The twigs represent the willingness of the disciple to serve the teacher in a practical way (wood as fuel for rituals) out of gratitude for the teaching.

If the guru is a sannyāsī, it is not accepted, because a sannyāsī does not perform rituals. Something symbolic is offered to that teacher, but especially an attitude of surrender and trust (śraddhā) in the lessons.

Nowadays it is more about the inner housekeeping than the outer housekeeping. But just as twigs have a function as fuel for rituals, the modern disciple can contribute to a beautiful, clean, silent satsang and a beautiful decoration of the pulpit (candle, statue, flower). This feeds his devotion and qualifications such as involvement and focus. Another example is someone who organizes a seminar for a Vedanta teacher, with the necessary effort and resources.

The difference between a mahāśāla and a gṛhastha is that the former has, so to speak, arranged his house as a large (mahā) hall (śāla) for devotion and teaching. The gṛhastha is more the student or disciple himself, who still leads a worldly life, and runs a household. Both are often seen among the seers (the ṛṣi’s) in the old days.