patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

“If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.” Even the poorest of the poor can attempt to engage in transcendental service to the Lord and have a permanent blissful abode in eternal happiness. The only qualification is to be a pure devotee of Lord Krishna. What Krishna says in this verse is that it does not matter what one is or where one is situated, but that the process is so easy that even a leaf, some fruit or water, if offered with genuine love, will be accepted by Krishna. This means that no one is barred from achieving Krishna consciousness, the highest perfection of life. Krishna wants loving service from his devotees and nothing more. Of course, Krishna does not need anything from everyone for he is self-sufficient, but these devoted offerings are accepted in exchange for love and affection.

Bhakti, which means devotional service, is mentioned twice in this short verse, placing an emphasis on this act of love, which is the only way to approach Krishna.

Lord Krishna establishes in this verse that he is the only enjoyer. He is the primeval Lord and the real object of sacrificial offerings. Transcendental loving service to God is the goal of life so one must discover what Krishna desires, for one who loves Krishna will give him whatever he wants and avoid offering what he does not want. Because Krishna says he will accept a leaf, flower, fruit and water, we do not offer him meat, fish or eggs. With this in mind, a devotee’s diet consists of vegetables, grains, fruit, milk and water for all food is first offered to Krishna, who in turn blesses it for the devotee.

The Bhagavad Gita means “song of the Lord.” It is a Hindu scripture made up of 700 verses in Sanskrit, which is a part of the Mahabharata epic. The Gita is the narration of a dialogue between Arjuna, a royal warrior, and Lord Krishna, who took the role of his charioteer and guide on a battlefield. This scripture teaches the great truths of dharma, knowledge, devotional service, raja yoga, and the Sankhya philosophy.

Each of the 24 fragrances of Prabhuji’s Gifts Devotion Stick Incense line displays a verse in Sanskrit, with most coming from the Bhagavad Gita. The verse above is on the Gokula Incense Stick fragrance.