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 ||
弥勒耶说道:若一位具足闻学与善行、因而最为正当的受施者——婆罗门——竟得不到供养,那么富人之财便成了徒然,因为他们的施与未能投向合宜之器,也未达其应有之旨。
मैत्रेय उवाच
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.