BG 17.20

TEXT 20

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dīyate 'nupakāriṇe
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam

SYNONYMS

dātavyam—worth giving; iti—thus; yat—that which; dānam—charity; dīyate—is given; anupakāriṇe—irrespective of return; deśe—in a proper place; kāle—at a proper time; ca—also; pātre—to a suitable person; ca—and; tat—that; dānam—charity; sāttvikam—in the mode of goodness; smṛtam—is considered.

TRANSLATION

Charity given out of duty, without expectation of return, at the proper time and place, and to a worthy person is considered to be 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.