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Dana should only be made from money left over after fulfilling the requirements of the family as mentioned in Kurma Purana and Padma Purana.<ref name=":02" /><blockquote>कुटुम्बभक्तवसनाद् देयं यदतिरिच्यते । अन्यथा दीयते यद्धि न तद् दानं फलप्रदम् ।। २६.१० (Kurm. Pura. Uttar. 26.10)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>Dana should be given of what is left over after distribution for the family needs, when given otherwise, that dana will be fruitless.<blockquote>न तद्दानं प्रशंसन्ति येन वृत्तिर्विपद्यते । दानं यज्ञस्तपः कर्म लोके वृत्तिमतो यतः ॥ ३६ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 8.19.36)<ref name=":2">Bhagavata Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF Skanda 8 Adhyaya 19])</ref></blockquote>Dana should not result in hardship to the donor’s dependents or loss of livelihood. That would take away all the punya.

Dana should only be made from money left over after fulfilling the requirements of the family as mentioned in Kurma Purana and Padma Purana.<ref name=":02" /><blockquote>कुटुम्बभक्तवसनाद् देयं यदतिरिच्यते । अन्यथा दीयते यद्धि न तद् दानं फलप्रदम् ।। २६.१० (Kurm. Pura. Uttar. 26.10)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>Dana should be given of what is left over after distribution for the family needs, when given otherwise, that dana will be fruitless.<blockquote>न तद्दानं प्रशंसन्ति येन वृत्तिर्विपद्यते । दानं यज्ञस्तपः कर्म लोके वृत्तिमतो यतः ॥ ३६ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 8.19.36)<ref name=":2">Bhagavata Purana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AE/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AF Skanda 8 Adhyaya 19])</ref></blockquote>Dana should not result in hardship to the donor’s dependents or loss of livelihood. That would take away all the punya.

However, there is an alternative view (Shukraneeti, 2.177), which suggests that giving away all (without holding back anything for one’s family) is an attribute of being Danasheela. There are also several stories where a person gives away all (like Raja Harishchandra sells off his wife and son to keep his word) or causes grief to family by giving a dear one’s life (like Shibi Chakravarti who gives away his own life to save a dove).<ref name=":02" />

However, there is an alternative view (Shukraneeti, 2.177), which suggests that giving away all (without holding back anything for one’s family) is an attribute of being Danasheela. There are also several stories where a person gives away all (like [[Harishchandra (सत्यहरिश्चन्द्रः)|Raja Harishchandra]] sells off his wife and son to keep his word) or causes grief to family by giving a dear one’s life (like [[Shibi Chakravarti (शिबिचक्रवर्तिः)|Shibi Chakravarti]] who gives away his own life to save a dove).<ref name=":02" />

In general, only those who have surplus wealth are required to give. However, in the story of [[Annadana by Unchavrtti Brahmana (उञ्छवृत्तिब्राह्मणः)|Annadana by Unchavrttibrahmana]], the brahmana's son says that only those brahmanas by tapas have gained victory over krodha (anger) and the senses and who have the ability to give away what they have wholeheartedly can find the door to svargaloka.<ref name=":13">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n963/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref><blockquote>ब्रह्मणास्तपसा युक्ता यथाशक्ति प्रदायिनः । सहस्रशक्तिश्च शतं शतशक्तिर्दशापि च ॥ (Maha. Asva. 90.96) </blockquote><blockquote>दद्याद्पश्च यः शक्त्या सर्वे तुल्यफलाः स्मृताः । रन्तिदेवो हि नृपतिरपः प्रादादकिञ्चनः ॥ (Maha. Asva. 90.97)</blockquote>If a person has the capacity to give a thousand, and gives a hundred out of that; another who can give 100, but gives 10; and a third who has nothing, but gives just water, then each of these three will get the same punya. It is said that Raja Rantideva, even when bereft of everything, with a pure heart offered water (jaladana) and attained svargaloka.<ref name=":13" />

In general, only those who have surplus wealth are required to give. However, in the story of [[Annadana by Unchavrtti Brahmana (उञ्छवृत्तिब्राह्मणः)|Annadana by Unchavrttibrahmana]], the brahmana's son says that those brahmanas who by tapas have gained victory over krodha (anger) and the senses and who have the ability to give away what they have wholeheartedly can find the door to svargaloka.<ref name=":13">Shastri, Ramnarayanadatta Pandey. ''[https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n963/mode/2up Mahabharata Volume 6 (With Hindi Translation)]'' Gorakhpur : Gita Press</ref><blockquote>ब्रह्मणास्तपसा युक्ता यथाशक्ति प्रदायिनः । सहस्रशक्तिश्च शतं शतशक्तिर्दशापि च ॥ (Maha. Asva. 90.96) </blockquote><blockquote>दद्याद्पश्च यः शक्त्या सर्वे तुल्यफलाः स्मृताः । रन्तिदेवो हि नृपतिरपः प्रादादकिञ्चनः ॥ (Maha. Asva. 90.97)</blockquote>If a person has the capacity to give a thousand, and gives a hundred out of that; another who can give 100, but gives 10; and a third who has nothing, but gives just water, then each of these three will get the same punya. It is said that Raja Rantideva, even when bereft of everything, with a pure heart offered water (jaladana) and attained svargaloka.<ref name=":13" />

Scriptures lay down varying proportions of one's income (ranging from 10-40%) to be given away in dana. By and large, these proportions are no longer followed in practice. Nevertheless, they offer an interesting perspective on traditional dana practices.<ref name=":02" />

Scriptures lay down varying proportions of one's income (ranging from 10-40%) to be given away in dana. By and large, these proportions are no longer followed in practice. Nevertheless, they offer an interesting perspective on traditional dana practices.<ref name=":02" />