Bhagavad Gita · Chapter 17, verse 20
The Gita's description of the best kind of giving: freely, to one who cannot repay, at the right time and place, to the right person.
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दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe |deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||
A gift given simply because it is right to give, to someone who cannot return the favour, at the proper place and time and to a worthy person, is considered sattvic.
जो दान केवल यह मानकर दिया जाए कि देना उचित है, ऐसे व्यक्ति को जो बदले में कुछ न कर सके, सही स्थान, सही समय और योग्य पात्र को, वह सात्त्विक माना गया है।
जे दान देणे योग्य आहे म्हणूनच, उपकाराची परतफेड करू न शकणाऱ्याला, योग्य स्थळी, योग्य वेळी आणि योग्य पात्राला दिले जाते, ते सात्त्विक मानले आहे.
In Sanskrit, sounds at word edges merge (sandhi), so a line looks like one long word. Split it to see each word and its meaning.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
मूढग्राहेणात्मनो यत्पीडया क्रियते तपः ।
Austerity done out of foolish stubbornness, by torturing oneself, or in order to harm someone else, is called tamasic.
17.21यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।
But a gift given to get something back, or with a reward in mind, or given grudgingly, is considered rajasic.
The Yoga of the Threefold Division of Faith
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