Act of giving - Charity, Donation or दान

                                                       Act of giving - Charity, Donation or दान
Family values, upbringing and religion all play a part in giving in India, with Hinduism mandating giving. Donations reduce attachment to sensual pleasure. Donations are simplest way open all the lumps before death. The detachment begins by donations and forgiveness.  However, if charity or donation is inadequate, done with repentance or given to ineligible, then it is worthless. In Vedas, service, charity and benevolence have been attributed to paramount religion. Rigveda (verse – 3.24.5) says, “शतहस्त समाहर सहस्त्र हस्त सं किर” means earn with hundreds of hands and donate with thousands of hands.  

The World Giving Index (WGI) is an annual report published (2016) by the Charities Aid Foundation, using data gathered by Gallup, and ranks over 140 countries in the world according to how charitable they are. This annual index measures generosity by three factors: the amount of money donated, participation in volunteering, and helping a stranger. Myanmar despite country in lower middle income claims the title of the world’s most generous country consistently for last three years 2014, 2015 & 2016. (USA – 2nd; Australia – 3rd; New Zealand – 4th; Sri Lanka – 5th; India – 91)

Top 5 most charitable people in the world are Bill Gates (Net worth 84.2 billion, life time donation $27 billion), Warren Buffett (Net worth: $61 billion, life time donations $21.5 billion), George Soros (Net worth: $24.4 billion, life time donations $8 billion), Azim Premji (Net worth $15.9 billion, life time donations $8 billion) and Charles Francis Feeney (Net worth $1.5 million, life time donation $6.3 billion).

In various Hindu scriptures such as Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramcharitramanas etc., importance of donation or daan has been highlighted. Shree Krishna in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita has explained three types of donations as under:

1. Satavic donation:
   1. अफलाकाङ्क्षिभिर्यज्ञो विधिदृष्टो य इज्यते । यष्टव्यमेवेति मनः समाधाय स सात्त्विकः॥(verse-17-11) means when one believes that charity must be performed, is Sattvika in character.
   2. दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥(verse-17-20) means charity which is bestowed with a sense of duty on one from whom no return is expected, at appropriate time and place, and to a deserving person (hungry, orphan, sick, patient, beggar, disable etc.) that charity has been declared as Sattvika.
2. Rajasic Charity: अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् । इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् ॥ (verse-17-12) यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं लमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः । दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ (verse-17-21) mean charity when is bestowed in a grudging spirit (चंदा) and with the object of mere show, getting a service in return or in the hope of obtaining a reward (prestige, fame, position, getting heaven etc.) is called Rajasika.
3. Tamasic Charity: अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते । असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ (verse-17-22) means charity which is made without good grace and in a disdainful spirit, out of time and place, and to undeserving persons, (for drinking wine, eating meat, stealing, and inferior task etc.) is said to be Tamasika.
4. Shree Krishna says in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (17.28) says, “अश्रद्धया हुतं दत्तं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत्। असदित्युच्यते पार्थ न च तत्प्रेत्य नो इह।“ means donation done, a gift given, an austerity practised, and whatever good deed is performed, if it is without faith, it is termed as naught i.e., “asat”; therefore, it is of no avail here or hereafter.

In Ramacharitramanas (Uttarkand), Sant Tulsidas ji explained that प्रगट चारि पद धर्म के कलिल महुँ एक प्रधान। जेन केन बिधि दीन्हें दान करइ कल्यान।।(verse-103(ख)) means there are four types of donations viz. daily, casual, Kamay and Vimal. The spirit of daily donation is done by not wanting any fruit. The casual donation is given to the scholar for cessation the sins done knowingly or unknowingly. The Kamya donation is given out of desire to attain the children, victory, happiness and prosperity heaven. The Vimal donation is given to delight God. It has been said that one should donate one-tenth of the money earned through rightful means.

Hindu scriptures have dealt with the various aspects of donations such why donate, what to donate, who to donate, how to donate, when to donate and exemplary stories of donations. Such details with relevant quotations in Sanskrit are as under:

 

Why should be donated?

1. By knowing the true nature of charity with reverence and power, the donation is welfare in both the world (this & future world).
2. In Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse 5.2.3), it is said that “तदेतत्त्रयँ शिक्षेद् दमं दानं दयामिति” mean learn three cardinal virtues - self-restraint, charity and compassion for all life.
3. In Chandogya Upanishad, it is said that a virtuous life requires: तप (asceticism), दान (charity), अर्जवा (straightforwardness), अहिंसा (non-injury to all sentinent beings) and सत्यवचन (truthfulness).
4. Shree krishna says in Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (18.5), “यज्ञदानतपः कर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत्। यज्ञो दानं तपश्चैव पावनानि मनीषिणम्।“means Sacrifice, charity and penance should not be left. These three virtues make person sacred and purifies them. Further, he says, “यज्ञदानतपःकर्म न त्याज्यं कार्यमेव तत् । एतान्यपि तु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा फलानि च । कर्तव्यानीति मे पार्थ निश्चितं मतमुत्तमम् ॥ (18.6)”means Sacrifice, charity and penance, and all other acts of duty too, must be performed without attachment and expectation of reward.
5. Narad Purana says, as gold is purified in fire, the body is purified by water, the soul is purified by penance and money is purified by donation. God's Nimit devoutly Donation done for God’s Cause (निमित) with reverence is never been wasted. It definitely gives infinite and renewable fruit.

