दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
Hindi · हिन्दी
दान देना कर्तव्य है ऐसे भावसे जो दान देश, काल और पात्रके प्राप्त होनेपर अनुपकारीको दिया जाता है, वह दान सात्त्विक कहा गया है ॥
English
A gift given with the feeling that giving is a duty, offered to a worthy person at the right place and time, is called sattvic.
What this verse means
A gift is pure when it is given as a duty, to the right person, at the right time and place, without expecting anything back.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, with Arjuna still shaken and Krishna teaching the nature of faith, the discussion turns to giving. After rejecting prideful and harmful charity, Krishna defines the clearest form of giving: timely, fitting, and free from expectation.
Why this verse still matters
You send money to a friend who will never repay you, or help quietly without posting it anywhere. The act feels clean because it was never a transaction.
The takeaway
Generosity feels lighter when it is free of self-interest.
Word-by-word translation
दातव्यम् (to be given) / इति (thus) / यत् (which) / दानम् (gift) / दीयते (is given) / अनुपकारिणे (to one who does not return a favor) / देशे (in place) / काले (in time) / च (and) / पात्रे (to a worthy recipient) / च (and) / तत् (that) / दानम् (gift) / सात्त्विकम् (sattvic) / स्मृतम् (is remembered as)
This verse is part of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17: Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga — The Three Kinds of Faith, which contains 28 verses.
Explore related themes: shraddha (34 verses), tyaga (14 verses), dana (11 verses)