Hare Krishna
Pranam to all Vaishnavas.
I had a query about Daan (donation). I want to know what will give more pleasure to Krishna - to donate to a learned Brahmin or some extremely poor person living in inhygienic conditions.
There are certain days on which scriptures suggest that we should donate. In the books of Ekadasi stories, it is written to donate to brahmins. Now that can be done - but if we know a human being of very low caste, very very poor living in unclean house, had sufferred a fire accident- i keep thinking donating whom will please Krishna more?
Replies
We follow scriptures. Not our whim.
If you want to donate to poor people, just offer Bhog to Krishna at your local temple and distribute the Prasadam.
Their is always Karmic reaction from monitory daan, when that immoral though destitute person goes and buys meat or even cow's meat if that person is a mlecha.
You can always find a real Brahmina who is in poor destitute condition. Real brahmins often are in such condition.
Satyam, Saucham, Tapas, Daya
Truthfulness, Cleanliness, Austerity and Mercy are 4 legs of Dharma.
Prabhupada explains in Srimad Bhagavatam 12.2.1
Satyam, truthfulness, is also diminishing, simply because people do not know what the truth is. Without knowing the Absolute Truth, one cannot clearly understand the real significance or purpose of life merely by amassing huge quantities of relative or hypothetical truths.
Ksama, tolerance or forgiveness, is diminishing as well, because there is no practical method by which people can purify themselves and thus become free of envy. Unless one is purified by chanting the holy names of the Lord in an authorized program of spiritual improvement, the mind will be overwhelmed by anger, envy and all sorts of small-mindedness. Thus daya, mercy, is also decreasing. All living beings are eternally connected by their common participation in the divine existence of God. When this existential oneness is obscured through atheism and agnosticism, people are not inclined to be merciful to one another; they cannot recognize their self-interest in promoting the welfare of other living beings. In fact, people are no longer even merciful to themselves: they systematically destroy themselves through liquor, drugs, tobacco, meat-eating, sexual promiscuity and whatever other cheap gratificatory processes are available to them.
Translation by Prabhupada
BG 16.1-3: The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one's existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity; simplicity; nonviolence; truthfulness; freedom from anger; renunciation; tranquillity; aversion to faultfinding; compassion for all living entities; freedom from covetousness; gentleness; modesty; steady determination; vigor; forgiveness; fortitude; cleanliness; and freedom from envy and from the passion for honor — these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.
Commentary by Ramanuja of the same verses where Ramanuja Acharya is describing devine qualities
Lord Krishna begins by describing the 26 divine qualities:
1) abhayam is fearlessness due to the absence of anxiety which arises from the dread of harm to the physical body or the prospect of losing what is precious.
2) sattva-samsuddhih is purification of one's existence and denotes purity of heart consisting of pure goodness undefiled with the taint of passion and ignorance.
3) jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih means situated in the knowledge of devotion resulting from discriminating the atma or immortal soul from physical matter as the individual consciousness attains communion with the ultimate consciousness.
4) danam is the charity given to worthy recipients from what one legitimately owns.
5) damah is self restraint, controlling the mind to be uninfluenced by sense objects.
6) yagna is Vedically authorised ritualistic ceremonies in propitiation and devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna exclusively for His satisfaction without any self interests. This also applies to His authorised incarnations and expansions.
7) svadhyayah is devoted study of Vedic scriptures, knowing that they alone teach the glories of the Supreme Lord and are the quintessence of all that is spiritual.
8) tapas is austerity and penance. Performing expiatory activities is a duty for all human beings such as Ekadasi which is mandatory fasting from all grains on the 11th day of the waxing and waning moons. As well there are occasional expiatory activities such as candrayana which are fasts synchronised with the cycles of the moon and also kricchra which is extreme ascetic penance performed under very hot or very cold conditions and prajapatyaand santapana. Such activities purifies an aspirant and prepares and qualifies them for devotion to the Supreme Lord.
9) arjavam is simplicity, straight forwardness to others in thought, word and deeds.
10) ahimsa is non-violence to all living entities by thought, word and deed.
11) satyam is truthfulness verily speaking what is true that is beneficial to all beings.
12) akrodah is freedom from anger due to absence of resentment for others.
13) tyagah is renunciation of whatever is opposed to atma-tattva or soul realisation. o
14) santih is tranquillity, keeping the senses peaceful and impervious to agitation.
15) apaisunam is aversion to fault finding and slandering others even if warranted.
16) daya is mercy, sympathy for life, empathy for the distress and misery of others.
17) aloluptvam is absence of greed for sense gratification.
18) mardavam is gentleness and humility which is appropriate for saintly association.
19) hrih is modesty, the feeling of shame at the thought of anything inappropriate.
20) acapalam is determination to remain firm against temptations presented to one.
21) tejas is radiance, luster. The illustrious proof of the efficacy of spiritual practice.
22) ksama is forgiveness. The absence of vengeful feelings against those harmed by.
23) dhritih is fortitude. The capacity for righteousness while enduring great duress.
24) saucam is cleanliness both internally and externally to be spiritually worthy.
25) adrohah is absence of envy, non-interference in the interests of others.
26) natimanita absence of false ego, lack of desire for honour and prestige.
Talk to your parents. They may know of a destitute Brahmana who has some of these qualities.
You can also talk to your local Iskcon temple and offer to pay for the Prasadam at a Nagar Sankirtana event.
Try buying the best quality ingredients for the event and always ask for receipts for any monitory donations.
Sometimes it's just common sense and compassion that counts more than cumbersome and encyclopedic calculations...
"Sometimes" is emphasized here..
Divide donation money in two , give to both and save yourself from conscience pangs..