What should be donated?

1. Right donation at right person, like if someone is hungry, he should be satisfied with the meal, water should be given to the thirsty, clothes should be given to naked, the patient should be given medicine and education should be given to studious. Vedas says “एतस्य वाऽक्षरस्य शासने ददतो मनुष्याः प्रशंसन्ति” means by such donation person always gets praise of the supreme God.
2. Three levels of Donations are being categorized as under:
   1. Superior donations - Orphanage, temple, education, land, cow, automobile, prana and gold.
   2. Medium donation - Foods, gardens, clothing and horses etc.
   3. Junior donations - Shoe, umbrella, utensils, curd, honey, asana, lamp, wood and stone etc.
3. Manusmriti says (verse-4/233), ‘सर्वेषामेव दानानां ब्रह्मदानं विशिष्यते। वार्यन्नगोमहीवासस्तिलकांचनसर्पिणाम्।’ means that as many charities in the world, such as water, food, cow, materials, clothing, sesame, gold, ghee, etc., the donation of education is excellent.

 
Who should be donated?

1. Donation should be given to the worthy person.

 
How should be donated?

1. Taitatiriya Upanishad (1.11) says, “श्रद्धया देयम् | अश्रद्धया देयम् | अश्रिया देयम् | हीया देयम् | भिया देयम् | सविदा देयम् | means if there is reverence in giving donations, donate, if there is no reverence, even then continue to donate. Donate to receive praise from the people. Donate out of embarrassment as others are donating. Donate out of fear that if not donated, we will not get better world and the money earned will not be worthwhile. Donate to the idea that donations were pledged in front of the guru.
2. In Kathopanishad, it is said that such donation which does not give pleasure to receiver, that donation also not bring any happiness to donor.
3. There are six disciplines of charity viz. Dharma, meaning, work, shame, joy and fear which are explained as under:
   1. Dharma donation – Donation given without desire or purpose by virtuous people to virtuous people.
   2. Semantic Donation – Donation given by keeping purpose in mind.
   3. Work donation – Donation given to unauthorized human beings in the context of commotion, snare, hunting and gambling.
   4. Shameful donation – Donation given to unauthorized persons by pledging to shame on demanding the petition of the petitioner.
   5. Darling donation – Donation given by seeing a beloved work or listening to beloved news.
   6. Fearful donation – Donation given by compelling the non-compliant persons to prevent slander, disaster and violence.

When should be donated?

1. Some occasions are found to highly auspicious such as twelve Sankranti, eclipses, Akshaya Triteeya, etc. Makar Sankranti is considered most auspicious for donations.
2. Specified donations recommended as per panchang (Hindu calendar) for various tithis (dates).
3. Certain donations are designed to placate planets such as Saturn, Rahu, and Ketu etc.
4. Under Hindu system, sky is divided into 27 Nakshatras (constellations of stars) apart from 12 zodiac signs.  These Nakshatras are associated with donation of various items.
5. Donations are recommended at various holy places (teerth) such as Gaya, Prayag, etc.

Stories of donations admired in Hinduism
Karna and Yudhistira, both were celebrated donors in Mahabharat times. However, Karna was called as Danveer by Shree Krishna as he set examples of selfless generosity.

• On one typical rainy day Krishna disguised himself as a Brahmin and visited Yudhistira asking him for dry wood. It being rainy season there was no chance of getting dry wood so the request of Brahmin was turned down by Yudhishtira. Whereas Karna went inside the palace and cut down the door frames made of very good quality wood and handed the Brahmin the pile of wood.

 

• Once Arjuna argued with Krishna that why do you keep on praising Karna so much? What is it that he has and I lack? Krishna then turned two mountains into gold, and gave Karna and Arjuna each and told them to divide the gold to the nearby villagers equally. Arjun began digging the gold from the mountain and started dividing amongst the villagers. But the mountain didn't reduce even a bit and Arjuna now was starting to get tired. Karna on the other hand called two villagers and told them to divide the gold equally amongst the villagers and went away.

To this whole incident Krishna explained Arjuna that he didn't give away the gold willingly but hesitatingly. He was not content that the villagers without doing anything should get so much amount of gold while he on the other hand has to be one giving it away. But Karna at the same time did not care about the value of the gold even for a bit but did what he was told and went ahead on his way.

• Before the Mahabharat, Indra disguised himself as a Brahmin and demanded the Armour (Kavach Kundala) in alms from Karna. Karna gave them him despite fully knowing that these are vital and unique weapon to win the battle of Mahabharat.

     

• Krishna disguised himself as a Brahmin and went over to Karna while he was counting his last breathes and asked for something to be given in alms to which Karna even in that situation happily broke and gave him his gold teeth.

Reference:

1. Uttarkand – 70 ; 103
2. Bhagavad puran – 7.14.8
3. Mahabharat
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Giving_Index
5. https://www.wonderslist.com/top-10-most-charitable-people/
6. http://aryamantavya.in/donate-to-whom/
7. https://hindi.speakingtree.in/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana
9. https://hi.wikipedia.org/wiki