Gyaneshwari -Sant Gyaneshwar
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Chapter-17
Three Kinds of Faith
22. But alms given to the undeserving at the wrong time and place, without hospitality and with contempt is said to be of tamas quality. Now alms are given literally out of moneys secured by theft, during the evening or at night, in the habitations of barbarians, in the forest, in the rustic regions, in camps or in the meeting place of the town (291-295). These alms are also given to bards, jugglers, harlots, gamblers or sorceresses out of infatuation. They are infatuated with the beauty and skill of the dancing women, and the praise offered to them by the bards lingers in their minds. Besides, the intoxicating smell of flowers and scents turns them into infatuated kings of ghosts. Thus, they give in charity, riches secured by robbing others in the same way as persons of low caste, open free eating-places. Alms given in this way are tamasic charities. Now hear of another kind of charity, which takes place by a lucky chance (296-300). Just as an insect bores a piece of wood and by chance carves letters upon it or a crow is caught in the hands while a person claps them, so when a tamasic person happens to find himself at a holy place at an auspicious time and a deserving person comes to beg alms from him, seeing his prosperous look, he resolves to give him something out of vanity. But lacking in faith, the tamasic person does not bow to him and does not offer him hospitality himself or through another in the form of water (arghya) or a seat. Then why talk of doing homage to him, with sandal paste and consecrated rice? |
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