II Traditions of giving in Hinduism
Dharma needs to be seen within the framework of the traditional extended
Hindu family, which plays the role of a welfare state. The wealth a person
acquires is not for him/herself but for the welfare of the extended family
and others. One has a responsibility towards those members of one’s family
who cannot maintain themselves. In some circumstances an individual may
have no option but to give up or compromise his/her personal goals for the
sake of the family. In short, ‘giving’ begins at home but extends beyond
home.
What is the difference between DHAANAM and DHARUMAM? Both are
different; in the Q5 what he did was dharmam first and dhanam second. It
was rajasic as he expected the happiness. Bali Chakravarthy did know his
fate yet gave to Trivikrama and that was the greatest; Karnan parted with
his blood to Krishna in the battle field that was the fantastic.
ARAM SEYYA VIRUMBU AND IYAM ITTU UNN SHOW A DIFFRENCE; GIVING
VOLUNTARILY IS ARAM ; IN TAMIL EEDHAL IS ATERM WHICH MEANS GIVING AFTER
DEMANDING; HENCE TWO TERMS; AND SHE ALSO SAID, ERPADHU IGAZHCHI-=TAKING
DHANA DHARMAM IS SHAMEFUL. The purpose of living is eedhal, isai pada
vazhhdal=giving and living with fame said Tiruvalluar. And what the right
hand gives the left hand shall not know; so, publicity stunt does not part
take any character of dhana or dharma at all.
The well known Hindu text the Bhagavadgita speaks of three types of
giving:
A gift that is given without any expectation of appreciation or reward is
beneficial to both giver and recipient.
A gift that is given reluctantly and with the expectation of some advantage
is harmful to both giver and recipient.
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)
Any giving that is motivated by selfish considerations loses its value from
the spiritual point of view.
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे |
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् || 20||
dātavyam iti yad dānaṁ dīyate ‘nupakāriṇe
deśhe kāle cha pātre cha tad dānaṁ sāttvikaṁ smṛitam
dātavyam—worthy of charity; harity; dīyate—is given; anupakāriṇe—to one who
cannot give in return; deśhe—in the proper place; kāle—at the proper time;
; pātre—to a worthy person; dānam—charity; sāttvikam—in the mode of
goodness; smṛitam—is stated to be
BG 17.20: Charity given to a worthy person simply because it is right to
give, without consideration of anything in return, at the proper time and
in the proper place, is stated to be in the mode of goodness.
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुन: |
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् || 21||
yat tu pratyupakārārthaṁ phalam uddiśhya vā punaḥ
dīyate cha parikliṣhṭaṁ tad dānaṁ rājasaṁ smṛitam
prati-upakāra-artham—with the hope of a return; phalam—reward;
uddiśhya—expectation; punaḥ—again; dīyate—is given;
parikliṣhṭam—reluctantly; tat—that; dānam—charity; rājasam—in the mode of
passion; smṛitam—is said to be
BG 17.21: But charity given with reluctance, with the hope of a return or
in expectation of a reward, is said to be in the mode of passion.
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते |
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् || 22||
adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate
asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam
adeśha—at the wrong place; kāle—at the wrong time; yat—which;
dānam—charity; apātrebhyaḥ—to unworthy persons; dīyate—is given;
asat-kṛitam—without respect; avajñātam—with contempt; tāmasam—of the
nature of nescience; udāhṛitam—is held to be
BG 17.22: And that charity, which is given at the wrong place and wrong
time to unworthy persons, without showing respect, or with contempt, is
held to be of the nature of nescience.
It is not so much wealth that brings happiness and peace but our
attitude to possessions. Hindu philosophical texts such as the Isa Upanishad
point to the fact that true enjoyment and peace lie in detachment from
wealth. We are not asked to renounce wealth but rather our sense of
possession. Whatever we give will have no value if we part with our wealth
reluctantly.
