Acceptor (प्रतिग्रहीता)
Acceptor of Dana is called Pratigrihita (Samskrit : प्रतिग्रहीता) or Patra (पात्रः) the subject of dana.
Eligible Receiver
While Veda Vyasa in Vyasa Smriti (4.60) says that donors are hard to find, it is equally hard and a great deal of effort is required to identify a suitable recipient of charity.[1]
Ineligible Receiver
Sixteen kinds of payments to donees do not qualify as a dana. Such recipients include:[2]
आरूढपतिते दत्तमन्यायोपहृतं च यत्। व्यर्थं तु पतिते दानं ब्राह्मणे तस्करे तथा॥
ārūḍhapatite dattamanyāyopahr̥taṁ ca yat। vyarthaṁ tu patite dānaṁ brāhmaṇe taskare tathā॥ 6
गुरौ चानृतिके पापे कृतघ्ने ग्रामयाजके। वेदविक्रयिणे दत्तं तथा वृषलयाजके॥
gurau cānr̥tike pāpe kr̥taghne grāmayājake। vedavikrayiṇe dattaṁ tathā vr̥ṣalayājake॥ 7
ब्रह्मबन्धुषु यद्दत्तं यद्दत्तं वृषलीपतौ। स्त्रीजनेषु च यद्दत्तं व्यालग्राहे तथैव च॥
brahmabandhuṣu yaddattaṁ yaddattaṁ vr̥ṣalīpatau। strījaneṣu ca yaddattaṁ vyālagrāhe tathaiva ca॥ 8
परिचारकेषु यद्दत्तं वृथा दानानि षोडश। paricārakeṣu yaddattaṁ vr̥thā dānāni ṣoḍaśa। 9 (Maha. Vana. 200.6 - 9)[3]
- To a person who abandons his vanaprastha or sanyasa ashram (is called as आरूढपतित) and becomes a householder again.
- Money earned through injustice (Here it is dravya not pratiguhita)
- To a fallen Brahmin
- To a thief
- To one’s father and other such elders (gurujan)
- To a liar
- To a sinner
- To an ingrate
- To the village / town priest
- To a person who sells the Vedas
- To an immoral Brahmin
- To snake-charmers
- To one’s servants
- To women in one’s family
- ↑ Kane, Pandurang. Vaman. (1941) History of Dharmasastra, Volume Two, Part 2. Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute
- ↑ Agarwal, Sanjay. (2010) Daan and Other Giving Traditions in India. New Delhi: AccountAid, India
- ↑ Pt. Ramnarayandatt Shastri Mahabharata, Volume 2, Vanaparva and Virataparva. Gorakhpur: Gita Press