Whoever offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, that I accept – offered by the pure-minded with devotion.
Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you practice in austerity, O Kaunteya, do it as an offering to Me.
Thus shall you be free from bonds of actions which yield good and evil results; with the mind steadfast in the Yoga of renunciation.
The same am I to all beings; to Me there is none hateful nor dear; but those who worship Me with devotion are in Me, and I am also in them.
Bhagavad Gita IX – 26 - 29
An explanation
Those who worship me with devotion are in me and I am also in them
This quote comes from the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It's spoken by Lord Krishna, who serves as the charioteer and spiritual guide to the warrior prince Arjuna.
In this particular verse, Krishna is emphasizing the concept of devotion and the intimate connection between the divine and the devotee. He's essentially saying that those who worship with true devotion, with their hearts and minds fully surrendered to the divine, experience a profound sense of unity with the divine. This unity is not just an external connection but a deeply personal and internal one, where the divine resides within the devotee and the devotee resides within the divine.
This teaching underscores the idea of divine immanence, the belief that the divine is present and accessible within the individual and throughout the universe. It highlights the intimate and loving relationship between the individual soul (the jiva) and the Supreme Soul (the paramatma).
Krishna's words in the Bhagavad Gita have been interpreted and expounded upon by countless scholars and spiritual leaders over the centuries, and they continue to inspire and guide millions of people around the world on their spiritual journeys.