Pure giving serves without expecting return.
Krishna speaks to Arjuna
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेऽनुपकारिणे |देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ||१७-२०||
dātavyamiti yaddānaṃ dīyate.anupakāriṇe . deśe kāle ca pātre ca taddānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||17-20||
Use this verse before making a donation.
Meaning
Charity given because it ought to be given, to one who cannot repay, at the right place and time and to a worthy recipient, is considered sattvic.
Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).
In plain words
Sattvic charity is timely, worthy, respectful, and free from expectation.
Word-by-word meaning
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Explanation
Krishna defines wise giving. True charity is not emotional dumping or image-building; it is thoughtful, appropriate, timely, and given without expectation of return.
Read the traditional commentary
Krishna now applies the threefold scheme to dana (charity), beginning with its highest form. Sattvic giving is offered datavyam iti — simply because it ought to be given — to an anupakarine, someone who can offer nothing in return. It is given thoughtfully: in the right place (deshe), at the right time (kale), and to a worthy recipient (patre). Such giving is pure because it asks for nothing back.
This is generosity in its noblest expression. The sattvic giver does not give to be repaid, thanked, or noticed, but out of a quiet sense of duty and compassion. Yet Krishna insists that purity of heart be joined with discernment — right time, place, and recipient — so that kindness is also wise.
True charity is not careless impulse but conscious, selfless service that asks for nothing and considers the genuine good of the one who receives.
In daily life
Give where it is needed, appropriate, and dharmic.
A person can support someone’s education quietly without expecting loyalty or praise.
Try this today
Give one helpful thing to a worthy person or cause without announcement.
I give with respect, wisdom, and no expectation.Reflect
Can I give without expecting return?
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Quick check
What does ‘तत् दानम् सात्त्विकम् स्मृतम्’ mean in this verse?
Krishna on selflessness, in other chapters
- Verse 3.13Receive life's gifts as something first offered and shared, and even eating becomes purifying rather than self-centred.
- Verse 18.30Pure intellect clearly knows when to act and when to refrain, and what truly binds versus what frees.
- Verse 4.28Generosity, discipline, practice, and study are all sacred offerings — every sincere effort to grow is a form of sacrifice.
- Verse 14.6Even peace and wisdom can quietly bind you if you cling to them as possessions rather than passing gifts.
Swipe left for 17.21 · Transactional giving is rajasic.
Questions about Bhagavad Gita 17.20
Who says Bhagavad Gita 17.20, and to whom?
Krishna speaks to Arjuna in verse 17.20, in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga (Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga).
What does Bhagavad Gita 17.20 mean?
Charity given because it ought to be given, to one who cannot repay, at the right place and time and to a worthy recipient, is considered sattvic. (Translation: Gita Guidance (original English rendering).)
What is the lesson of Bhagavad Gita 17.20 for daily life?
Give where it is needed, appropriate, and dharmic. A person can support someone’s education quietly without expecting loyalty or praise.
What do the Sanskrit words in Bhagavad Gita 17.20 mean?
दातव्यम् इति — with the thought 'it ought to be given'; यत् दानम् दीयते — that gift which is given; अनुपकारिणे — to one who cannot return the favour; देशे काले च — in a fit place and time; पात्रे च — and to a worthy person.
Where does verse 17.20 come in the Bhagavad Gita?
It is verse 20 of 28 in Chapter 17, Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga. The next verse is 17.21.