Bhagavad-gītā 17.22
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.22।।
adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
The gift that is given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without regard or with disdain, that is declared to be Tâmasika.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| adeśha | at the wrong place |
| kāle | at the wrong time |
| yat | which |
| dānam | charity |
| apātrebhyaḥ | to unworthy persons |
| cha | and |
| dīyate | is given |
| asat-kṛitam | without respect |
| avajñātam | with contempt |
| tat | that |
| tāmasam | of the nature of nescience |
| udāhṛitam | is held to be |
Keep the verse in view while connecting adeśha (at the wrong place), dīyate (is given), and udāhṛitam (is held to be). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to faith expressed through daily choices. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 17.22.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace how faith, worship, food, sacrifice, austerity and gift are described under the three guṇas.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
The gift that is given at the wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without regard or with disdain, that is declared to be Tâmasika
- 2
adeśha: at the wrong place
- 3
dīyate: is given
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Link
Use the line starts: adeśha-kāle yad / asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ.
Cover
Hide the verse and rebuild one line at a time.
Teach
Explain the flow to another person without looking.
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.22, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 17.22 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.22 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.22 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.22, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
Use an authorized edition