Bhagavatgita adetailed study chapter17 Three kinds of faith

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20. dhaathavyam ithi yath dhaanam

dheeyathe anupakaariNe

 

dhese kale cha paathre cha thathdhaanam saathvikam

Smrtham

A gift which is made at the right place and time to

a deserving recipient and to the one who does not return the good turn done to

him, with the attitude that it has to be

done without expecting anything in return is saathvik

 

Krishna now classifies the gift or dhaana into three kinds.

 

The

gift to others is a must for everyone as the sastras say that one has to share

what he has with others. That too should be given according to the place, time

and to the deserving person. In thiruppavai Andal says , ambaramE thanNeerE SorE aram

seyyum.

This

means that the clothes, water and food are to be given when needed to the

needy. When one is suffering from hunger or thirst it is no use giving him

something which he could not eat or drink. It is no use giving everything to

those who already have everything, which is the common practice in the modern

world.

 

The

gift thus given must be for the joy of giving and not expecting a favour or as

returning a favour done, in which case it becomes rajasik as the next sloka

denotes. The Lord gives us everything without even expecting us to thank Him

for it, which we never do.

 

 

21. yath thu prthyupakaraarTham

phalam uddhisya vaa punaH

 

Dheeyathe cha pariklishtam thaddhaanam raajasam

Smrtham

 

 

The one given

with expectation of something in return or as a return favour or unwillingly is

raajasik

 

 

To

do something as prathyupakara is not wrong but one should not do it with the

attitude that he is returning the help done to him. The good souls value

something good done to them by others very highly and consider themselves

incapable of returning it. Krishna considered

Himself ever indebted to the gopis for the love they showed towards Him.

Lord

Narayana, in whose chest Lakshmi abides forever, thadhvakshasThala nithya

vaasarasika, remembers even the smallest service of His devotees and

returns it manifold. It is said that a man went round the temple of Guruvyurappan

chasing his cow. The Lord thought that he should do that man some good since he

went round his temple even though unintentionally. Krishna

regretted that He did not go to the rescue of Draupadhi as soon as she called.

There is a story behind this incident

even though it was all the leela of the Lord only.

 

Once

Krishna was bathing in a river with pandavas

and his clothes were carried away by the current of the water. All the rest had

come out but Krishna was still standing in the

river. Draupadhi who guessed what

happened tore off her saree and threw it to him. Krishna

then said he will recompense the gift manifold and he did by supplying clothes

to her when she was disrobed by Dussasana who reeled off yards and yards of

cloth until he became exhausted and fainted. Still the Lord was not satisfied

with what He had done and that is the krthajnathaa displayed by the Lord

Himself to the world. Krishna would have helped

Draupadi anyhow not as a prathyupakara for what she has done but to shows His

bhakthaparaadheenathva the Lord has created the circumstances as though He was

indebted to her.

 

Rama is described by

Valmiki as kathamchidhupakaareNa krthenai kena thushhyati na

smarathyapakaaraaNaaM Sathamapi, he remembers even a single service done by

anyone but never remembers even a hundred disservice.

 

When

the Lord Himself is like that how much more we should be grateful for all that

have been given by Him to us! How can one expect Lakshmi to come to one who is

ungrateful. When some one does anything good it is the Lord Himself who helps

us through them. Hence if we forget and do harm in return it is done to the

Lord Himself.

 

To

give something expecting something in return is only like lending and borrowing

or a business deal. Prahlada when the Lord asked Him what did he want, said he was

not a business man to exchange something for his bhakthi.

 

To

give something unwillingly is also wrong

because the gift loses its value unless given wholeheartedly.

 

 

 

 

22. adheSakaale yath dhaanam

apaathrebhyaScha dheeyathe

 

 

asathkrtham avajnaanam thath thaamasam udhaahrtham

 

 

Thaamasic dhaana is the one offered improperly

and insultingly at wrong place and time and given to undeserving people. When something is

given it should be accompanied with respect and humility.

 

The Upanishad enjoins the proper way in which dhaana

is to be done.

 

SradDhyaadheyam

aSradhaayaadheyam Sriyaadheyam hriyaadheyam bhiyaadheyam savidhaadheyam (thaittreeya

up.-1.2.3)

 

A dhaana must be given with SradDha, with

reverence. It should not be given with disrespect, aSradDha. Sriyaa dheyaam means that the dhaana

must be made according to one's wealth. A millionaire giving few rupees is not

a dhana in the real sense. hriyaa

dheyam means that one who gives must be humble and should think that

it is an honour that the recipient is accepting his gift. Bhiyaa dheyam

refers to the fear that it should be done in the right manner without

transgressing the rules of the sastras as laid down by this passage. savidhaa

dheyam means that the gift must be

given in a friendly manner and not with an attitude that one is superior and

the recipient should be indebted to him.

 

Hence a gift

given insultingly or with disrespect is classified as thaamasik. Also when it

is given to a recipient who does not deserve it or at a wrong place and time is

thaamasik dhaana. Any gift to wicked persons which will help them only to

pursue their evil deeds comes under this category. It is like donating rifles

to a terrorist.

 

Normally it is said that what a right hand gives

should not be known to the left hand. So

a gift must be not made public and should not be given in a manner which

humiliates the recipient.

 

To go to a person and give something is utthama and

ask him to come and receive it is madhyama. But not to give even when asked is

adhama.