Verse 4.227 [Charity]

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

दानधर्मं निषेवेत नित्यमैष्टिकपौर्तिकम् ।
परितुष्टेन भावेन पात्रमासाद्य शक्तितः ॥ २२७ ॥

dānadharmaṃ niṣeveta nityamaiṣṭikapaurtikam |
parituṣṭena bhāvena pātramāsādya śaktitaḥ || 227 ||

He shall practise, to the best of his ability, charity and righteousness in connection with sacrifices and acts of piety with a cheerful heart, if he finds a suitable recipient.—(227)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Charity and Righteousness’—in the form of tanks, etc; the compound being construed as a Copulative one. Or, it may.be explained as ‘the duty of charity;’ the mention of duty indicating the necessity of maintaining a cheerful disposition.

‘Bhāvena’—with the heart; ‘parituṣṭena’—cheerful, happy—‘If he finds a suitable recipient’, he shall offer gifts in connection with the observances that he keeps, as also in connection with the acts that he does outside the sacrificial altar.—(227)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 165);—and in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 7).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (12.32).—‘Whatever is the most desired object in the world and whatever is most dearly loved in the house,—that should be given to a person with proper qualifications, by one who is desirous of obtaining imperishable rewards.’

Yājñavalkya (1.201, 203).—‘Cows, land and food should be given by one who desires his own welfare, to a proper recipient with due honours; but never to an unfit recipient.—Day by day one should make gifts to proper recipients; and more specially on special occasions; and whenever any one begs of him, he should give with due respect what is asked for, to the best of his ability.’

Agnipurāṇa (quoted in Parāśaramādhava, p. 165).—‘If a man’s wealth is not used either in charity, or in enjoyment, or in acquiring fame, or in acquiring spiritual merit,—that wealth is absolutely useless. Therefore, after having acquired wealth, either through fate or by his own efforts, he should make gifts to the twice-born, but never advertise them.’

Ādityapurāṇa (Parāśaramādhava, p. 164).—‘In the three worlds nothing is held superior to charity.’