FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 17.20

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ २० ॥
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
[daatavyam iti yad daanam]
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
[deeyate ’nupakaarine]
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
[deshe kaale cha paatre cha]
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
[tad daanam saattvikam smritam]
Word-for-word
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 .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ
dātavyam
worth giving
iti
thus
yat
that which
dānam
charity
dīyate ’nupakāriṇe
dīyate
is given
deśe kāle ca pātre ca
tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
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 .
Important Words
  • dātavyam — worth giving
    Future passive participle of √dā — 'that which is to be given.' Charity performed because the gift simply is-to-be-given — the same yaṣṭavyam logic from 17.11 transposed from yajña to dāna. Duty, not transaction.
  • anupakāriṇe — irrespective of return
    Compound: an- (not) + upakāra (returning a favour) + -in (suffix making 'one who'). Dative case: 'to one who will not return the favour.' The verse insists not just on the giver's intent but on the actual structure of the gift — to one from whom no return is possible.
  • deśe — in a proper place
    Locative of deśa — place. Paired in the verse with kāle (proper time). Sattvic charity has external coordinates: when and where matter. The Gītā here is anti-romantic about charity — the hand, time, and place all count, not just the heart.
  • kāle — at a proper time
    Locative of kāla. The companion of deśe. Note that 17.22 reuses kāle inverted — adeśe-kāle — to mark tamasic charity. The same locative, the same time-and-place criterion, runs through all three modes of giving.
  • pātre — to a suitable person
    Locative of pātra — literally 'a vessel.' The receiver must be a fit container for what is given. Charity to an unworthy receiver becomes tamasic (verse 22), no matter how sincere the giver. The vessel-metaphor is precise: pour amṛta into a cracked pot and it leaks.
  • smṛtam — is considered
    Past participle of √smṛ — to remember, to record. Used as a passive verbal: 'is recorded in tradition as.' Kṛṣṇa is invoking the smṛti literature's authority — He is not making a new rule but confirming what the tradition has long held.
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.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sāttvika dāna requires four conditions: the duty-attitude (dātavyam iti), a recipient who cannot reciprocate, a fit place, and a fit time. The first criterion is interior; the other three locate the act in a deśa-kāla-pātra matrix that classical dharma has always considered the calculus of right giving.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
Anupakāriṇe is decisive — sāttvika charity goes precisely to one who CANNOT pay you back: a stranger, the destitute, the renunciate, the orphan. This cuts cleanly against the obligation-based exchanges that drive most social giving. The deśa-kāla-pātra triad is canonical (cf. dharma-śāstras on tīrtha, parvan, vipra). Pātra implies fitness — discrimination is not abandoned in pure giving but heightened. Parallels 17.11 (sāttvika yajña) structurally.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
'दातव्यम्' इति यत् दानम् अनुपकारिणे, देशे काले च पात्रे च दीयते — तत् दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ।
'dātavyam' iti yat dānam anupakāriṇe, deśe kāle ca pātre ca dīyate — tat dānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam |
The gift which is given with the conviction 'it ought to be given,' to one who cannot return the favor, at the right place, the right time, and to a worthy recipient — that gift is remembered as sāttvika.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
दातव्यम् इति यत् दानं दीयते अनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तत् दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
dātavyam iti yat dānaṃ dīyate anupakāriṇe | deśe kāle ca pātre ca tat dānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
दातव्यम् dātavyam √दा gerundive (kṛtya) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. ought to be given
इति iti ind. (indeclinable), quotative thus, with this attitude
यत् yat यद् (rel. pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. which
दानम् dānam दान (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) gift, charity
दीयते dīyate √दा pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is given
अनुपकारिणे anupakāriṇe अनुपकारिन् (adj.) dat.sg. (dative singular)m. to one who cannot reciprocate
देशे deśe देश (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) at (a worthy) place
काले kāle काल (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular) at (a proper) time
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
पात्रे pātre पात्र (n.) loc.sg. (locative singular) to a worthy recipient
तत् tat तद् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
दानम् dānam दान (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) gift
सात्त्विकम् sāttvikam सात्त्विक (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. of the mode of goodness
स्मृतम् smṛtam √स्मृ p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. is remembered, traditionally held to be
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.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. That charity performed with the conviction that is should be given, and given to a proper person who cannot repay, at the proper place and time, is known as sattvic charity.
Commentary

One should be convinced that the gift should be given (dātavam iti). It is understood here that there is no desire for personal gain.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. That charity performed with the conviction that is should be given, and given to a proper persons without expectation of repayment, at the proper place and time, is known as sāttvika charity.
Commentary

Three types of charity are described. That charity which is given with conviction that it should be given (dātavyam) to a recipient (pātre) such as brāhmaṇa who can protect the giver with his knowledge and austerity, [Note: Scripture (Garuḍa Purāṇa) says that only a person who can protect the giver by learning and austerity should accept gifts.] is charity in the mode of goodness. Anupakāriṇe means to give to a person without expecting repayment or reimbursement. Proper place means at a holy place and proper time means auspicious times such as the time when the sun moves into a new zodiac sign.

