A core teaching · reflective in mood · easy to enter
“A gift becomes lesser the moment it starts asking for something back.”
But charity given in return, or for a desired result, and given grudgingly, is said to be rajasic.
The verse in reading order — each Sanskrit word with its meaning beneath. Hover a word to focus on it.
Read literallywhich · but · for return-favor · fruit, result · aiming at · or · again · is given · and · with strain, grudgingly · that · gift, charity · rajasic · is called
A gift loses its purity when you give it to get something back or to force a result, especially if you give it unwillingly.
Krishna speaks this verse, on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, in the chapter titled "Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga" (The Three Kinds of Faith).
Verse 21 sits in Chapter 17 of the Bhagavad Gita — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga, "The Three Kinds of Faith". The chapter has 28 verses in total.
You send the money, then keep checking whether they thanked you properly. The gift was real, but part of you was still negotiating.
Did you like this verse?
It teaches you to notice hidden bargaining inside generosity and strip it out.
What this verse means
A gift loses its purity when you give it to get something back or to force a result, especially if you give it unwillingly.
Context & commentary
On Kurukshetra, Krishna is classifying the nature of giving for Arjuna, who is still shaken and searching for right action. After pure giving, Krishna now names a second kind: charity mixed with expectation, strain, and return-seeking.
Why this verse still matters
You send the money, then keep checking whether they thanked you properly. The gift was real, but part of you was still negotiating.
“Generosity feels lighter when it is not secretly a trade.”
Explore related themes: rajas (21 verses), dana (11 verses)