and thirst produced [in me] by that love [of my bhakta] and out of absorption in his bhakti I eat all of that [i.e., everything that my bhakta offers me, be it something conventionally considered edible, like a fruit, or not, like a flower].
“[One may wonder in this regard] Of what nature is he [i.e., is the bhakta said to an offering of a a leaf or otherwise in this verse]? Thus, he says, ’from one of pure heart’ (prayatātmanaḥ), that is, from one of fully purified mind, meaning, one who is desireless (niṣkāma). Consequently, furthermore, I partake of that which is offered [to me] by one who is desireless and devoted to me, whereas I do not partake of that which is offered by someone opposite to that. This is stated [in the verse]. The statement ‘offered out of bhakti’ (bhakty-upahṛtam) [made] even after saying ‘with bhakti’ (bhaktyā) [earlier in the verse] indicates that bhakti alone is satisfying to me, and not, rather, [anyone’s merely] being a twice-born (dvijatva), being an ascetic, or otherwise.
“In this regard, completely pure bhakti in the form of praising (kīrtana) and so forth, as was described by the three [verses] satatam … [i.e., BG 9.14], ananyaḥ … [i.e., BG 9.22], and patram … [i.e., BG 9.26] should be performed only after being offered, and not rather, offered after being performed, as per the statement of Prahlāda [in SB 7.5.24], ‘If bhakti characterized by these nine [activities, e.g., hearing, praising, etc.] is [itself first] directly offered to Bhagavān Viṣṇu and [then] performed by a person, I consider that the greatest learning.’ Thus it is so here because of the non-mention [of offering these acts of bhakti after they are performed].”