Narada Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
Dharma-ākhyāna (Discourse on Dharma): Worthy Charity, Fruitless Gifts, and the Merit of Building Ponds
परलोकं समुद्दश्य ह्यैहिकं वापि नारद । यद्दानं दीयते पात्रे तत्काम्यं मध्यमं स्मृतम् ॥ २० ॥
paralokaṃ samuddaśya hyaihikaṃ vāpi nārada | yaddānaṃ dīyate pātre tatkāmyaṃ madhyamaṃ smṛtam || 20 ||
O Nārada, the gift given to a worthy recipient with an eye to results—whether in the next world or even in this— is remembered as a desire-motivated (kāmya) gift of the middle grade.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It distinguishes charity by inner motive: giving to a worthy person while seeking results (in this life or the next) is ethically valid but spiritually ‘middling’ because it remains tied to desire (kāma) rather than pure detachment.
By implication it contrasts result-seeking acts with purer offerings: bhakti matures when giving becomes an offering without expectation of reward, whereas kāmya dāna still keeps the mind on personal benefit.
Ritual ethics rather than a specific Vedāṅga: it emphasizes dharma-based discernment of pātra (worthiness of the recipient) and intention (saṅkalpa), key principles for correct performance of charitable rites.