Bhagavad-gītā 17.20
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
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
The gift that is given without thought of recompense, believing it should be made, in an appropriate place, at an opportune time, and to a deserving person:such a gift is pure.
English rendering by Shri Purohit Swami. Each source voice remains named.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| dātavyam | worthy of charity |
| iti | thus |
| yat | which |
| dānam | charity |
| dīyate | is given |
| anupakāriṇe | to one who cannot give in return |
| deśhe | in the proper place |
| kāle | at the proper time |
| cha | and |
| pātre | to a worthy person |
| cha | and |
| tat | that |
| dānam | charity |
| sāttvikam | in the mode of goodness |
| smṛitam | is stated to be |
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.
Attributed explanatory witness: Swami Sivananda. Chapter lens: Trace how faith, worship, food, sacrifice, austerity and gift are described under the three guṇas.
Three named reading witnesses
Śaṅkara edition witness
Swami GambiranandaThat gift is referred to as born of sattva which is given with the idea that it should be given, to one who will not serve in return, at the right place, right time, and to the right person.
Rāmānuja edition witness
Swami AdidevanandaGifts given with the feeling that it is one's own duty to give, to one who makes no return, at the proper place and time to the deserving person:that is said to be sattvika.
Sivananda commentary witness
Swami SivanandaThe 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.
These are concise, attributed reading witnesses from identified editions. They are presented for comparison and are not merged into one anonymous interpretation.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
The gift that is given without thought of recompense, believing it should be made, in an appropriate place, at an opportune time
- 2
to a deserving person
- 3
such a gift is pure
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