Agni Purana — Yoga & Brahma-vidya, Shloka 47
अध्याय ३८० — गीतासारः
The Essence of the Gītā
देशादौ चैव दातव्यमुपकाराय राजसं आदेशादाववज्ञातं तामसं दानमीरितं
deśādau caiva dātavyamupakārāya rājasaṃ ādeśādāvavajñātaṃ tāmasaṃ dānamīritaṃ
Le don accordé en tenant compte du lieu et d’autres considérations, dans l’espoir d’un retour ou d’un avantage, est dit rājasa. Mais le don fait en méprisant les prescriptions convenables et avec dédain est déclaré tāmasa.
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma-teaching in Agni Purana)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Arthashastra","practical_application":"Guidelines for ethical giving: avoid transactional gifts and contemptuous, rule-violating donations; align dāna with proper time/place/recipient and respectful intent.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Rājasa and Tāmasa Dāna: Motive and Manner","lookup_keywords":["rajasa dana","tamasa dana","desa kala patra","avagnata dana","upakara"],"quick_summary":"Gifts given for advantage, considering place etc. as leverage, are rājasa; gifts given against injunctions or with contempt are tāmasa—both fall short of pure charity."}
Concept: Dāna is judged by motive (return-seeking) and adherence to vidhi with respect; contempt corrupts merit.
Application: Give without bargaining for influence; follow basic propriety (time/place/recipient), and offer with honor (satkāra) rather than disdain.
Khanda Section: Dāna-dharma (Charity ethics and classification of gifts)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Two contrasting donation scenes: rājasa—donor giving while negotiating advantage, pointing to a ledger or receiving praise; tāmasa—donor tossing a gift with disdain or at improper place/time; moral contrast emphasized.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, split scene: left rājasa donor with attendants and calculating expression, right tāmasa donor in harsh posture showing contempt; strong outlines, symbolic color contrast (warm vs. dark).","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-worked central frame with two vignettes: rājasa gift with garlands and public acclaim; tāmasa gift depicted with recipient turned away, donor’s disdainful gesture; ornate borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style didactic illustration, clean composition with labels for rājasa/tāmasa, fine brushwork showing facial expressions of pride vs. contempt, subdued palette.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly patronage scene with subtle satire: donor seeking favor from officials (rājasa) and a separate scene of rude almsgiving at an inauspicious spot (tāmasa), detailed textiles and architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: देशादौ → देश-आदौ. चैव → च + एव. दातव्यमुपकाराय → दातव्यम् + उपकाराय. आदेशादाववज्ञातं → आदेश-आदौ + अवज्ञातम्. दानमीरितं → दानम् + ईरितम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: Dāna-dharma sections on deśa-kāla-pātra and satkāra; Agni Purana: Rajadharma on social duties and patronage
FAQs
It teaches the dharma-technical classification of charity: giving for a hoped-for advantage is rājasa, while giving that ignores injunctions and is done with contempt is tāmasa.
By systematizing ethical categories of conduct (here, dāna) using the guṇa-framework, it functions like a practical manual of social-religious law alongside the Purana’s many other disciplines.
It warns that intention and propriety shape karmic fruit: self-interested giving yields limited, passion-bound merit (rājasa), while contemptuous, rule-violating giving diminishes merit and tends toward harmful outcomes (tāmasa).