All 18 Chapters
Chapter 146 verses
Arjuna Viṣāda Yoga
अर्जुनविषादयोग
Chapter 272 verses
Sāṅkhya Yoga
साङ्ख्ययोग
Chapter 343 verses
Karma Yoga
कर्मयोग
Chapter 442 verses
Jñāna Karma Sannyāsa Yoga
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 529 verses
Karma Sannyāsa Yoga
कर्मसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 647 verses
Dhyāna Yoga
ध्यानयोग
Chapter 730 verses
Jñāna Vijñāna Yoga
ज्ञानविज्ञानयोग
Chapter 828 verses
Akṣara Brahma Yoga
अक्षरब्रह्मयोग
Chapter 934 verses
Rāja Vidyā Rāja Guhya Yoga
राजविद्याराजगुह्ययोग
Chapter 1042 verses
Vibhūti Yoga
विभूतियोग
Chapter 1155 verses
Viśvarūpa Darśana Yoga
विश्वरूपदर्शनयोग
Chapter 1220 verses
Bhakti Yoga
भक्तियोग
Chapter 1335 verses
Kṣetra Kṣetrajña Vibhāga Yoga
क्षेत्रक्षेत्रज्ञविभागयोग
Chapter 1427 verses
Guṇatraya Vibhāga Yoga
गुणत्रयविभागयोग
Chapter 1520 verses
Puruṣottama Yoga
पुरुषोत्तमयोग
Chapter 1624 verses
Daivāsura Sampad Vibhāga Yoga
दैवासुरसम्पद्विभागयोग
Chapter 1728 verses
Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga
श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग
Chapter 1878 verses
Mokṣa Sannyāsa Yoga
मोक्षसंन्यासयोग
Chapter 17 – Śraddhātraya Vibhāga Yoga
Verse 17.20
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ २० ॥
Transliteration
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ’nupakāriṇe deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam
Synonyms (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.
Translation
“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.”
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.