Shloka 11
Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa
ब्राह्मणश्रैन्न विन्देत श्रुतवृत्तोपसंहित: । प्रतिग्रहीता दानस्य मोघं स्थात् धनिनां धनम्
brāhmaṇaḥ śraiḥ na vindeta śrutavṛttopasaṃhitaḥ | pratigrahītā dānasya moghaṃ syāt dhanināṃ dhanam ||
Maitreya sprach: Wenn ein Brāhmaṇa, ausgestattet mit Wissen und guter Lebensführung und daher der vornehmste rechtmäßige Empfänger von Gaben, keine Unterstützung erhält, dann wird der Reichtum der Wohlhabenden unerquicklich, denn ihr Geben erreicht nicht das rechte Gefäß und verfehlt seinen Zweck.
मैत्रेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity bears fruit only when directed to a worthy recipient—one grounded in sacred learning and ethical conduct. If such a qualified Brahmin is not supported, the donor’s wealth and the act of giving lose their intended dharmic purpose.
Maitreya is instructing on the ethics of dāna: he highlights the importance of identifying and sustaining the proper recipients of gifts, implying that social and religious order depends on supporting those who embody knowledge and good conduct.