A lovely verse from Shrimad Bhagwad Geeta.
patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami pryatatmanah
Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, that offered by the pure minded with devotion, I accept.
What we offer is insignificant. The most important part is, with what intention, purity of motive we offer it. This can be seen in the below illustrations.
LEAF : During her stay in the forest, Draupadi could offer only a bit of a cooked leaf, sticking to her akshyapatra to Sri Krishna, when he came to save her from Durvasa’s curse. it was offered with such reverence and tenderness of heart that it appeased His hunger. Durvasa and his ten thousand disciples who came begging for food, at the advice of Duryodhana to disgrace the Pandavas, went away with a feeling of having eaten too full, without touching a morsel of food.
FLOWER : In the Gajendramoksha story, Indrayumna, the Pandya king was cursed to become an elephant by sage Agastya. he became an elephant but was caught, when sporting in a river, by a crocodile. In the struggle between the elephant and the crocodile, the former offered a lotus flower, freshly plucked in a flash of devotion. He was released immediately not only from the temporary distress and curse but from worldly bondage itself.
FRUIT: The story of Shabari, tasting to find the sweetest fruit to be offered tot he Lord, and her offering of the half-eaten ones, and the Lord receiving it with extreme happiness is an unforgettable example.
WATER : Water is an essential material, always offered in all modes of worship.
Besides all these, the story of Sudama [ Kuchela ]offering the low quality beaten rice is also another classic example. In all the illustrations given, the materials offered are apparently worthless and cheap but became priceless treasures in His eyes because He saw only the intense faith and devotion behind them.
