SB 8.19.36

SB 8.19.36

Devanagari

न तद्दानं प्रशंसन्ति येन वृत्तिर्विपद्यते । दानं यज्ञस्तप: कर्म लोके वृत्तिमतो यत: ॥ ३६ ॥

Verse text

na tad dānaṁ praśaṁsanti yena vṛttir vipadyate dānaṁ yajṣas tapaḥ karma loke vṛttimato yataḥ

Synonyms

na not ; tat that ; dānam charity ; praśaṁsanti the saintly persons praise ; yena by which ; vṛttiḥ one’s livelihood ; vipadyate becomes endangered ; dānam charity ; yajṣaḥ sacrifice ; tapaḥ austerity ; karma fruitive activities ; loke in this world ; vṛttimataḥ according to one’s means of livelihood ; yataḥ as it is so .

Translation

Learned scholars do not praise that charity which endangers one’s own livelihood. Charity, sacrifice, austerity and fruitive activities are possible for one who is competent to earn his livelihood properly. [They are not possible for one who cannot maintain himself.]

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Learned scholars do not praise that charity which endangers one's own livelihood. Charity, sacrifice, concentration of mind and fruitive activities are possible for one who is competent to earn his livelihood. “Why should I not try to fulfill my promise as much as possible?” Tapas means concentration of mind in the context.