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 ||
Wahai Nārada, sedekah yang diberikan kepada penerima yang layak dengan maksud memperoleh hasil—di alam akhirat ataupun di dunia ini—dikenang sebagai dana ‘kāmya’, yakni sedekah tingkat menengah.
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.