There is no religion in the world which does not recognise and encourage offerings by the devotees. The modern educated man is rather surprised as to why the Infinite Lord, in all religions, needs insignificant things like a spoonful of oil for His lamp, or a candle, or even an edifice to house Himself — be it a church, a mosque, or a temple. Dreary intellects, poisoned with their own misunderstanding, have even come shamelessly to insist that these Houses-of-God should be converted into hospitals and schools, lunatic asylums and maternity homes!
But I believe that I am talking to a world which has not reached this nadir of depravity. Not yet. In a society where there is still the play of healthy hearts and virulent intellects, there is certainly a need for temples and worship. And in these Houses-of-God, it is not the intricacies of their design, elaborateness of the ritual, nor the splendour of gold and wealth exhibited, nor even the number of devotees attending, that contribute to their essential success.
The very language and diction of the stanza clearly sound the note that the material objects that one might offer are of no value to the Lord of the Universe, but it is the devotion and love that prompt the offerings that are accepted by the Deity. Be it “A LEAF, A FLOWER, A FRUIT, OR WATER,” it is but an insignificant thing that you offer; be it a golden temple, or be it a dry leaf, “WHOSOEVER WITH DEVOTION OFFERS,” whatever be the offering, the Lord of Vrindavana assures “THAT I ACCEPT.” For, when lovingly given, it becomes “A DEVOUT GIFT” and when it is offered by a sincere “PURE-MINDED” student, the Lord has to accept it.
There are several carefully coined words in the stanza which explain the theory of sacrifice insisted upon in all religions. No doubt, the Absolute requires no offering at all from the finite mortals to complete Its Perfection, or to maintain Its Infinite Glory. The limited individuals try to offer at the Altar of their Lord something that they have MISAPPROPRIATED from the Lord’s own garden, the world. In a public park, a lover often pinches a flower from the nearby bush and offers it to his beloved. Similarly, a devotee steals something from the Lord’s own plucks, and offers the same unto Him. In fact, when thus we analyse carefully, we know the hollowness of the vanity of offering something unto the Lord.
And yet, this is insisted upon as an important ritual in all forms of worship. In offering a flower, or a fruit unto the Lord, if the devotee feels that he is making a sacrifice of the very thing that he offers, he is misusing the very act. The flower, here, serves only the purpose of a spoon in conveying something unto the Lord. While taking soup, one, no doubt, lifts the spoon many times to the mouth but at the end of the dinner the spoon remains the same as before, having finished its work. The flowers and fruits in the garden or in the temple, remain the same, but when the devotee gathers and carries them to the Altar, and offers them, they become the conveyors of his love and dedication unto the Lord of his heart.
This idea has been brought out in this stanza, when the Lord says: “THAT I ACCEPT… THE DEVOUT GIFT OF THE PURE-MINDED.”
Therefore, on the whole, it is clear that an offering can be efficient, only when it is accompanied by the two required conditions; (a) “offered with devotion” and (b) “by the pure-minded.” To the extent these features are absent, all offerings are mere economic waste and superstition-breeding false-beliefs. If properly done, it can serve as a good vehicle to tread the spiritual path of self-development.
THEREFORE:
