Verse 17.20

दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे ।

देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥

17.20

Transliteration

dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate'nupakāriṇe |

deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

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.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

it ought to be given
thus
which
gift
is given
to one who does no favour in return

in the right place
at the right time
and
to a worthy person
and
that
gift
sattvic
is held

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

Krishna now turns to giving (dāna). A gift is sattvic when it is given simply because giving is right, to someone who cannot repay, and at a fitting place and time to a worthy recipient. The emphasis on giving to one who cannot return the favour removes any hidden bargain. Attention to place, time and recipient shows that generosity also requires thought. The verse describes charity as both selfless and wise.