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Chapter 17 · Verse 22 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 17.22

philosophical Dharma & Duty Karma & Action Jnana & Wisdom

Sanskrit

अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते।असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।17.22।।

Transliteration

adeśha-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaśh cha dīyate asat-kṛitam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

Word by Word

adeśha at the wrong place
kāle at the wrong time
yat which
dānam charity
apātrebhyaḥ to unworthy persons
cha and
dīyate is given
asat-kṛitam without respect
avajñātam with contempt
tat that
tāmasam of the nature of nescience
udāhṛitam is held to be
Simplified Perspective

When charity becomes an instrument of ego rather than love—given at the wrong moment, to the unworthy, with contempt or carelessness—it descends into tamas, the darkness of ignorance. The Gita teaches us that even our most generous impulses can obscure truth if divorced from wisdom and proper discernment.

True giving requires right timing, right recipient, and a heart free from judgment or expectation—transforming a transaction into an act of grace that uplifts both giver and receiver.

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Bhagavad Gita 17.22 — BG 17.22

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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