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Charity in goodness

Given out of duty without expectation of return
At proper time and place
e.g. At pilgrimage places or
During lunar or solar eclipses or at the end of the month
To a worthy person
Spiritual perfection is the consideration
Example of worthy person – Qualified brahmana or a vaishnava
Condemned charity – Given to a poor but unworthy candidate
Such charity does not offer any spiritual advancement
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
17.20 Tat, that; danam, gift; is smrtam, referred to; as sattvikam, born of sattva; yat, which gift; is diyate, given; with the idea in mind datavyam iti, that it ought to be given without consideration; anupakarine, to one who will not serve in return, and even to oen who can; and dese, at the (proper) place-in holy places like Kuruksetra etc. ; kale, at the (proper) time-during Sankranti [During the passage of the sun or any planetary body from one zodiacal sign into another.-V.S.A.] etc.; and patre, to a (proper) person-to one who is versed in the Vedas together with their six branches, and such others.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
17.20 Gifts given without thought of return of favours and with the feelings, 'These gifts must be given,' at the proper places and time to a worthy person who makes no return - such gifts are said to be Sattvika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
17.20 See Comment under 17.22
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
17.20 That gift which is given to one who does nothing in return, knowing it to be a duty to give in a fit place and time to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattvic.
Commentary

17.20 दातव्यम् ought to be given? इति thus? यत् that? दानम् gift? दीयते is given? अनुपकारिणे to one who does no service (in return)? देशे in a fit place? काले in time? च and? पात्रे to a worthy person? च and? तत् that? दानम् gift? सात्त्विकम् Sattvic? स्मृतम् is held to be.Commentary The gift should be given to one who cannot return the good or to one from whom no such return is expected.It is necessary to be in Kurukshetra or Varanasi or any part of the world that is eally sacred when one offes gifts. The time should be during solar or lunar eclips or an eally auspicious occasion.Worthy A pious person who is a Tapasvin? who is well versed in the scriptures (the Vedas and the,Vedangas)? who is able to protect himself and the donor? etc.At such a time and such a place there shoule be a person worthy to receive the gift? a person who is the very incarnation of purity? the very abode of good conduct. A gift may be freely given to such a highly deserving person. The donor should not boast of his charity.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
17.20 That gift is referred to as born of sattva which gift is given with the idea that it ought to be given, to one who will not serve in return, and at the (proper) place, (proper) time and to a (proper) person.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
17.20 The gift which is given without thought of recompense, in the belief that it ought to be made, in a fit place, at an opportune time and to a deserving person - such a gift is Pure.
Related values & verses
Primary values
Dana (Charity / Generosity)
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Vairagya (Detachment / Dispassion)Samata (Equanimity / Even-mindedness)Discriminative Wisdom
Related verses
BG 18.5 BG 9.27 BG 18.43 SB 8.19.37 SB 1.12.14 SB 10.64.37 CC Antya 6.256 CC Ādi 9.41 CC Madhya 15.94 Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 5.2.3
Stories
dana_epic_primary
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Charity given out of duty, at the proper time and place, without expectation of return — is sattvic.
Practical Applications
  • Give without expectation of return.
  • Time and place matter — give thoughtfully.
  • Treat charity as duty, not as performance.
Reflection Questions
  • Where is my giving still expecting return?
  • What duty-charity is calling me?
Analogy

Sattvic charity is like rain falling on a field — not chosen by the cloud, not begged by the field, given because the cloud is full and the field is there. The rain does not stop to ask for thanks; the cloud does not check whether it will be paid back. Right time, right place, right field, no return expected.

Stories
Bali Mahārāja's three steps

When the small brāhmaṇa boy Vāmana asked for only three paces of land, the demon-king Bali — though warned by his guru that this was Viṣṇu Himself come to take everything — chose to give. Bali knew the gift would cost him his kingdom, his wealth, his power. He gave anyway, because the request had come at the right time, the right place, and to a worthy recipient.

When Vāmana's two strides covered the entire universe and the third step had nowhere to land, Bali offered his own head. Bhāgavatam holds him up as the supreme dānī — sāttvika-dāna so absolute that the receiver Himself became permanently the gatekeeper of the giver's door.

Karṇa's kavaca and kuṇḍala

Born with armour and earrings that made him invincible, Karṇa had taken a vow never to refuse a brāhmaṇa's request after morning worship. When Indra came disguised to ask for the kavaca and kuṇḍala — knowing this would unmake Karṇa's invulnerability — Karṇa gave them. He gave without grudging, without asking what he would get in return, at the time and place of his vow, to one who appeared as a worthy recipient.

Mahābhārata treats this gift as the high water mark of Karṇa's sāttvika nature — the same Karṇa whose other actions ran in rajas and tamas. One act of pure sāttvika-dāna can stand as a soul's permanent ornament.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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