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Bhagavad-gītā 17.20
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A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 20
- दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।
- देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥२०॥
- dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
- dīyate 'nupakāriṇe
- deśe kāle ca pātre ca
- tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
dātavyamworth giving — worth giving; itithus — thus; yatthat which — that which; dānamcharity — charity; dīyateis given — is given; anupakāriṇeirrespective of return — irrespective of return; deśein a proper place — in a proper place; kāleat a proper time — at a proper time; caalso — also; pātreto a suitable person — to a suitable person; caand — and; tatthat — that; dānamcharity — charity; sāttvikamin the mode of goodness — in the mode of goodness; smṛtamis considered — is considered.
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.
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.