BG 17.20
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयते ’नुपकारिणे
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम्
dātavyam iti yad dānaṃ
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam
SYNONYMS
dātavyam: worth giving | iti: thus | yat: that which | dānam: charity | dīyate: given | anupakāriṇe: to any person irrespective of doing good | dese: in place | kāle: in time | ca: and | pātre: suitable person | tat: that | sāttvikam: in the mode of goodness | smṛtam: consider. |
TRANSLATION
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.
PURPORT
In the Vedic literature, charity given to a person engaged in spiritual activities is recommended. There is no recommendation for giving charity indiscriminately. Spiritual perfection is always a consideration. Therefore charity is recommended to be given at a place of pilgrimage and at lunar or solar eclipses or at the end of the month or to a qualified brāhmaṇa or a Vaiṣṇava (devotee) or in temples. Such charities should be given without any consideration of return. Charity to the poor is sometimes given out of compassion, but if a poor man is not worth giving charity to, then there is no spiritual advancement. In other words, indiscriminate charity is not recommended in the Vedic literature.