Chapter 17, Verse 21
यत्तु प्रत्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः | दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ||१७-२१||
yattu pratyupakārārthaṃ phalamuddiśya vā punaḥ . dīyate ca parikliṣṭaṃ taddānaṃ rājasaṃ smṛtam ||17-21||
Meaning
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.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Rajasic charity is giving with strings attached. It is offered pratyupakara-artham — expecting a favour in return — or phalam uddishya, with an eye on some reward, whether worldly profit or spiritual merit. And it is often given pariklishtam: grudgingly, with reluctance and inner resistance, as though parting with something painful.
Krishna exposes the transactional heart of much that passes for generosity. When a gift is really an investment expecting returns, or is given to look good or earn karmic credit, it remains entangled in self-interest. The reluctance that often accompanies such giving betrays its impurity — the hand opens, but the heart does not. The act may still help its recipient, yet for the giver it carries little spiritual fruit, because the ego is calculating throughout. Krishna invites us to notice whether our giving is free, or quietly keeping score.
💡 Key Takeaway
Giving that expects something back or is done grudgingly stays tangled in self-interest — notice when your generosity is secretly keeping score.
Related Verses
यजन्ते सात्त्विका देवान्यक्षरक्षांसि राजसाः | प्रेतान्भूतगणांश्चान्ये यजन्ते तामसा जनाः ||१७-४||
yajante sāttvikā devānyakṣarakṣāṃsi rājasāḥ . pretānbhūtagaṇāṃścānye yajante tāmasā janāḥ ||17-4||
17.4 The Sattvic or the pure men worship the gods; the Rajasic or the passionate worship the Yakshas and the Rakshasas; the others (the Tamasic or the deluded people) worship the ghosts and the hosts of the nature-spirits.
आहारस्त्वपि सर्वस्य त्रिविधो भवति प्रियः | यज्ञस्तपस्तथा दानं तेषां भेदमिमं शृणु ||१७-७||
āhārastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaḥ . yajñastapastathā dānaṃ teṣāṃ bhedamimaṃ śṛṇu ||17-7||
17.7 The food also which is dear to each is threefold, as also sacrifice, austerity and almsgiving. Hear thou the distinction of these.
कट्वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिनः | आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दुःखशोकामयप्रदाः ||१७-९||
kaṭvamlalavaṇātyuṣṇatīkṣṇarūkṣavidāhinaḥ . āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā duḥkhaśokāmayapradāḥ ||17-9||
17.9 The foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, are liked by the Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief and disease.