FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 17.22

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते । असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ २२ ॥
adeśa-kāle yad dānam
[adesha-kaale yad daanam]
apātrebhyaś ca dīyate
[apaatrebhyash cha deeyate]
asat-kṛtam avajñātaṁ
[asat-kritam avajnaatam]
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
[tat taamasam udaahritam]
Word-for-word
adeśa — at an unpurified place kāle — and unpurified time yat — that which dānam — charity apātrebhyaḥ — to unworthy persons ca — also dīyate — is given asat - kṛtam — without respect avajñātam — without proper attention tat — that tāmasam — in the mode of darkness udāhṛtam — is said to be .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
adeśa-kāle yad dānam
adeśa
at an unpurified place
kāle
and unpurified time
yat
that which
dānam
charity
apātrebhyaś ca dīyate
apātrebhyaḥ
to unworthy persons
ca
also
dīyate
is given
asat-kṛtam avajñātaṁ
asat - kṛtam
without respect
avajñātam
without proper attention
tat tāmasam udāhṛtam
tat
that
tāmasam
in the mode of darkness
udāhṛtam
is said to be .
Important Words
  • adeśa — at an unpurified place
    Privative a- + deśa (place). The exact inverse of deśe in verse 20. The mode of charity is read first by its coordinates — get the location wrong and even right intent decays.
  • kāle — at an unpurified time
    Locative of kāla — but here, paired with adeśa, the implication is akāle — wrong time. The omission of the privative a- in the second word relies on the listener carrying it over from adeśa. Sanskrit's economy: one prefix governs two nouns.
  • apātrebhyaḥ — to unworthy persons
    Privative a- + pātra (vessel) + dative plural. Inverse of pātre in verse 20. The 'cracked vessel' — one who cannot rightly hold what is given. Charity to such a one is not generosity; it is the further breaking of an already broken cup.
  • asat - kṛtam — without respect
    Compound: asat (not honourable) + kṛtam (done). Done without honouring the act or the receiver. The thrown coin, the disdainful gift. The tamasic giver may even resent the receiver for needing — and the resentment poisons what should have been gift.
  • avajñātam — without proper attention
    Past participle of ava + √jñā — 'looked down upon, dismissed.' Stronger than asat-kṛtam: not merely unattentive but actively contemptuous. The verb's metaphor: looking *down* on the receiver while ostensibly raising the hand to give.
And charity performed at an impure place, at an improper time, to unworthy persons, or without proper attention and respect is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
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)
Tāmasika dāna inverts every sāttvika criterion: wrong place, wrong time, unfit recipient, no honor in the giving, and an undertone of contempt for the receiver. Where rajas at least calculates, tamas simply offends — the act of giving is itself defiled.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The two adverbs asat-kṛtam (without proper ritual honoring of the recipient) and avajñātam (with downward, dismissive look) sharply name the affective texture of tāmasa giving — even the act of generosity becomes a vehicle for disregard. Compare with the demonic outlook of 16.8-9. The triadic series for dāna (20-22) parallels yajña (11-13) and tapas (17-19), completing the chapter's mode-by-domain matrix before the climactic oṁ-tat-sat section.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
यत् दानम् अदेश-काले अपात्रेभ्यः च, असत्कृतम् अवज्ञातं (च) दीयते — तत् तामसम् उदाहृतम् ।
yat dānam adeśa-kāle apātrebhyaḥ ca, asatkṛtam avajñātaṃ (ca) dīyate — tat tāmasam udāhṛtam |
The gift that is given at an unfit place and time, to unworthy recipients, without proper respect, and with contempt — that is declared tāmasa.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
अदेश-काले यत् दानम् अपात्रेभ्यः च दीयते । असत्कृतम् अवज्ञातं तत् तामसम् उदाहृतम् ॥
adeśa-kāle yat dānam apātrebhyaḥ ca dīyate | asatkṛtam avajñātaṃ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
अदेश-काले adeśa-kāle अ- + देश (m.) + काल (m.) loc.sg. (locative singular), dvandva cpd. (compound) at an unfit place-and-time
यत् yat यद् (rel. pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. which
दानम् dānam दान (n.) nom.sg. (nominative singular) gift
अपात्रेभ्यः apātrebhyaḥ अ- + पात्र (n.) dat.pl. (here used as locus of giving) to unworthy recipients
च ca ind. (indeclinable) and
दीयते dīyate √दा pass. (passive) pres. (present) 3sg. is given
असत्कृतम् asatkṛtam अ- + सत्कृत p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. without proper honor
अवज्ञातम् avajñātam अव + √ज्ञा p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. with contempt, slightingly
तत् tat तद् (dem. (demonstrative) pron. (pronoun)) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. that
तामसम् tāmasam तामस (adj.) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. of the mode of ignorance
उदाहृतम् udāhṛtam उद् + आ + √हृ p.p.p. (past passive participle) nom.sg. (nominative singular)n. is declared
Purport

Contributions for indulgence in intoxication and gambling are not encouraged here. That sort of contribution is in the mode of ignorance. Such charity is not beneficial; rather, sinful persons are encouraged. Similarly, if a person gives charity to a suitable person but without respect and without attention, that sort of charity is also said to be in the mode of darkness.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
22. Charity given with disregard and as a result, with discourtesy, to an undeserving person at the wrong place and time, is said to be tamasic charity.
Commentary

The result of disregard (avajñatam) is offence (asat-kṛtam).

