Shloka 29
अनरहें ब्राह्मणे दत्तमज्ञानात् तन्न दूषकम् | सत्काराणां तथा तीर्थ नित्यं वाप्रतिपादनम्,यदि अनजानमें किसी अयोग्य ब्राह्मणको दान दे दिया जाय अथवा योग्य ब्राह्मणको सत्कारपूर्वक दान न दिया जा सके तो वह दोषकारक नहीं होता
anarhe brāhmaṇe dattam ajñānāt tan na dūṣakam | satkārāṇāṁ tathā tīrthaṁ nityaṁ vāpratipādanam ||
Vyāsa explains that if, through ignorance, a gift is given to an unworthy brāhmaṇa, it does not become a moral fault. Likewise, if one is unable to offer continual honoring gifts—whether to worthy recipients or in connection with sacred places and rites—and this failure, when not willful but constrained by circumstance, is not counted as blameworthy. The ethical emphasis is on intention and knowledge rather than accidental misdirection of charity.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Accidental misdirection of charity due to ignorance is not treated as a moral दोष (fault). Dharma evaluates the giver’s knowledge and intention; blame attaches primarily to deliberate neglect or knowingly improper giving.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa states a rule about gifts and honoring the worthy: if one unknowingly gives to an unworthy brāhmaṇa, or cannot maintain continual respectful offerings connected with worthy recipients or sacred contexts, it is not counted as a दोष.