Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 17 - Shloka (Verse) 21

व्याख्या -- यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थम् -- राजस दान प्रत्युपकारके लिये दिया जाता है जैसे -- राजस पुरुष किसी विशेष अवसरपर दानकी चीजोंको गिन करके निकालता है? तो वह विचार करता है कि हमारे सगेसम्बन्धीके जो कुलपुरोहित हैं? उनको हम दान करेंगे? जिससे कि हमारे सगेसम्बन्धी हमारे कुलपुरोहितको दान करें और इस प्रकार हमारे कुलपुरोहितके पास धन आ जायगा। अमुक पण्डितजी बड़े अच्छे हैं और ज्योतिष भी जानते हैं? उनको हम दान करेंगे? जिससे वे कभी यात्राका? पुत्रोंका तथा कन्याओंके विवाहका? नया मकान बनवानेका? कुआँ खुदवानेका मुहूर्त निकाल देंगे। हमारे सम्बन्धी हैं अथवा हमारा हित करनेवाले हैं? उनको हम सहायतारूपमें पैसे देंगे? तो वे कभी हमारी सहायता करेंगे? हमारा हित करेंगे। हमें दवाई देनेवाले जो पण्डितजी हैं उनको हम दान करेंगे क्योंकि दानसे राजी होकर वे हमें अच्छीअच्छी दवाइयाँ देंगे? आदिआदि। इस प्रकार प्रतिफलकी भावना रखकर अर्थात् इस लोकके साथ सम्बन्ध जोड़कर जो दान किया जाता है? वह प्रत्युपकारार्थ कहा जाता है।फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः -- फलका उद्देश्य रखकर अर्थात् परलोकके साथ सम्बन्ध जोड़कर जो दान किया जाता है? उसमें भी राजस मनुष्य देश (गङ्गा? यमुना? कुरुक्षेत्र आदि)? काल (अमावस्या? पूर्णिमा? ग्रहण आदि) और पात्र (वेदपाठी ब्राह्मण आदि) को देखेगा तथा शास्त्रीय विधिविधानको देखेगा परन्तु इस प्रकार विचारपूर्वक दान करनेपर भी फलकी कामना होनेसे वह दान राजस हो जाता है। अब उसके लिये दूसरे विधिविधानका वर्णन करनेकी भगवान्ने आवश्यकता नहीं समझी? इसलिये राजस दानमें देशे काले च पात्रे पदोंका प्रयोग नहीं किया। यहाँ पुनः पद कहनेका तात्पर्य है कि जिससे कुछ उपकार पाया है अथवा जिससे भविष्यमें कुछनकुछ मिलनेकी सम्भावना है? उसका विचार राजस पुरुष पहले करता है? फिर पीछे दान देता है।दीयते च परिक्लिष्टम् -- राजस दान बहुत क्लेशपूर्वक दिया जाता है जैसे -- वक्त आ गया है? इसलिये देना पड़ रहा है। इतनी चीजें देंगे तो इतनी चीजें कम हो जायेंगी। इतना धन देंगे तो इतना धन कम हो जायगा। वे समयपर हमारे काम आते हैं? इसलिये उनको देना पड़ रहा है। इतनेमें ही काम चल जाय तो बहुत अच्छी बात है। इतनेसे काम तो चल ही जायगा? फिर ज्यादा क्यों दें ज्यादा देंगे तो और कहाँसे लायेंगे और ज्यादा देनेसे लेनेवालेका स्वभाव बिगड़ जायगा। ज्यादा देनेसे हमारेको घाटा लग जायेगा? तो काम कैसे चलेगा पर इतना तो देना ही पड़ रहा है? आदिआदि। इस प्रकार राजस मनुष्य दान तो थोड़ासा देते हैं? पर कसाकसी करके देते हैं।तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् -- उपर्युक्त प्रकारसे दिया जानेवाला दान राजस कहा गया है।

जो दान प्रत्युपकारके लिये अर्थात् कालान्तरमें यह मेरा प्रत्युपकार करेगा? इस अभिप्रायसे अथवा इस दानसे मुझे परलोकमें फल मिलेगा ऐसे उद्देश्यसे क्लेश -- खेदपूर्वक दिया जाता है? वह राजस कहा गया है।

The classification of Rajasic and Tamasic charity has a clear meaning (hence not elaborated).

