तिरुक्कुरळ्-दानिता-१ (Tirukkural-Giving-1)
तदेव दानं यद्वै स्यात् दीनेभ्यो वस्तुतो भुवि।
नूनं प्रतिफलाकांक्षि दानमन्यद् भवेदिह॥
अयं श्लोकः संस्कृतश्रीः इति पत्रिकायाम् अस्ति। अयं मम अस्य श्लोकस्य अनुवादस्य प्रयासः अस्ति।
That only is giving on the earth which is really for the poor. The giving here with the intention of receiving quick fruits is other than giving.
२०१२-०२-१६ गुरुवासरः (2012-02-16 Thursday)
hnbhat and 
Lakshmi Srinivas are discussing. 
Lakshmi Srinivas 2:23 am on February 20, 2012 Permalink |
It’s a nice translation, Himanshu-bhai.
The 13th century commentator to the tirukkuṛaḷ , Sri Parimelazakar (śrI aśvārūḍha sundaraḥ), says that this verse gives the lakṣaṇa of audārya or dānitā.
This verse follows one of the several standard templates in the tirukkuṛaḷ. The structure of this template is like this. While talking about A, a desirable action, it would say:
A is . Everything else is NOT A.
This is one way of teaching nīti.
I think this verse in the original Tamil packs a lot of rhetorical force. Look at this alternative translation.
अर्थिभ्योऽपेक्षितं यत्तु दीयते दानमुच्यते।
इतराणि तु दानानि स्वार्थमूलानि केवलम्।।
This translation follows the same word order as the original. भुवि is extra in the Samskrtasri version. But प्रतिफलाकांक्षि is closer to the original than स्वार्थमूलानि.
hnbhat 12:16 am on April 12, 2012 Permalink |
Here is the classification of दान- according to भगवद्गीता – १७
दातव्यमिति यद्दानं दीयतेஉनुपकारिणे ।
देशे काले च पात्रे च तद्दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥ 20 ॥
यत्तु प्रत्त्युपकारार्थं फलमुद्दिश्य वा पुनः ।
दीयते च परिक्लिष्टं तद्दानं राजसं स्मृतम् ॥ 21 ॥
अदेशकाले यद्दानमपात्रेभ्यश्च दीयते ।
असत्कृतमवज्ञातं तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ 22 ॥