Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अदेशकाले यद्‌ दानमपात्रेभ्यश्व दीयते । असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्‌ तामसमुदाह्ृतम्‌,जो दान बिना सत्कारके” अथवा तिरस्कारपूर्वक* अयोग्य देश-कालमें* और कुपात्रके* प्रति दिया जाता है, वह दान तामस कहा गया है

Transliteration

adeśa-kāle yad dānam apātrebhyaś ca dīyate | asat-kṛtam avajñātaṁ tat tāmasam udāhṛtam ||

Translation

Derma yang diberikan pada tempat dan waktu yang tidak semestinya, kepada penerima yang tidak layak—tanpa penghormatan dan dengan sikap merendahkan—dinyatakan sebagai derma tamasik.

Word by Word

अदेशकालेin an improper place/time

यत्which

दानम्gift; charity

अपात्रेभ्यःto unworthy recipients

चand

दीयतेis given

असत्कृतम्without honor; not respectfully done

अवज्ञातम्with contempt; disregarded

तत्that

तामसम्tamasic

उदाहृतम्is said/called

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity becomes tamasic when it is given without discernment (wrong place/time, unworthy recipient) and without respect—especially when accompanied by contempt or humiliation. The verse emphasizes that ethical giving requires propriety and honor, not mere transfer of wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhishma Parva’s teaching context, Arjuna is presented as speaking a doctrinal classification of giving by the three guṇas. This verse defines the tamasic form of dāna by its circumstances (adeśa-kāla, apātra) and the giver’s degrading attitude (asat-kṛta, avajñāta).