Taitriya Upanishad: अन्नं बहु कुर्वीत। तत् व्रतम् पृथिवी वै अन्नम्
आकाशः अन्नादः पृथिव्याम् आकाशः प्रतिष्ठितः आकाशे पृथिवी प्रतिष्ठिता तत्
एतत् अन्नम् अन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं यः एतत् अन्नम् अन्ने प्रतिष्ठितं वेद सः
प्रतितिष्ठति। अन्नवान् अन्नादः च भवति प्रजया पशुभिः ब्रह्मवर्चसेन च महान्
भवति। कीर्त्या च महान् भवति ।
annaṁ bahu kurvīta| tat vratam pṛthivī vai annam ākāśaḥ annādaḥ pṛthivyām
ākāśaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ākāśe pṛthivī pratiṣṭhitā tat etat annam anne
pratiṣṭhitaṁ yaḥ etat annam anne pratiṣṭhitaṁ veda saḥ pratitiṣṭhati|
annavān annādaḥ ( ca ) bhavati prajayā paśubhiḥ brahmavarcasena ( ca )
mahān bhavati| kīrtyā ( ca ) mahān ( bhavati )|
Thou shalt increase and amass food; for that too is thy commandment unto
labour. Verily, earth also is food and ether is the eater. Ether is
established upon earth and earth is established upon ether. Here too is
food established upon food. He who knoweth this food that is established
upon food, getteth his firm base. He becometh the master of food and its
eater, great in progeny, great in cattle, great in the radiance of
holiness, great in glory.
न वा उ॑ दे॒वाः क्षुध॒मिद्व॒धं द॑दुरु॒ताशि॑त॒मुप॑ गच्छन्ति
मृ॒त्यव॑: । उ॒तो र॒यिः पृ॑ण॒तो नोप॑ दस्यत्यु॒तापृ॑णन्मर्डि॒तारं॒ न वि॑न्दते
॥RV 10.117 1
na vā u devāḥ kṣudham id vadhaṃ dadur utāśitam upa gacchanti mṛtyavaḥ | uto
rayiḥ pṛṇato nopa dasyaty utāpṛṇan marḍitāraṃ na vindate ||
“The gods have not assigned hunger as (the cause of) death, for deaths
approach the man who haseaten; the riches of one who gives do not diminish,
he who gives not finds no consoler.”
य आध्राय चकमानाय पित्वोऽन्नवान्त्सन्रफितायोपजग्मुषे । स्थिरं मनः कृणुते
सेवते पुरोतो चित्स मर्डितारं न विन्दते ॥10 17 2 RV
ya ādhrāya cakamānāya pitvo 'nnavān san raphitāyopajagmuṣe | sthiram manaḥ
kṛṇute sevate puroto cit sa marḍitāraṃ na vindate ||
“He who, possessed of food, hardens his heart against the feeble man
craving nourishment, againstthe sufferer coming to him (for help), and
pursues (his won enjoyment even) before him, that man finds noconsoler.”
स इद्भोजो यो गृहवे ददात्यन्नकामाय चरते कृशाय । अरमस्मै भवति यामहूता उतापरीषु
कृणुते सखायम् ॥10 117 3
sa id bhojo yo gṛhave dadāty annakāmāya carate kṛśāya | aram asmai bhavati
yāmahūtā utāparīṣu kṛṇute sakhāyam ||
“He is liberal who gives to the suppliant desiring food, wandering about
distressed; to him there is anample (recompense), and he contracts
friendship with his adversaries.”
न स सखा यो न ददाति सख्ये सचाभुवे सचमानाय पित्वः । अपास्मात्प्रेयान्न तदोको
अस्ति पृणन्तमन्यमरणं चिदिच्छेत् ॥RV 10 117 4
na sa sakhā yo na dadāti sakhye sacābhuve sacamānāya pitvaḥ | apāsmāt
preyān na tad oko asti pṛṇantam anyam araṇaṃ cid icchet ||
“He is not a friend who gives not food to a friend, to an associate, to a
companion; let him turn awayfrom him, that is not a (fitting) dwelling; let
him seek another more liberal lord.”