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
22. Charity given with disregard of etiquette and with discourtesy, to an undeserving person at the wrong place and time, is said to be tamasic charity.
Commentary

Charity given at an unclean place (adeśa), at an inauspicious time (akāle), to undeserving people, such as actors, and, even if time and place are proper, given with lack of proper respect (asat kṛtam) to the recipient (such as not washing the feet), and with disregard (avajñātam), in the form of using low forms of address in speaking to the person, is charity in the mode of ignorance.

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

Charity in ignorance

At an impure place
At an improper time
To an unworthy person
Contributions for indulgence in intoxication and gambling
Without proper attention and respect
Charity can also be performed in goodness, passion and ignorance
Results will differ accordingly
Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
17.22 Tat, that; danam, gift; yat, which; diyate, is given; adesakale, at an improper place and time-in an unholy place full of barbarians and impure things, etc.; at an improper time: which is not well known as productive of merit; without such specially as Sankranti etc.-; and apatrhyah, to undeserving persons, to fools, thieves and others;-and even when the place etc. are proper-asatkrtam, without proper treatment, without sweet words, washing of feet, worship, etc.; and avajnatam, with disdain, with insults to the recipient; is udahrtam, declared to be; tamasam, born of tamas. This advice is being imparted for making sacrifices, gifts, austerities, etc. perfect:
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
17.22 That gift which is given to unworthy recipients at wrong place and time, without due respect, viz., without showing such signs of respect as cleansing the feet; with contempt, viz., with disdain and without courtesy - that is said to be of Tamasa nature. So far, the divisions due to differences of Gunas in respect of sacrifices, austerities and gifts as enjoined by the Vedas have been portrayed. Now is given the definition of Vedic sacrifices etc., according to their association with Pranava (i.e., the syllable Om), and as signified by the terms Tat and Sat.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
17.20-22 Datavyam etc. upto udahrtam. With the thought that 'One must give' : thinking that the [scriptural] injunction 'One must give' is to be obeyed in order to avoid sin. Very much vexed : because of the fault of [giving] very little. A gift is converted into a bad one by offending its recipient, and so on. Thus the activities of the worldly men are explained on the basis of their three-fold intentions born of the Sattva and so on. How do those persons perform actions, whose intellect has gone beyond the region, that is impassable because of the triad of the Strands ? Now that manner is described as -
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
17.22 The gift that is given at a wrong place and time, to unworthy persons, without respect or with insult is declared to be Tamasic.
Commentary

17.22 अदेशकाले at a wrong place and time? यत् which? दानम् gift? अपात्रेभ्यः to unworthy persons? च and? दीयते is given? असत्कृतम् without respect? अवज्ञातम् with insult? तत् that? तामसम् Tamasic? उदाहृतम् is declared to be.Commentary Adesakale At a wrong place and time At a place which is not holy? where irreligious people congregate and where beggars assemble? where wealth acired through illegal means such as gambling? theft? etc.? is distributed to gamblers? singers? fools? rogues? women of evil reputation and at a time which is not auspicious. But? this does not discourage giving alms or other charity to the poor and the needy. In their case these restrictions do not apply.Without respect? etc. Without pleasant speech? without the washing of feet or without worship? although the gift is made at a proper time and place.The donor does not give in good faith although he gets a worthy recipient. He never bends his head in worship. He does not offer him a seat. He treats him with contempt or disrespect.Lord Krishna says to Arjuna I have described that faith? charity? austerity? food? etc.? are invariably coloured by the three alities. There was no desire on My part to refer to the lower ones but to distinguish the highest purity it was necessary to point out the mark of the other two. When the two are set aside? the third is more clearly appreciated in the same way as if day and night are removed the twilight is seen better. Even so be avoiding passion and darkness? the third? viz.? purity or Sattva becomes vividly clear and purity which is the best can be easily realised. Thus in order to show thee the real nature of purity? I have described the other two? so that laying them aside? and resorting to the highest thou mayest attain the goal? viz.? Moksha.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
17.22 The gift which is made at an improper place and time, and to undeserving persons, without proper treatment and with disdain, is declared to be born of tamas.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
17.22 And that which is given at an unsuitable place or time or to one who is unworthy, or with disrespect or contempt - such a gift is the result of Ignorance.
Related values & verses
Related values
Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Abhaya (Fearlessness)Discriminative WisdomVinaya (Humility / Modesty)Satya (Truthfulness)Dana (Charity / Generosity)Kshama (Forgiveness / Patience)Anahankarah (Freedom from False Ego)Yajña (Sacrifice / Spirit of Offering)Saurya (Heroism / Bravery)
Related verses
BG 17.13 BG 18.25 BG 16.15 SB 7.15.9 SB 10.64.37 SB 4.19.37 CC Madhya 22.89 CC Madhya 19.159 CC Ādi 7.114 Īśa Upaniṣad 3 BRS 1.2.256
Sciences essays referencing this verse
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Charity given at improper time and place, to unworthy persons, without respect or proper attention — is tamasic.
Practical Applications
  • Don't give carelessly; respect the receiver and the moment.
  • Don't enable the unworthy.
  • Cultivate discernment in charity.
Reflection Questions
  • Where has my giving been careless?
  • What discernment would improve it?
Analogy

Tamasic charity is like emptying a sack of grain into a swamp — the substance is real but the receiving has no order. Wrong place, wrong moment, wrong hands, no respect in the giving. The grain that could have fed a village rots in mud, and the giver is left with neither gratitude nor merit, only an empty sack.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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