217. Daan cannot be business

Krishna mentions antah-karan suddhi (inner purity), steadfastness in the yoga of wisdom, daan (donate), subjugation of senses, yagna, swa-adhyay (study of self) and uprightness as some of the divine qualities (16.1). One common thread in the Bhagavad Gita is the control of the senses. While senses are essential for our survival, they bind us by generating desires resulting in deviation from the divine path of liberation.

Inner purity was earlier referred to as Adhyatma (spirituality) and defined as Swabhav (intrinsic nature) (8.3). While everyone is pure at birth, impurities in the form of divisions are subsequently added by society and the family. As a result, for some consumption of non-vegetarian food is bad, but for others it is acceptable; marrying a cousin is accepted in some areas and prohibited in others; Prayers to the same Paramatma are quite different and sometimes appear contradictory; the list is endless. Attaining purity is nothing but shedding these divisions. Krishna mentions swa-adhyay as a tool to attain this. Earlier He advised us to perform swa-adhyay like a yagna (4.28) -yagna being selfless action. The study of self can also be used for another divine quality of steadfastness in the yoga of wisdom where, like a good student, we keep questioning ourselves.

Krishna spoke about daan (donation or giving) as another divine quality. Firstly, any accumulation is a part of demonic nature and emptying ourselves is a part of divine nature. Secondly, it is about developing the quality of giving, but not about the quantity of donation. The giving can be a word, time, assurance or something material. It is the habit of giving -whatever we have or are capable of. Thirdly, it's pure love without expecting anything in return as expectation will make daan a business.