History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c43.31

v3.c43.31

Any one including women and śūdras could make gifts. So much emphasis was laid on the duty to make gifts that Aparārka quotes a verse¹⁹⁹³ 'two persons should be drowned in water after tying round their neck a large stone, viz. a rich man not making gifts and a poor man who is not a *tapasvin* (who undergoes austerities or who is restrained).' It is stated in Atri 46, Likhita 6 and other smṛtis that¹⁹⁹⁴ 'Iṣṭa and pūrta are dharma common to all twice-born classes; the śūdra has authority to perform pūrta dharma, but not the Vaidika dharma (sacrifices etc.).' According to Devala the donor should be free from incurable or disgusting diseases, be religious, charitably inclined, free from vices, pure and following a blameless profession for livelihood. Several smṛtis note that it is a rare sight to see a man giving away in charity wealth earned by him. Veda-vyāsa¹⁹⁹⁵ (IV. 60) says 'amongst a hundred men, one may be found to be brave, among thousands a learned man, among hundreds of thousands an orator, but a donor may or may not be found.'