मोघमन्नं विन्दते अप्रचेताः सत्यं ब्रवीमि वध इत्स तस्य । नार्यमणं पुष्यति नो
सखायं केवलाघो भवति केवलादी ॥RV 10 117 6
mogham annaṃ vindate apracetāḥ satyam bravīmi vadha it sa tasya |
nāryamaṇam puṣyati no sakhāyaṃ kevalāgho bhavati kevalādī ||
“The inhospitable man acquires food in vain. I speak the truth-- it verily
is his death. He cherishes notAryaman nor a friend; he who eats alone is
nothing but a sinner.”
कृषन्नित्फाल आशितं कृणोति यन्नध्वानमप वृङ्क्ते चरित्रैः । वदन्ब्रह्मावदतो
वनीयान्पृणन्नापिरपृणन्तमभि ष्यात् ॥10 117 7
kṛṣann it phāla āśitaṃ kṛṇoti yann adhvānam apa vṛṅkte caritraiḥ | vadan
brahmāvadato vanīyān pṛṇann āpir apṛṇantam abhi ṣyāt ||
“The plural ughshare furrowing (the field) provides food (for the plural
ughman); a man travelling along a roadacquires (wealth for his master) by
his movements; a Brāhmaṇa expounding (the Veda) is better than one not
expounding it; (so) let the man who gives become a kinsman to the man who
gives not.”
King Janasruti Pautrayana and the cart-driver
॥ चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥
जानश्रुतिर्ह पौत्रायणः श्रद्धादेयो बहुदायी बहुपाक्य आस स ह सर्वत
आवसथान्मापयांचक्रे सर्वत एव मेऽन्नमत्स्यन्तीति ॥ ४.१.१ ॥
|| caturtho'dhyāyaḥ ||
jānaśrutirha pautrāyaṇaḥ śraddhādeyo bahudāyī bahupākya āsa sa ha sarvata
āvasathānmāpayāṃcakre sarvata eva me'nnamatsyantīti || 4.1.1 ||
1. In ancient times there was a king who was the great-grandson of
Janaśruta. He was a highly charitable person, who gave many gifts in
charity, and always with due respect. He also had large quantities of food
cooked for people. With the thought in mind, ‘People all over will eat my
food,’ he had many rest-houses built in different places.
In the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-2) we find an interesting 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 were flying over his palace. They 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.
One of the commonest forms of giving is anna dana, the sharing of
food with others. It is part of one’s religious duty (dharma) to offer food
to any unexpected guest. In the orthodox tradition a householder is
expected to partake of food only after it has been reverentially offered to
the deities, the ancestors, the mendicant, and those dependent on him. The
practice of anna dana is common to all sections of Indian society and
continues to be an important aspect of people’s way of life. On religious
and other important occasions anna dana may be undertaken on a large scale.
Some Hindus organize a special meal for the needy, or donate to a
charitable cause, in memory of the deceased.
To refuse hospitality to one who comes to your door is an
unpardonable act. The Chandgoya Upanishad (4.3) refers to two sages who are
about to have their meal when they hear a knock at the door. They dismiss
the starving young student on their doorstep. He did not expect such
treatment from such reverend persons. When he finds out that they both worship
Vayu, the wind-god, also called prana (breath, life-force), the young man
reminds the sages that prana, which pervades the universe, also pervades
the hungry mortal, who is also part of this universe. In neglecting the
young man, they are not honouring the divine. Although this passage focuses
on theological questions, it is not without practical implications – that
there is no point in worshipping Brahman (Supreme Being) in all creation
while ignoring the needs of others.
Charity is more than merely giving; it involves the sharing of
resources with others, be it wealth, food or other things. It may involve
giving to philanthropic causes – providing rest-houses, planting trees,
digging wells. The Chinese scholar Hiuen-Tsiang, who visited India in the
seventh century during the period of the Indian king Harshavardhana,
recorded the king’s generous sharing of his wealth with his people.
