Bhagavad Gita Chapter 17, Verse 21

Chapter 17 – Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga · Speaker: Krishna

Sanskrit verse

यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥

Transliteration

yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ .
dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ॥

Meaning

But a gift given in expectation of a return favour, or with a reward in view, or given grudgingly, is held to be rajasic.

Word meanings

यत् – which
तु – but
प्रत्युपकारार्थम् – for a return favour
फलम् – a reward
उद्दिश्य – having in view
वा – or
पुनः – again
दीयते – is given
च – and
परिक्लिष्टम् – grudgingly, with reluctance
तत् – that
दानम् – gift
राजसम् – rajasic
स्मृतम् – is held to be

Anvaya (word order)

यत् तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं, फलम् उद्दिश्य वा पुनः, परिक्लिष्टं च दीयते, तत् दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ।

Explanation

Krishna now describes rajasic charity. It has three marks, all the opposite of sattvic giving.

First, pratyupakarartham: giving in order to receive a favour in return. This kind of giving is a sort of business: 'I give to him today so that he will be useful to me tomorrow,' as when one gives presents to an influential person in hope of future benefit. It is the exact opposite of sattvic giving 'to one from whom nothing is expected'.

Second, phalam uddishya va punah: giving with some reward in view. Here the reward is expected not directly from the recipient but in an unseen form: 'This gift will win me heaven', 'it will wash away my sins', 'it will bring me fame', 'my wish will be granted'. Shankara explains that this too is rajasic, for it springs from desire rather than a sense of duty.

Third, diyate cha pariklishtam: giving grudgingly. Sometimes a person gives under social pressure, out of embarrassment or because someone insists, but then regrets it: 'Why did I give so much?' This pain after giving makes the gift rajasic. True giving is joyful, and afterwards one feels lighter, not burdened.

The verse invites us to examine the inner spirit of our giving. The question is not how much we gave, but why and how we gave it. A small gift offered with a glad heart and without self-interest is far more valuable than a large rajasic one.

Context

The previous verse described sattvic charity; this verse describes rajasic charity. The next verse describes tamasic charity.

Life lesson

Never let giving become a bargain or a source of regret. Whatever you give, give with an open heart and no expectation of return, and then stop thinking about it.

Key terms

Rajasic dana: A gift given for a return favour, for a reward, or grudgingly
Pratyupakara: A favour returned in exchange
Pariklishta: Given grudgingly, with regret