What is True Daan / Donation?

Donations reduce attachment to sensual pleasure. The detachment begins by donations and forgiveness.  However, if charity or donation is inadequate, done with repentance or given to ineligible, then it is worthless. In Vedas, service, charity and benevolence have been attributed to paramount religion. Rigveda (verse – 3.24.5) says, “शतहस्त समाहर सहस्त्र हस्त सं किर” means earn with hundreds of hands and donate with thousands of hands.

Srimad Bhagavad Gita has described four Yugas – Sat Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kal Yuga – depending upon the nature of the collective consciousness of the people. It describes four pillars of Dharma and they are truthfulness (satya), hard work (tapas), purity of mind (pavitrata) and charity (daya and daan).

Whether a person is a Satyugi or Kalyugi is decided by presence of some or all the four characteristics as mentioned in Srimad Bhagawad: Truthfulness (Satya), Selfless hard work (Tap), positive thoughts (purity) and Daya & Daan (Charity).

• If all the four characteristics are present, the person is Satyugi.
• If truthfulness is absent, the person is Tretyugi
• If both truthfulness and hard work are absent, one is Dwaparyugi
• When only Daan & Daya are present, the person is Kalyugi.

This indicates that be it any type of person or any yuga, daan is an important component.

The Bhagavad Gita describes various types of daan in shlokas 17.20 through 17.22.

Sattvik Daan

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे |

देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् || 20||

dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe

deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛitam

-Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 17, Verse 20

Meaning : Charity given to a worthy person simply because it is right to give, without consideration of anything in return, at the proper time and in the proper place, is stated to be in the mode of goodness.

This kind of charity that is practised out of a sense of duty – simply because one feels it is the right thing to do – to a worthy person, at an appropriate time, with no expectation of reward or return from the recipient, is Sattvik Daan /charity.

Rajasik Daan

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुन: |

दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् || 21||

yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśhya vā punaḥ

dīyate cha parikliṣhṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam

-Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 17, Verse 21

Meaning : But charity given with reluctance, with the hope of a return or in expectation of a reward, is said to be in the mode of passion. This is Rajasik charity.

Tamasik Daan

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते |

असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् || 22||

adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate

asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

-Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 17, Verse 22

Meaning: And that charity, which is given at the wrong place and wrong time to unworthy persons, without showing respect, or with contempt, is held to be of the nature of nescience.

This kind of charity which humiliates the recipient, which is unsuitable or is laced with contempt, or charity which is practised towards an unworthy person, at an inappropriate time, is known as Tamasik charity.

Simply put, daan can be satvik (done and then forgotten), rajasik (done for one’s own satisfaction) or tamasik (done only to show off).

Satvik daan is true daan.  It can be paropkar for welfare of others (according to your will), dakshina (according to what you can afford) and bhiksha (giving to the hungry and needy).