1 Gita Sloka Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 20

The entire content of this mail is from Shri V N Gopala Desikan's  Srimad Bhagavad Gita, published by Vishishtadvaita Research Centre, Chennai and The Bhagavad Gita by Swami Chidbhavananda published by Ramakrishna Mission

The Three Fold Gift - 20-22

1 Gita Sloka  Every Day - Chapter 17 - Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga - Sloka 20

Datavyam iti yat danam diyat nupakarine I

Dese kale ca patre ca tad danam sattvikam smrtam II sloka 20

दातव्यं इति यत् दानम् (दा) दीह यते अन्  उपिकरिणे I 

देशे काले च पात्रे च तत्  दानम् सात्त्विकं स्मृतं II  श्लोक 20

That gift which is made to one who can make no return, with the feeling that it is one's duty to give and which is given at the right place and time and to a worthy person, that gift is held Sattvika. \

What is given expecting a return contribution or reward is no gift. It is only an exchange of courtesy or hospitality. In some cases it happens to be a motivated investment. But a gift is that which is voluntarily offered expecting nothing in return. The recipient is necessarily a person who is not in a position to make a return gift. At the same time he is worthy of he gift and whatever is given to him would be well spent on worthy causes. The attitude of the giver is more important than the gift itself. With the sense of sacred duty the bestowing ought to be made. In humility, with bashfulness, and to the best of one's ability, the means at one's disposal ought to be shared with the deserving people. To a person residing in one region, a gift made in another distant region is not one given at the right place. The gift ought to be made just when there is the need for it. Early or belated offering becomes untimely and purposeless. That gift is Sattvika which fulfills all these conditions.