Chapter 17 Shloka 20

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।

देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।२०।।

Charity given with the conviction

‘It must be given’, and after due consideration

to place, time and recipient, without any

expectation of any return, is sattvic daan.

Chapter 17 Shloka 20

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।

देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।२०।।

Now the Lord elaborates on the three types of daan or charity.

Charity given with the conviction ‘It must be given’, and after due consideration to place, time and recipient, without any expectation of any return, is sattvic daan.

First understand the connotation of daan.

Daan is:

1. To surrender.

2. To gift.

3. To award.

4. Generosity generated from a sense of duty.

5. An act that purifies, sanctifies.

6. To protect another.

Sattvic daan:

a) does not contain the pride of a giver;

b) does not possess the thought ‘I am wealthy’;

c) where the recipient is not regarded a beggar;

d) where charity is given in humility;

e) where charity is marked by love and faith.

The one who gifts such charity remains head bowed in humility. He gifts everything in the Lord’s Name and therefore to the Lord Himself. The present day concept of daan is not true charity. It merely exhibits the pride of the giver.

1. That charity which is given as a fulfilment of one’s obligation is sattvic in nature.

2. That charity which is given to the Lord as His share in one’s earnings is sattvic daan.

3. That charity which is given considering the fulfilment of one’s duty to be a Supreme obligation is sattvic daan.

4. Such charity is given to another as an acknowledgement of the other’s right.

5. Such charity is given to prevent oneself from becoming stone hearted.

6. Such charity is inspired by compassion and mercy.

7. It is given for self-purification.

8. It is given as an offering from a beggar to the Lord.

Such charity is selfless; it is given to one from whom there is no expectation of any return, nor any hope for the fulfilment of any desire; where there is no possibility of gaining recognition or fame. Such charity is given with faith and reverence to the recipient.

The Lord says one must consider the place, the time and the recipient when charity is to be given. Yet, it should not be hindered by considerations such as the recipient’s rudeness to oneself, his ingratitude or his lack of acknowledgement of the kind gesture.

The appropriate conditions for giving charity

1. You have to consider the recipient’s station in life and give accordingly.

2. You have to consider the appropriate moment and give at the time of the person’s need.

3. You should do charity, considering it your fortune to give.

4. Charity should flow out of compassion.

5. You must give to the one who seeks refuge.

6. That the other spurns you in return should not affect you.

7. That the other heaps insults upon you should not affect your charity.

8. You are not the one to judge the other’s ingratitude or lack of gratitude.

9. It is not your business to consider whether the other is charitable towards his fellow men or not.

Leave both good and bad to the Lord. Your dharma is to save the one who is about to drown. It is obligatory on you to administer the potion of charity and save his life. Just as a doctor gives his all to heal his patients – no matter if they be enemies or friends, so also the sattvic bestower of charity gives, regardless of any personal considerations.

Such a one:

a) lifts the one who is fallen;

b) eliminates the sorrows of the sorrowful;

c) absorbs the sorrow of another;

d) is the embodiment of forgiveness;

e) does not possess a critical or carping nature;

f) is simple and straightforward.

How can he judge another? His compassion flows towards all unreservedly.

Anupkaariney (अनुपकारिणे)

Little one, charity does not merely comprise of wealth.

1. One’s bodily endeavour;

2. One’s name and renown;

3. One’s qualities;

4. One’s intellect;

5. One’s happiness and even oneself;

– all these are given as daan.

Such daan is given for the establishment of the other. Little one, what you give in charity and to whom, depends on the recipient.

You have to consider the following factors:

1. The place and condition of residence of the recipient.

2. The appropriate time for giving.

3. He must be given what he needs when he can take full advantage of it.

To whom you give the charity and what the person needs most are also factors one must consider. To give charity without determining the requirement and need is sheer foolishness.

The recipient’s requirement

Little one:

1. Some may be in need of love.

2. Some may be in need of monetary support and some may need employment.

3. Some need help in learning a trade.

4. Yet others may need help in reviving an ailing business, or guidance in starting a new business.

5. Some may need help in bringing together their broken family, whilst others may feel a need for the revival of friendships. Some may need reconciliation with a son or a spouse, while another’s reputation may need to be saved!

All these people have different requirements and therefore they seek a different nature of charity. The donor must therefore take all these factors into consideration before giving daan. Only then can such daan be categorised as sattvic.

Little one, he who is able to give in all these different manners will verily ascend to the supreme state of Brahm. He will give of that aspect of himself which is required by the other and in accordance with the other’s situation. A continual practice of such daan, tapas and yagya takes a spiritual aspirant to the Supreme Himself.

However, the charity of one who abides in the supreme state transcends the charity of the three categories of the sattvic, rajsic and tamsic. Such a one is the epitome of daan or charity. The uninterrupted, profound silence of such a one is in itself his charity to the world. He has given his ‘I’ and the accompanying ego as a charitable donation.

1. As a result, he has donated a living god to the world.

2. He has gifted the luminescence of Adhyatam or the art of spiritual living to the world.

3. He has offered Brahm Himself to the world in charity.

4. Abiding in non-duality, he spontaneously identifies with whosoever comes before him and gives of himself to the other.

5. To be able to renounce one’s own self and thus identify spontaneously with all other beings is in fact the highest daan or charity.

6. To leave one’s own state and identify with the other’s state at the other’s level, engaging oneself in actions as he does, is in fact the highest daan.

One who thus abides in the Self, does not regard place, time, worthiness of the recipient etc. His words of reprimand are a gift as much as His love is the highest benediction.

Little one, such a one is indeed unique.