🪷 Bhagavad-Gītā · 17.21
Chapter 17 · श्रद्धात्रयविभागयोग · Śraddhā-Traya-Vibhāga-Yoga · "The Yoga of the Three Types of Faith" · Verse 21 of 28
🪷 English Translations
Five authentic English voices · each from a distinct sampradāya · together revealing the verse's full śabda-tattva.
Shri Purohit Swami · Poetic English · 1935 · public domain · Cosmo Press tradition
17.21 That which is given for the sake of the results it will produce, or with the hope of recompense,or grudgingly - that may truly be said to be the outcome of Passion.
Swami Sivananda · Direct prose · Divine Life Society
17.21 And, that gift which is given with a view to receive something in return, or looking for a reward, or reluctantly, is held to be Rajasic.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Word-key glosses · Advaita Ashrama · Śaṅkara-school
17.21 Tu, but; the danam, gift; yat, which; diyate, is made; prati-upakara-artham, expecting reciprocation-with this purpose in view: 'In time, he will render service in return'-; va punah, or again; uddisya, with a desire for; its phalam, result-that, 'To me will accrue some unseen reward of this gift'-; and which is diyate, given; pariklistam, grudgingly, with reluctance; tat, that; is smrtam, considered to be; rajasam, born of rajas.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Śrī-Vaiṣṇava perspective · Rāmānuja school
17.21 That gift which is given grudgingly, viz., gift of useless things with a sly expectation of something in return that is said to be gift of Rajasa nature.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Academic precision · modern scholarly
17.21. But, what is given to get a return of favour or again with a view to a fruit, and which is very much vexed - that gift is held to be of the Rajas.
🪷 English Commentaries · The Ācārya Voices
The classical commentary tradition rendered in English · each ācārya speaks from their own sampradāya · the seer chooses the depth of darśana.
Swami Sivananda · Verse-by-verse word-keys with Sanskrit anchors
17.21 यत् which? तु indeed? प्रत्युपकारार्थम् with a view to receive in return? फलम् fruit? उद्दिश्य looking for? वा or? पुनः again? दीयते is given? च and? परिक्लिष्टम् reluctantly? तत् that? दानम् gift? राजसम् Rajasic? स्मृतम् is held to be.Commentary Charity or gift that is given in the hope that it will be returned in the future and praised in public or that the gift will bring some unseen reward or heavenly pleasure is passionate. If a man makes a gift to a Brahmana or a Sannyasin with the hope that all his sins will be washed away? this is also a Rajasic gift. If a man is grieved at heart after making the gift this is also a gift of passionate nature.
Swami Gambīrānanda · Advaita-school commentary (Śaṅkara tradition)
17.21 Tu, but; the danam, gift; yat, which; diyate, is made; prati-upakara-artham, expecting reciprocation-with this purpose in view: 'In time, he will render service in return'-; va punah, or again; uddisya, with a desire for; its phalam, result-that, 'To me will accrue some unseen reward of this gift'-; and which is diyate, given; pariklistam, grudgingly, with reluctance; tat, that; is smrtam, considered to be; rajasam, born of rajas.
Swami Ādidevānanda · Rāmānuja Śrī-Vaiṣṇava commentary
17.21 That gift which is given grudgingly, viz., gift of useless things with a sly expectation of something in return that is said to be gift of Rajasa nature.
Dr. S. Sankaranarayan · Modern academic scholarship
17.21 See Comment under 17.22
Swami Chinmayānanda · Chinmaya Mission · modern Vedantic teaching
।।17.21।। क्लेशपूर्वक दान से तात्पर्य उस दान से है? जो हम अनेक प्रकार के चन्दे के रूप में अनिच्छापूर्वक देते हैं। शेष अर्थ स्पष्ट है।
🪷 Place in the Bhagavad-Gītā
- This is verse 21 of 28 in Chapter 17 · Śraddhā-Traya-Vibhāga-Yoga (The Yoga of the Three Types of Faith)
- Chapter theme: Three types of śraddhā · food · yajña · tapas · dāna · BG 17.23 Oṁ Tat Sat
- Ṣaṭka grouping: ANTYA-Ṣaṭka (BG 13-18 · the resolution)
- Chapter hub: /shraddha-traya
🪷 ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय 🪷
सर्वम् कृष्णार्पणम् — this verse is one maṇi (jewel) on Krishna's thread (BG 7.7)