Having described Sattvic charity, He states the Rajasic one—

"Yat tu," etc. "Pratyupakarartham"—For a visible purpose, thinking "In time, this person will do me a return favor." "Phalam uddishya"—Or aiming at the invisible fruit like heaven etc., thinking "This charity will yield me fruit." "Punah diyate"—It is given (in return/expectation).

"Cha pariklishtam"—And "Pariklishtam," meaning conjoined with regret, thinking "Why was so much given?"—given with repentance. That is declared to be Rajasic.

"Pariklishtam"—Given in a manner characterized by agitation/distress, thinking "Why must so much expenditure of wealth be done?" This is an adverb modifying the verb "is given" (diyate).

That charity which is given containing within it the glance/expectation of a return favor; and aiming at fruit; and is "Pariklishtam"—meaning consisting of inauspicious substances (bad/inferior objects); that is declared to be Rajasic.

He states the Rajasic charity—"Yat tu," etc. For the purpose thinking "In time, he will do me a return favor"; or aiming at fruit like heaven etc.; the gift that is given "Punah" (again/in expectation).

"Pariklishtam"—Accompanied by mental distress; the charity given in such a manner is declared—stated—to be Rajasic.

"Pratyupakara-kataksha-garbham" (in Ramanuja's commentary) means accompanied by the intention of a return favor. By this, both the nature of being a return for a previously done favor and being the cause for a future return favor are included.

A person giving with "Pariklesha" (great pain/reluctance) due to attachment to wealth keeps the good portion for himself and offers the other (inferior) portion to another; with this intention, (Ramanuja) said "Akalyana-dravyakam" (consisting of inauspicious/bad substance). Or, the meaning of the word "Pariklishtam" here is the inauspiciousness of the substance due to being marred by lack of faith; this is the idea.

क्लेशपूर्वक दान से तात्पर्य उस दान से है? जो हम अनेक प्रकार के चन्दे के रूप में अनिच्छापूर्वक देते हैं। शेष अर्थ स्पष्ट है।

From "Datavyam" up to "Udahritam."

"Datavyam"—Thinking "It should be given," implying that the command/duty alone is to be observed; this is (in Sattvic) for countering faults.

"Pariklishtam" (in Rajasic)—strained due to faults like being scanty/limited etc.

And the "Asatkaranam" (disrespect) of charity (in Tamasic) is due to disrespecting the recipient etc.

Thus, worldly actions have been explained according to the three types of intentions, Sattvic etc.

"Yat tu," etc. "Pratyupakarartham"—For a visible purpose like "In time he will help me"; or aiming at fruit like heaven etc.; the charity distinct from Sattvic which is given "Punah" (again/in expectation).

And "Pariklishtam"—Given in a manner accompanied by regret like "Why was so much spent?"; charity given in this way is remembered as Rajasic.

"Yat tu," etc. The word "Tu" (But) indicates the impropriety of such charity.

"Yat tu pratyupakarartham"—e.g., charity given to a Brahmin who is a favorite of the king with the aim that he will be a benefactor in the future; or again aiming at the fruit—the quartet of Dharma etc.; "Pariklishtam"—accompanied by mental distress; given with "Sandeha" (suspense/anxiety) regarding the fruit or help; that charity is declared to be Rajasic.

But the charity which is given "Pratyupakarartham"—for the purpose "In time, he will indeed do me a return favor"; or aiming at "The invisible fruit of this charity will be mine"—thus given "Punah" (in expectation of return); and "Pariklishtam"—accompanied by regret/grief;

that charity is remembered as Rajasic.

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.

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.

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.