Giving

śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ tapastat trividhaṁ naraiḥ |

aphalākāṅkṣibhiryuktaiḥ sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate ||17.17|| That three-fold tapas, observed with total śraddhā by people who have no expectation of results (other than mental purity) and who are composed, is called sāttvika.

śraddhayā parayā taptaṁ - discipline is observed with total śraddhā. Because of this, all stipulations that are mentioned in the śāstra are followed, without compromise. It is observed by human beings in three-fold way - tapastat trividhaṁ naraiḥ, through actions of limbs, speech and mind which are mentioned in previous verses.

These tapas are done by people who are free of any material expectation with reference to the results - aphalākāṅkṣibhiḥ, and they are doing it only for mental purity. They have a mind which is composed and committed - yuktaiḥ. Tapas of this kind which is done by such people is called sāttvika - sāttvikaṁ paricakṣate.

satkāramānapūjārthaṁ tapo dambhena caiva yat |

kriyate tadiha proktaṁ rājasaṁ calam adhruvam ||17.18||

That tapas, which is done for the sake of (receiving) honour, respect, and worship and with ostentation, which is unsteady and not lasting, is called here rājasika.

This type of worship is done by people, not for purity of mind, but for the purpose of being considered a good person by others - satkāramānapūjārthaṁ. And there is a lot of pretension - dambhena in his actions, so he can be recognised right away and receive respect. This kind of tapas is unsteady - calam, and not lasting - adhruvam, neither in terms of its practice, nor its result.

mūḍhagrāheṇātmano yat pīḍayā kriyate tapaḥ |

parasyotsādanārthaṁ vā tat tāmasam udāhṛtam ||17.19||

That tapas, which is done due to deluded understanding, by afflicting one’s body or for the sake of destroying another, is called tāmasika.

One does tapas with a perception that is deluded - mūḍhagrāheṇa. This is due to lack of discrimination about what is to be done, and what is improper to be done. With this lack of discrimination, one afflicts one’s own body with tapas. Such tapas are sometimes done for the purpose of destruction of another person - parasyotsādanārthaṁ. Tapas of this kind is called tāmasa.

In the same way, giving charity - dāna, is also three-fold in terms of guṇa.

dātavyam iti yaddānaṁ dīyate’nupakāriṇe |

deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛtam ||17.20||

That charity, which is given to one from whom one does not expect a return, in the proper place, at the proper time, and to a worthy recipient, thinking, “it is to be given,” is considered sāttvika charity.

Dāna that is given with the attitude, “it is to be given,” - dātavyam iti yaddānaṁ is sāttvika-dāna. A particular situation calls for giving and that gives rise to the response, “this is to be given by me.” Like the appreciation of karma-yoga, “this is to be done by me,” the same attitude extended to giving when it is to be done is dāna. What is given may be some article, money, or may be extended in the form of effort. It is the attitude how it is done that makes giving sāttvika.

Whether a giving is sāttvika is also determined by the recipient. It is to be given to whom you do not expect in return - dīyate’nupakāriṇe. Either he is not capable of returning our help or we don’t have the expectation. Only dāna that is given without any expectation of return, even a thanks, is real giving.

It is also important that the person should be a suitable recipient - pātre. Pātra literally means a vessel, and the one who receives is like a receptacle, therefore he is also called pātra. We cannot simply give just because somebody asks. We have to see what is the purpose of his needs. Not only that, giving is to be done at the right place and right time - deśe kāle. This is part of the religious culture where one is in punya-ksetra like Vāranāsi, and in the particular time like sankrānti, dāna is to be done.

Now Lord Krsna describes the rājasa-dāna in the next verse.

yattu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśya vā punaḥ |

dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṁ taddānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛtam ||17.21||

On the other hand, that charity, which is given for the sake of being helped in return, or keeping in view, a result (punya) to be gained later, and that which is fraught with pain, is considered rajasika.

Dāna that is given with the expectation that one will be helped in return - pratyupakārārthaṁ is rājasika. One gives at the right time when it is needed, but he gives with an expectation of receiving something in return. It becomes more of an investment than dāna. phalam uddiśya - gives keeping an result in view. What is the difference from the previous one? Phalam here is an unseen result in the form of punya. He wants to reap the benefit of this punya later, either in this life or in the next. And it is given with some pain - dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṁ, there is a sense of loss when one gives something to others.

adeśakāle yaddānam apātrebhyaśca dīyate |

asatkṛtam avajñātaṁ tattāmasam udāhṛtam ||17.22||

That charity, which is given without respect (improperly), and contemptuously at the wrong place and wrong time, and to unworthy recipients, is called tāmasika.

Dāna given in the wrong place at the wrong time - adeśakāle is tāmasika. And it should not be given to the one who doesn’t deserve it - apātrebhyaśca like one who cannot handle money, a drunkard, or a gambler. Even though the person to whom one gives is deserving, but if it is not given properly is asatkṛtam, like throwing the money to the recipient. avajñātaṁ - making the person feel ashamed that he came to ask for help.

To end this teaching of śraddhā, Lord Krsna says that if a person has śraddhā, and performs karma saying, “om tat sat,” at the beginning and at the end, it is enough to make the karma sāttvika.