Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c8.136

c8.136

§ 37. *Presents and charitable gifts.* Presents (*dāna*) play an important role not only in worldly life, as for instance it has been the primary cause of the development of the theory of the personal property of women (§ 25), but it is still more important for religion (*dharma*), for the right of accepting presents is the most important privilege of the Brahmans. In worldly connections the presents fall under the title of law *dattasyā 'napakarma* or *dattāpradānikam* "resumption of gifts" or "retraction or promises" (M. 8, 212—214; Nār. 4, 1—12) or, as Brh. 15, 1 says, the law of valid or invalid gifts—of what may or may not be given. The rules about presents and gifts of a religious nature (dharmārtham) are described at a much greater length in the Smṛtis and the Purāṇas—e. g. they fill a big volume of Hemādri. Even in the Vedic literature the sacrificial fee (dakṣiṇā) and generally all presents to Brahmans play an important part. The more valuable the present, the greater is the reward in heaven. The 10 or 16 great gifts (mahādāna) are particularly emphasised: according to the Bhaviṣyapurāṇa the 10 gifts consist of gold, horses, sesamum, elephants, female slaves, carriages, land, houses, girls and a brown cow; the tulāpuruṣa, i. e. gold or valuables of the weight of a man, tops the list of the 16 gifts.¹