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Line 207: − − == Contribution Limit == − Dana should only be made from money left over after fulfilling the requirements of the family as mentioned in Kurma Purana and Padma Purana.<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>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> Line 228:
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<blockquote>गङ्गा-द्वारे प्रयागे च अविमुक्ते च पुष्करे । नगरे चाट्टहासे च गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे । कुरुक्षेत्रे गयायाञ्च तीर्थे वाऽमरकण्टके । एवमादिषु तीर्थेषु दत्तमक्षयतामियात् । सर्वतीर्थमयी गङ्गा तत्र दत्तं महाफलम् । </blockquote><blockquote>Banks of Ganga river, Prayaga, Pushkara, place where Ganga joins the sea, Kurukshetra, Gaya, Amarakantaka tirthas are places where immense rewards are bestowed when danas are made, especially Ganga river which is equal to all tirthas.</blockquote>
<blockquote>गङ्गा-द्वारे प्रयागे च अविमुक्ते च पुष्करे । नगरे चाट्टहासे च गङ्गासागरसङ्गमे । कुरुक्षेत्रे गयायाञ्च तीर्थे वाऽमरकण्टके । एवमादिषु तीर्थेषु दत्तमक्षयतामियात् । सर्वतीर्थमयी गङ्गा तत्र दत्तं महाफलम् । </blockquote><blockquote>Banks of Ganga river, Prayaga, Pushkara, place where Ganga joins the sea, Kurukshetra, Gaya, Amarakantaka tirthas are places where immense rewards are bestowed when danas are made, especially Ganga river which is equal to all tirthas.</blockquote>
* Skanda Purana adds to the above list including Varanasi, Kurukshetra, Naimisharanya, Sriparvata, Mahakala at Ujjain, Gokarna, Veda-parvata - these and the like are declared to be holy places, the habitations of cows, siddhas, and rishis are holy and whatever is donated in these sacred places confers infinite rewards.
* Skanda Purana adds to the above list including Varanasi, Kurukshetra, Naimisharanya, Sriparvata, Mahakala at Ujjain, Gokarna, Veda-parvata - these and the like are declared to be holy places, the habitations of cows, siddhas, and rishis are holy and whatever is donated in these sacred places confers infinite rewards.
== Limits of Dana ==
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" />
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" />
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" />
'''Skanda Purana''' : According to Skanda Purana, one should use 10% of one's justly earned income on good deeds or works of public benefit. (Mahe. Kand. 12.32).
'''Bhagavata Purana''' : At one stage, when Shukracharya advises Bali Chakravarti against giving all of his wealth away, he quotes learned people to recommend dividing one’s funds (वित्तं) into five equal parts.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>धर्माय यशसेऽर्थाय कामाय स्वजनाय च । पञ्चधा विभजन् वित्तं इहामुत्र च मोदते ॥ ३७ ॥ (Bhag. Pura. 8.19.37)</blockquote>One part should be used for धर्मः (daan etc.), second for यशः (public works, which bring fame to oneself), third should be reinvested to generate more wealth, fourth for कामः (enjoyment of material things), and fifth for one’s family and friends.
If one were to follow the above prescription, then one would end up spending about 40% of funds on others: 20% as dana and another 20% on works for public-benefit, such as step-wells, temples, water-tanks, gardens, etc.
== Types of Dana ==
== Types of Dana ==
Dana has been classified in several overlapping ways, depending on one's perspective: <ref name=":02" />
Dana has been classified in several overlapping ways, depending on one's perspective: <ref name=":02" />
* Donor explicity says " I make a gift to you of such an such an article" and and the donee says "give". Then the donor pours water in the donee's hand along with offer of the gift. Apastamba Dharmasutras (2.4.9.9 and 10) explicitly states that all gifts are to be made with water except in the case of vedic yajnas where they are to be made as directed by the vedic texts. Gautama (5.6) also supports the same.
* Donor explicity says " I make a gift to you of such an such an article" and and the donee says "give". Then the donor pours water in the donee's hand along with offer of the gift. Apastamba Dharmasutras (2.4.9.9 and 10) explicitly states that all gifts are to be made with water except in the case of vedic yajnas where they are to be made as directed by the vedic texts. Gautama (5.6) also supports the same.
* The donor has to offer the gifts accompanied by a separate dakshina to the donee.
* The donor has to offer the gifts accompanied by a separate dakshina to the donee.
== Dana Associated Terminology ==
== Dana Associated Terminology ==
# Nikshipta (निक्षिप्तम्) - that which has been entrusted to someone.
# Nikshipta (निक्षिप्तम्) - that which has been entrusted to someone.
# Sanvaya Sarvasva Dana (सन्वय सर्वस्वदानम्) - giving away everything despite availability of descendants.
# Sanvaya Sarvasva Dana (सन्वय सर्वस्वदानम्) - giving away everything despite availability of descendants.
That the donation of things that are of no use, however sacred they may be is exemplified in Kathopanishad through the famous story of [[Nachiketa (नचिकेताः)|Nachiketa]], who observes his father giving barren cows in charity to brahmins after conducting the Visvajit yajna. His father was giving away cows as a symbol of dana rather than with the real intent of giving Godana. Such acts of dana bring more harm to the donor than the rewards of charity.
=== प्रतिग्रहीता ॥ [[Acceptor (प्रतिग्रहीता)|Acceptor]] ===
=== प्रतिग्रहीता ॥ [[Acceptor (प्रतिग्रहीता)|Acceptor]] ===