Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.27.16-17
Mukti· LiberationFaith Makes Every Offering Dear
“In worshiping the temple Deity, my dear Uddhava, bathing and decoration are the most pleasing offerings. For the Deity traced on sacred ground, the process of tattva-vinyāsa is most dear. Oblations of sesame and barley soaked in ghee are the preferred offering to the sacrificial fire, whereas worship consisting of upasthāna and arghya is preferred for the sun. One should worship Me in the form of water by offering water itself. Actually, whatever is offered to Me with faith by My devotee — even if only a little water — is most dear to Me.”
What the purport teaches
- Bathing and decoration are especially pleasing offerings to the temple Deity. Other manifestations of the Lord have their own prescribed methods of worship.
- The Supreme Personality of Godhead is present everywhere. Vedic culture provides various rituals for worshiping Him in His various manifestations.
- The worshiper’s faith and devotion are the principal elements; without them, everything else is useless. Even a little water offered with faith is most dear to the Lord.
Try this today
Offer a little water to Kṛṣṇa today with deliberate faith and devotion.
Ask yourself
How much attention do I give to faith and devotion when making an offering?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.