Shloka 11
Sāma (Sāntva) and Dāna: The Brāhmaṇa’s Conciliatory Release from a Rākṣasa
ब्राह्मणश्रैन्न विन्देत श्रुतवृत्तोपसंहित: । प्रतिग्रहीता दानस्य मोघं स्थात् धनिनां धनम्
brāhmaṇaḥ śraiḥ na vindeta śrutavṛttopasaṃhitaḥ | pratigrahītā dānasya moghaṃ syāt dhanināṃ dhanam ||
Maitreya berkata: Jika seorang Brahmana yang lengkap dengan ilmu dan budi pekerti—lalu menjadi penerima sedekah yang paling berhak—tidak memperoleh sokongan, maka harta orang kaya menjadi sia-sia, kerana pemberian mereka tidak sampai kepada wadah yang tepat dan tujuan yang sepatutnya.
मैत्रेय उवाच
Educational Q&A
Charity bears fruit only when directed to a worthy recipient—one grounded in sacred learning and ethical conduct. If such a qualified Brahmin is not supported, the donor’s wealth and the act of giving lose their intended dharmic purpose.
Maitreya is instructing on the ethics of dāna: he highlights the importance of identifying and sustaining the proper recipients of gifts, implying that social and religious order depends on supporting those who embody knowledge and good conduct.