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Shri Mahavir Jain Aradhana Kendra
www.kobatirth.org
गौरवं प्राप्यते दाना
146
If a man is invited to a dinner his face grows cheerful. But if he has to give away anything, his face grows depressed like that of a person who has drunk castor oil. If a person is asked to give some charity or help, he pleads many pretexts to show his inability to render help. But, the same person is ready to spend ten thousand rupees if necessary to extricate himself from a tight corner. It should be remembered that a gift given by force brings no good result. Even if it is a gift given secretly, if it is given with compassion and without any ulterior motive it brings great merit and between those two types of gifts there is a world of difference. One gift is given to cover up one's selfish or wicked actions and the other is given for the attainment of merit. The giver of the gift experiences elevation and humbleness when he gives it happily and willingly. The following stanza describes the elation that the giver of a gift experiences when he gives it with a genuine feeling of kindness.
न तु वित्तस्य सञ्चयात् ।
frafas: : पयोदानाम्
quìataraa:frafa: 11
Acharya Shri Kailassagarsuri Gyanmandir
-gfanghiafs:
Gauravam Prapyate dānā - Nna tu Vitasya sanchayat Sthitiruchchaiḥ Payodānām Payodhinamadhaḥsthitiḥ
-Suktimukthavali
We attain respect and elevation by giving a gift; not by hoarding wealth. That is why the cloud occupies an elevated position in the sky, while the sea which hoards water occupies a low position.
Money should be given away to the needy or should be enjoyed; otherwise it will be lost. These three ways, namely charity, enjoyment and loss, are the ones by which money moves. It is said:
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