Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 15
Arcana-vidhi: The Method of Deity Worship
Vedic, Tantric, and Mixed
द्रव्यै: प्रसिद्धैर्मद्याग: प्रतिमादिष्वमायिन: । भक्तस्य च यथालब्धैर्हृदि भावेन चैव हि ॥ १५ ॥
dravyaiḥ prasiddhair mad-yāgaḥ pratimādiṣv amāyinaḥ bhaktasya ca yathā-labdhair hṛdi bhāvena caiva hi
On doit M’adorer dans Mes formes de Divinité en offrant les accessoires les plus excellents, sans duplicité. Mais le dévot affranchi du désir matériel peut M’adorer avec ce qu’il obtient, et même dans son cœur, au moyen d’offrandes mentales, portées par le bhāva.
A devotee still troubled by material desire tends to see the world as an object of sense gratification. Such a neophyte devotee may misunderstand the Lord’s supreme position and may even consider the Lord an object of his own enjoyment. Hence the neophyte must offer opulent paraphernalia to the Deity so that he may constantly remember that the Deity is the supreme enjoyer and that he, the neophyte, is simply the worshiper and is actually meant for the Deity’s pleasure. In contrast, an advanced devotee, one fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, never forgets that the Supreme Lord is the actual enjoyer and controller of everything. The pure devotee offers his unalloyed love to the Personality of Godhead along with whatever paraphernalia is easily obtained. A Kṛṣṇa conscious devotee does not waver in his devotion to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and even with the simplest offering he completely satisfies the Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse says Krishna accepts worship offered without duplicity, even when done with whatever items are available, and even purely through sincere devotion within the heart.
In the Uddhava Gita, Krishna instructs Uddhava on practical bhakti—explaining that the essence of worship is sincerity and devotion, not external opulence.
Offer what you can with honesty—simple food, water, flowers, or even mental worship—and focus on genuine remembrance and loving intention rather than display.