Similarly, the kings of Thanjavur in the nineteenth century were renowned
for establishing chatrams, centres of hospitality located along the road to
pilgrim centres, which took care of the needy, the sick and those who died
in their care.
Although material prosperity is valued, the accumulation of wealth
for one’s personal greed goes against the principle of dharma – righteous
living. The Bhagavata Purana states that we have no right to claim more
than what is required for our basic purposes. The Mahabharata recommends
that one third of our wealth is used for philanthropic purposes. Mahatma
Gandhi laid emphasis on minimizing one’s wants even if resources are in
abundance. ‘It is a fundamental law of Nature’, Gandhi remarked, ‘that
Nature produces enough for our wants from day to day; and if only everyone
took enough for their own needs and nothing more, there would be no poverty
in this world’.
Hindu beliefs such as maya, karma and rebirth have been seen as not
conducive to progress. Maya, which means ‘illusion’, is largely understood
in a literal sense: this world is an illusion and there is therefore no
point in changing it. In fact the term maya is also used to indicate that
this world is a manifestation of the divine creative power. Understood
rightly, maya does not deny the reality of the empirical world. Although
within the tradition there is both affirmation and negation of this world,
it is the negation that has been given exclusive emphasis in some
approaches to Hinduism. The Hindu sannyasi (renunciant) is seen as lacking
concern for this world and therefore unable to contribute to the material
welfare of society. On the contrary, even this ‘other-worldliness’ is
beneficial to the society because people’s wants are reduced to the
minimum. In an era of globalization and capitalist enterprise, these values
may seem out of date and out of place, but they do foster values such as
selflessness, sacrifice and simple living which are not detrimental to
development and progress. Similarly, the theory of karma is interpreted in
a simplistic and legalistic way. The term karma implies that all thoughts
and actions carry consequences which must be faced in this life or in the
life to come. This is not a punishment inflicted on us but created by us
inasmuch as by our actions we create bad or good karma for ourselves and
others. The Bhagavadgita urges people to act selflessly for the welfare of
others: ‘Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion
to selfless work one attains to the supreme goal in life. Do your work with
the welfare of others in mind’ (3.19-26).
K RAJARAM IRS 23224// KR IRS 15324
On Fri, 15 Mar 2024 at 00:49, 'venkat giri' via iyer123 <
[email protected]> wrote:
> *Respected Sir/s,*
> * SUBJECT: THE ART OF GIVING.. தானம்*
>
> *"Rivers do not drink their own water, nor do tree eat their own fruit,
> nor do rain clouds eat the grains reared by them*. The wealth of the
> noble is used solely for the benefit of others!
> Even after accepting
> *"Giving is good , one must learn to give*"
> *several questions needs to be answered.*
> The first question is:
> When should one give?
> *We all know the famous incident from Mahabharat.*
> * It was a fine morning, and YUDHISTIRA,
> the eldest of the Pandavaas, asks a beggar seeking alms to come the next
> day since he was busy. On this, Bhima rejoices that Yudhisthira his
> brother, has conquered death! He is sure that he will be around the next
> day to give. Yudhisthira gets the message. **One does not know really
> whether one will be there tomorrow to give!*
> The time to give therefore is now.
> The next question is:
> '*How much to give?'*
> *One recalls the famous incident from history.*
> Rana Pratap was reeling after defeat from the Moghals. He had
> lost his army, he had lost his wealth, and most important, he had lost
> hope, his will to fight.* At that time, in his darkest hour, his
> erstwhile minister, Bhamasha, came seeking him and placed his entire
> fortune at the disposal of Rana Pratap*. With this, Rana Pratap raised an
> army and lived to fight another day.
> The answer to this question how much to give is:
> *"Give as much as one can!*
> The next question is:
> 'What to give?'
