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दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे।देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्।।17.20।।

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛitam

Sanskrit Chant Recitation
Chapter 17, Verse 20
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Scripture Translation Room

Sanskrit to English Translation

Translator:
That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a suitable place and time to a worthy person, is held to be Sattvic.

A Reading - Rantideb

Why: that gift given with the thought that it should be given, to one who does nothing in return, in a fitting place and time, to a worthy recipient, is regarded as being of the nature of goodness, defining the clearest form of charity by its sense of simple duty and rightness rather than transactional expectation.

In life: the clearest, most sustaining form of generosity tends to come from a simple sense that giving is genuinely right, given freely, at the right time, to someone who actually needs it, rather than from any transactional expectation of return.

Teaching: before your next significant act of generosity, check whether it's coming from this simple sense of rightness or from some transactional expectation, even a subtle one, of something in return.

dātavyamworthy of charity
itithus
yatwhich
dānamcharity
dīyateis given
anupakāriṇeto one who cannot give in return
deśhein the proper place
kāleat the proper time
chaand
pātreto a worthy person
chaand
tatthat
dānamcharity
sāttvikamin the mode of goodness
smṛitamis stated to be

Deep Classical Commentary (Bhashya)

Author:
17.20 दातव्यम् ought to be given? इति thus? यत् that? दानम् gift? दीयते is given? अनुपकारिणे to one who does no service (in return)? देशे in a fit place? काले in time? च and? पात्रे to a worthy person? च and? तत् that? दानम् gift? सात्त्विकम् Sattvic? स्मृतम् is held to be.Commentary The gift should be given to one who cannot return the good or to one from whom no such return is expected.It is necessary to be in Kurukshetra or Varanasi or any part of the world that is eally sacred when one offes gifts. The time should be during solar or lunar eclips or an eally auspicious occasion.Worthy A pious person who is a Tapasvin? who is well versed in the scriptures (the Vedas and the,Vedangas)? who is able to protect himself and the donor? etc.At such a time and such a place there shoule be a person worthy to receive the gift? a person who is the very incarnation of purity? the very abode of good conduct. A gift may be freely given to such a highly deserving person. The donor should not boast of his charity.