Verse 4.234

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

येन येन तु भावेन यद् यद् दानं प्रयच्छति ।
तत् तत् तेनैव भावेन प्राप्नोति प्रतिपूजितः ॥ २३४ ॥

yena yena tu bhāvena yad yad dānaṃ prayacchati |
tat tat tenaiva bhāvena prāpnoti pratipūjitaḥ || 234 ||

In whatever spirit a man bestows a gift, in that same spirit he himself receives it with due honour.—(234)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The tern ‘bhāva,’ ‘spirit,’ denotes mental disposition. In whatever spirit—with a pleasant mind, proper faith and respect—one bestows a gift, in that same spirit he himself obtains it; if, on the other hand, he gives without faith, in a disrespectful manner and after having insulted the recipient,—then he himself also obtains it in the same manner.

The phrase, ‘yadyat,’ ‘whatever,’ does not refer to the kinds of things (given as gifts).—“What, then, is the use of the expression?”—The explanation is that the phrase means that ‘the man obtains the pleasures brought about by the substances concerned.’ If the objects themselves were meant, then, in the case of a man giving medicines to a sick person, he would obtain (as reward) that same medicine; and, since such a reward would be of no use to a healthy person, it would be thrown away. For this reason, the meaning must be that ‘the giver obtains the same kind of pleasure that he causes by his gift;’ so that the gift of medicines would bring sound health to the giver.

Or, the term ‘bhāva’, ‘spirit,’ may stand for desire, purpose, the idea ‘may this be mine;’ the sense of the passage in that case would be—‘the man obtains that same reward, with a view to obtaining which he bestows the gift,’—and that ‘in the same spirit;’ i.e., he obtains it at the same time at winch he happens to be in want of it. This implies that the gift of all things may bring to the giver all kinds of rewards.—(234)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

‘Dhāvena’—‘Disposition’ (Medhātithi, Govindarāja, Nārāyaṇa and Rāghavānanda);—‘motive’ (suggested by Medhātithi,and also Kullūka).

This verse is quoted in Hemādri (Dāna, p. 17), which, explains ‘bhāva’ as standing for the predominance of one or other of the three guṇas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 4.234-239)

Mahābhārata (Anuśāsana, 17.3.5.6).—‘Neither father, nor mother, nor brother, nor son, nor teacher, nor relations, parental or marital, nor friends are any help to man;...therefore with lawfully acquired riches, the wise man should serve Righteousness; Righteousness is the only helper for men as regards the other world.’

Āpastamba (1.7.22.23).—‘Having made a gift, one should not advertise it;—having done an act, one should not think of it again.’

Yama (Aparārka, p. 291).—‘If one gives wealth with great respect, to qualified men, he obtains great wealth and sons and grandsons.’

Yājñavalkya (1.156).—‘With act, mind and speech one should try his best to do his duty.’