> It is not only *money *that can be given away. It could be a flower or
> even a *SMILE. *
> *It is not how much one give**s** but *how one
> gives that really matters. When you give a *SMILE *to a stranger that may
> be the only good thing received by him in days and weeks!
> "You can give anything but you must give with all* your heart!*"
> One also needs answer to this question *whom to give*?
> *Many times we avoid giving by finding fault with the person who is
> seeking.* However, being judgmental and rejecting a person on the*
> presumption* that he may not be the most deserving is not *justified. *
> "Give without being* judgmental*!"
> Next we have to answer:
> *'How to give?'*
> Coming to the manner of giving, one has to ensure that the receiver *does
> not feel humiliated,* nor the giver feels proud by giving.
> In giving, follow the advice
> '*Let not your left hand know what your right hand gives?*
> Charity without publicity and fanfare is the highest form of charity.'
>
> 'Give quietly!'
> While giving, let not the recipient feel small or humiliated. After all,
> what we give never really belonged to us. We come to this world with
> nothing and will go with nothing. The thing gifted was only with us for a
> temporary period. Why then take pride in giving away something which
> really did not belong to us?
> Give with GRACE and with a feeling of GRATITUDE.
>
> "What should one feel after giving?"
>
> We all know the story of *EKALAVYA.*
> When Dronacharya asked him for his right thumb as "Guru Dakshina, he
> unhesitatingly cut off the thumb and gave it to Dronacharya.
> There is a little known sequel to this story.
> Eklavya was asked whether he ever regretted the act of giving away his
> thumb. He replied, and the reply has to be believed to be true, as it was
> asked to him when he was dying.
> His reply was "Yes! I regretted this only once in my life.* It was when
> Pandavas were coming to kill Dronacharya who was broken hearted on the
> false news of death of his son, Ashwathama, and had stopped fighting.* It
> was then that I regretted the loss of my thumb. *If the thumb was there,
> no one could have dared hurt my Guru?*
> The message to us is clear. Give and never regret giving!
>
> And the last question is:
>
> 'How much should we provide for our heirs?'
>
> Ask yourself 'are we taking away from them the gift of work? - A source of
> happiness?
> The answer is given by *Warren Buffett: *
>
> "Leave your kids enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing!"
>
> Would conclude by saying:
>
> Let us learn the Art of Giving, and quoting the Saint Kabir:
> "When the wealth in the house increases, when water fills a boat, throw them
> out with both hands!"
>
> This is the wise thing to do!
>
> I remember two things.
> 1 Ooruni neer niraidhtraevaam ulagu, perarivalan thiru----
> குறள் எண்:215
> ஊருணி நீர்நிறைந் தற்றே உலகவாம்
> பேரறி வாளன் திரு
> ஊருணி –குளம்; நீர் நிறைந்து- நீர் நிரம்பியது ; அற்றே-அத்தன்மைத்தே; உலகு-
> உலகநலம்; அவாம்-விரும்பிச் செய்யும்; பேர்-பெரியதாய்; அறிவாளன்-(ஒப்புரவு)
> அறிந்தவன்; திரு-செல்வம்.
>
> The wealth of a an intelligent man is only for the world, as water is full
> of the tank for the village or town. .....Tiruvalluvar
> 2 We have all heard in Tamil,
> "DHAANAM AND DHARUMAM";
> Dhanam is that which is asked and given whereas dharumam is given
> voluntarily; KARNAN was a KING of dhanam, and the that did not protect
> his life, since, on demand it was done; on the contrary, he had also
> given without any asking or demand , on so many occasions, which is
> equivalent of Dharmam, which was protecting his death; hence Krishna had
> to take it as Dhanam from him, which ended his life finally; dharmam is
> superior to Dhaanam; Brahmins are asked to take dhanam and return them as
> dharmam,
>
> *Regards*
>
> *V.Sridharan*
>
> *Trichy*
>
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