2. Introduction
• Dāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity, charity or
giving of alms in Indian philosophies.
• Dāna is held as a noble deed to be done without expectation of any return from
those who receive the charity.
• Dāna is a form of good karma that affects one's future circumstances and
environment, and that good charitable deeds leads to good future life because of
the reciprocity principle.
• Concept common in many religions
• But Daan as per Hindu shashtras is different in meaning than others.
3. Dāna in Texts
• Rgveda: Praises many types of Dāna
• Shatpath Brahman: Offerings in yajna are for
Gods; Dāna is for Priest.
• Mahabharata: Praises the merit of Dāna
• Brihadaranyak Upanishad: Three unique
qualities: Dāma,Dāna & Dayaa.
• Puranas: Shower immense praise for Dāna
• Chandogya Upanishad: A virtuous life
requires tapa (asceticism), dāna (charity),
arjava (straightforwardness), ahimsa (non-
injury) and satyavacana (truthfulness)
• Dāna is Dharam in Kaliyuga
4. Celebrated Danis in Hindu Mythology
• Karna
• Bali
• Raja Harishchandra
• Dadhichi
5. Meaning & Prerequisites of Dāna
• Dāna means making someone else the owner of your things.
• Things given in accordance with Shastra method to a person declared proper by Shastras.
• Conditions for Dāna :
1. Dāna of things earned by righteousness only
2. Dāna to a person declared desirable by Shastra
3. Dāna at an auspicious time, auspicious place.
4. Transfer of right to ownership by relinquishing the right to ownership and acceptance
of Dāna by receiver.
6. Elements of Dāna
6 elements
1. Daata : The giver
2. Pratigrahita : The receiver
3. Shraddha : Right intent
4. Deya : Thing
5. Kaal : Time
6. Desh : Place
7. People worthy of Dāna
• People with special traits.
• Pious & person with merit.
• The texts do not recommend charity to unworthy recipients or where
charity may harm or encourage injury to or by the recipient
• Not a drunkard
• Not a gambler
8. Types of Deya
As per Dharamshashtras following categories of Deya exist.
• Uttam: Cooked food, Cow, Land, Gold, Horse, Elephant etc.
• Madhyam: Vidya, House, House hold things etc.
• Nikrishth: Shoes, Vehicle, Umbrella, Kitchen utensils, Wood etc.
• Adeya: Mother, son, kingdom, which is not yours to give. Also, Dāna of weapons to
Brahman, Gold & land to unworthy.
9. “An assurance unto all creatures with love and affection and abstention
from every kind of injury, acts of kindness and favor done to a person in
distress, whatever gifts are made without the giver's ever thinking of them
as gifts made by him, constitute, O chief of Bharata's race, the highest and
best of gifts (dāna)”
— The Mahabharata, XIII.59
10. Time & Place for Daana
• Right time: Dwadashi, Sankranti, Amavasya, Eclipse etc.
• Right place: Home, Temple, Cowshed, Tirtha etc.
11. Types of Dāna
• Nitya: which can be given daily.
• Naimittika: Given on special occasions.
• Kamya: Given for fulfilment of wishes.
12. Types of Dāna as per Bhagvad Gita
• Sāttvika Dāna: A gift that is given without any expectation of appreciation or reward is
beneficial to both giver and recipient.
• Rajas Dāna: A gift that is given reluctantly and with the expectation of some advantage is
harmful to both giver and recipient.
• Tamas Dāna: A gift that is given without any regard for the feelings of the recipient and at
the wrong time, so causing embarrassment to the recipient, is again harmful to both giver
and recipient.
(Bhagavadgita 17.20-22)
➢Bhadwad Gita suggests steadiness in sattvikam dāna and that tamas should be avoided
13. Utsarga/ Pootakarma
• While dāna is typically given to one person or family, Hinduism also discusses charity or giving
aimed at public benefit, sometimes called utsarga.
• This aims at larger projects such as building a rest house, school, drinking water or irrigation well,
planting trees, and building care facility among others.
• Mahabharata’s Anushasana Parva: Recommends public projects as a form of dāna. It discusses the
building of drinking water tanks for people and cattle as a noble form of giving, as well as giving of
lamps for lighting dark public space.
• Hindu temples also sometimes served as charitable institutions. Donations from devotees, during
the Chola dynasty and Vijayanagara Empire were used to feed people in distress as well as fund
public projects such as irrigation and land reclamation.
• Physical, intellectual and spiritual service: Eg. Some professionally qualified doctors and surgeons
render free medical service on certain days of the week.
14. Recommendations for Dāna
• The Bhagavata Purana: That charity is inappropriate if it endangers and cripples modest livelihood
of one's biological dependents or of one’s own.
• Charity from surplus income above that required for modest living is recommended in the
Puranas.
• Dāna is best done with shraddha (faith), which is defined as being in good will, cheerful,
welcoming the recipient of the charity and giving without anasuya (finding faults in the recipient).
• Any giving that is motivated by selfish considerations loses its value from the spiritual point of
view.
• Bhagavata Purana: We have no right to claim more than what is required for our basic purposes.
• Mahabharata: Recommends that one third of our wealth is used for philanthropic purposes.
16. Dāna and Legal aspects
• Some Sanskrit treatises discuss ethics, methods and
rationale for charity and alms giving in Hinduism
• Manusmriti
• Dharamshashtras
• Mitākṣarā by Vijñāneśvara
• Daayabhaaga by Jimutvahana
• Dāna Kānda by Laksmidhara of Kannauj
• Dāna Sāgara by Ballālasena of Bengal
• Dānakhanda in Caturvargacintamani by Hemadiri of
Devagiri
17. Daan : no substitute for attaining knowledge
• Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-2): Account of a king called Janasruti Pautrayana,
renowned for his generous giving and philanthropic works, and Raikva, the cart-
driver who was indifferent to wealth.
• The king felt restless on overhearing a conversation between two geese who
commented on the king’s charity being motivated by his desire for name and fame,
whereas Raikva, the cart-driver, was at peace with himself as he cared not for
wealth or fame.
• The king went to Raikva loaded with gifts and asked him which deity he needed to
worship in order to attain inner peace and happiness.
• But Raikva told the king that the gifts were of no use to him.
• The king again went to Raikva with lavish gifts and begged him to teach him the
way to true happiness.
• Raikva imparted the sacred teaching: that all things in the universe are supported
by the Spirit and all belong to the Spirit. The mere giving of gifts without this
spiritual wisdom can bring no true peace.
18. Conclusion
• Dāna is a virtue in itself.
• Dāna is a dharmic act and has spiritual and philosophical context.
• The donor's intent and responsibility for diligence about the effect of dāna
on the recipient is considered as important as the dāna itself.
