Charity

The gift given at the wrong place and time, to unworthy recipients, without respect and with contempt — that is declared to be tamasic.

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते | असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ||१७-२२||

The gift given because it ought to be given, to one who does no favor in return, in the right place and time and to a worthy recipient — that gift is regarded as sattvic.

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे | देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ||१७-२०||

Janashruti, the great-grandson, was a man who gave with faith, gave lavishly, and cooked much for guests. Everywhere he had rest-houses built, thinking, "Everywhere people will eat my food."

जानश्रुतिर्ह पौत्रायणः श्रद्धादेयो बहुदायी बहुपाक्य आस स ह सर्वत आवसथान्मापयांचक्रे सर्वत एव मेऽन्नमत्स्यन्तीति

Austerity, charity, uprightness, non-violence, and truthful speech—these are his sacrificial gifts.

अथ यत्तपो दानमार्जवमहिꣳसा सत्यवचनमिति ता अस्य दक्षिणाः

But the gift given for the sake of a return, or with an eye to reward, or grudgingly — that gift is regarded as rajasic.

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः | दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१७-२१||

But those who in the village pursue sacrifices, works of public benefit, and almsgiving pass into the smoke, from the smoke into the night, from the night into the dark fortnight, from the dark fortnight into the six months during which the sun moves south. These do not reach the year.

अथ य इमे ग्राम इष्टापूर्ते दत्तमित्युपासते ते धूममभिसंभवन्ति धूमाद्रात्रिꣳ रात्रेरपरपक्षमपरपक्षाद्यान्षड्दक्षिणैति मासाꣳस्तान्नैते संवत्सरमभिप्राप्नुवन्ति

Now once, when Shaunaka Kapeya and Abhipratarin Kakshaseni were being served their meal, a celibate student begged from them, but they gave him nothing.

अथ ह शौनकं च कापेयमभिप्रतारिणं च काक्षसेनिं परिविष्यमाणौ ब्रह्मचारी बिभिक्षे तस्मा उ ह न ददतुः

Sacrifice, vows, austerity, charity, repetition of mantras, and pilgrimage — those who perform these without understanding the truth of the Guru wander about in ignorance.

यज्ञो व्रतं तपो दानं जपस्तीर्थं तथैव च । गुरुतत्त्वमविज्ञाय मूढास्ते चरते जनाः

Then the demons said to him: 'Please tell us something.' To them he uttered that same syllable 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' — 'We understood,' they said; 'you told us, "Be compassionate (dayadhvam)."' — 'Yes,' he said, 'you understood.' This same thing the divine voice, the thunder, repeats: 'Da, Da, Da' — restrain, give, be compassionate. Therefore one should practice these three: self-restraint, giving, and compassion.

अथ हैनमसुरा ऊचुर्ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति । तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्षरमुवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा३ इति । व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुर्दयध्वमिति न आत्थेत्योमिति होवाच व्यज्ञासिष्टेति । तदेतदेवैषा दैवी वागनुवदति स्तनयित्नुर्द द द इति दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वमिति । तदेतत्त्रयꣳ शिक्षेद् दमं दानं दयामिति ॥ ३॥

That is why even today people say of one who gives no gifts, has no faith, and offers no sacrifices, 'What a demon!' — for this is the doctrine of the demons. They adorn the body of the dead with food, clothing, and ornaments, for by this they think they will win the other world.

तस्मादप्यद्येहाददानमश्रद्दधानमयजमानमाहुरासुरो बतेत्यसुराणाꣳ ह्येषोपनिषत्प्रेतस्य शरीरं भिक्षया वसनेनालंकारेणेति सꣳस्कुर्वन्त्येतेन ह्यमुं लोकं जेष्यन्तो मन्यन्ते

Now one night some swans flew past. One swan called to another: "Ho there! Bhallaksha, Bhallaksha, sharp-eyed one! The light of Janashruti the great-grandson has spread across the sky like the day. Don't graze it, lest it burn you."

अथ हꣳसा निशायामतिपेतुस्तद्धैवꣳ हꣳ सोहꣳ समभ्युवाद हो होऽयि भल्लाक्ष भल्लाक्ष जानश्रुतेः पौत्रायणस्य समं दिवा ज्योतिराततं तन्मा प्रसाङ्क्षी स्तत्त्वा मा प्रधाक्षीरिति

Then the humans said to him: 'Please tell us something.' To them he uttered that same syllable 'Da.' 'Did you understand?' — 'We understood,' they said; 'you told us, "Give (datta)."' — 'Yes,' he said, 'you understood.'

अथ हैनं मनुष्या ऊचुर्ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति । तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्षरमुवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा३ इति । व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुर्दत्तेति न आत्थेत्योमिति होवाच व्यज्ञासिष्टेति ॥ २॥

He begged food from the man, who was eating beans. The man said to him, 'There is no other food here besides these that are set before me.'

स हेभ्यं कुल्माषान्खादन्तं बिभिक्षे तꣳ होवाच । नेतोऽन्ये विद्यन्ते यच्च ये म इम उपनिहिता इति

Pilgrimages, yoga, renunciation, wisdom, rituals, penance, charity, self-study, self-control, recitation of prayers, and austere devotion, all of which are praised in the Vedas and Bhagavata, have one single reward: devotion to Hari.

तीर्थयात्रा, योग-सिद्धिः, वैराग्यं, प्रज्ञा, यज्ञ, तपस्, दान, स्वाध्याय, आत्म-संयम, जप, पंच-यज्ञ, भूत-दया, ब्राह्मण-सेवा, गुरु-सेवा, विद्या, विनय, नीति, शील, गुणः, एते सर्वे, वेद-स्तुताः, भागवत-स्तुताः, एकम् एव फलं, भक्तिः, हरि-दयायाः