Dāna/Alms/Offering - what one considered or identified as one's own without expecting anything in return

Dāna (Devanagari: दान)is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of GENEROSITY, CHARITY, DONATION or GIVING of ALMS in Indian philosophies. It is alternatively transliterated as DAANA. In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, dāna is the practice of cultivating generosity. It can take the form of giving to an individual in distress or need (beggar, almsman, needy person). It can also take the form of philanthropic public projects that empower and help many. According to historical records, dāna is an ancient practice in Indian traditions, tracing back to Vedic traditions.

Hinduism
Dāna (Sanskrit: दान) means giving, often in the context of donation and charity. In other contexts, such as rituals, it can simply refer to the act of giving something. Dāna is related to and mentioned in ancient texts with concepts of #Paropakāra (परोपकार) which means benevolent deed, helping others; #Dakshina (दक्षिणा) which means gift or fee one can afford; and #Bhiksha (भिक्षा), which means alms. Dāna has been defined in traditional texts as any action of relinquishing the ownership of what one considered or identified as one's own, and investing the same in a recipient without expecting anything in return.
While dāna is typically given to one person or family, Hinduism also discusses charity or giving aimed at public benefit, sometimes called utsarga. This aims at larger projects such as building a rest house, school, drinking water or irrigation well, planting trees, and building care facility among others.
Source - Wikipedia - Dāna:

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Dāna in the Rigveda - sanskrit scripture

The Rigveda has the earliest discussion of dāna in the Vedas. The Rigveda relates it to satya "truth" and in another hymn points to the guilt one feels from not giving to those in need. It uses da, the root of word dāna, in its hymns to refer to the act of giving to those in distress.

In indra.church (indra.ai/rigveda/), where we learn #RigVeda
#0x10117
HYMN CXVII. Liberality.

THE Devas have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shape.

The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him.

The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat, Hardens his heart against him, even when of old finds not one to comfort him.

Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food, and the feeble. Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.

No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing. Let him depart-no home is that to rest in-, and rather seek a stranger to support him.

Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway. Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.

The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food -I speak the truth- shall be his ruin. He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker.

The ploughshare ploughing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows. Better the speaking than the silent Brahman: the liberal friend outyalues him who gives not.

He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed. Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.

The hands are both alike: their labour differs. The yield of sister milch-kine is unequal. Twins even diffier in their strength and vigour: two, even kinsmen, differ in their bounty.
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In 1889, Ralph T. H. Griffith, for example, translates,
10th Mandala/Book, Hymn 117/1-9 of the Rigveda as follows:
HYMN CXVII. Liberality.

1. THE Gods have not ordained hunger to be our death: even to the well-fed man comes death in varied shape.
The riches of the liberal never waste away, while he who will not give finds none to comfort him.

2. The man with food in store who, when the needy comes in miserable case begging for bread to eat, Hardens his heart against him-even when of old he did him service-finds not one to comfort him.

3. Bounteous is he who gives unto the beggar who comes to him in want of food and feeble.
Success attends him in the shout of battle. He makes a friend of him in future troubles.

4. No friend is he who to his friend and comrade who comes imploring food, will offer nothing.
Let him depart-no home is that to rest in-, and rather seek a stranger to support him.

5. Let the rich satisfy the poor implorer, and bend his eye upon a longer pathway.
Riches come now to one, now to another, and like the wheels of cars are ever rolling.

6. The foolish man wins food with fruitless labour: that food -I speak the truth- shall be his ruin.
He feeds no trusty friend, no man to love him. All guilt is he who eats with no partaker.

7. The ploughshare ploughing makes the food that feeds us, and with its feet cuts through the path it follows.
Better the speaking than the silent Brahman: the liberal friend outyalues him who gives not.

8. He with one foot hath far outrun the biped, and the two-footed catches the three-footed.
Four-footed creatures come when bipeds call them, and stand and look where five are met together.

9. The hands are both alike: their labour differs. The yield of sister milch-kine is unequal.
Twins even differ in their strength and vigour: two, even kinsmen, differ in their bounty.
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2014 - Translation by
Stephanie Wroth Jamison (an American linguist at University of California, Los Angeles)
& Joel P. Brereton (an Associate Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Texas):
X.117 (943) Praise of Generosity
1. Truly the gods did not give hunger as the only deadly weapon, and the forms of death do come upon him who is well fed. Moreover, the wealth of one who gives does not become exhausted, and the non-giver finds no one to show mercy.

2. Whoever—when a man, weak and broken, has approached desiring nourishment—though he has food, hardens his heart, though he always used to be his friend, he also finds no one to show mercy.

3. Just he is a benefactor who gives to the beggar who, emaciated, goes roaming, desirous of food. He becomes sufficient for him at his pleading entreaty, and he makes him his companion in the future.

4. He is no companion who does not give of his food to a companion, who, being in his company, accompanies him. He should turn away from him; this is not a home. He should seek another who gives, even a stranger.

5. The stronger man should give to one in need. He should look along the longer path, for riches turn like chariot-wheels: they come up to one man after another.

6. The undiscerning man finds food in vain. I speak the truth: it is just a deadly weapon for him. He does not prosper in compatriot, nor in companion. Who eats alone has only evil.

7. It’s just when it plows that a plowshare makes a man well fed. It’s just when he goes that a man “wraps up” the road with his feet. The formulator who speaks is more a winner than the one who doesn’t; a friend who gives would be superior to one who doesn’t.

8. The one-footed [=sun?] has stridden farther than the two-footed [=man?]; the two-footed overtakes the three-footed [=old man?] from behind. The four-footed [=dog?] comes at the call of the two-footed ones as it watches over the fivefold ones [=herds?], staying by them.

9. Two hands, even though the same, do not accomplish the same. Even two (cows) with the same mother do not yield the same milk. The heroic deeds even of twins are not the same. Two men, even though they are kin, do not give the same.
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Rigveda #Dāna is giving without expecting anything in return > liberality
#GivingWithoutExpectingAnythingInReturn
#PraiseOfGenerosity
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Twin brothers
#indra #agni
#WireTogether
#FireTogether
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Update: January 11, 2023

Indra A.I. - Where we learn Rigveda
The #RigVeda is one of the most ancient texts known to man. Inside are stories, lessons, and knowledge to be found. Where #Vamraka, #Indu, #Indra, #Soma, #Agni, #Yama, and all the best ancient Devas live.
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@indradotai #QuinnMichaels
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Original October 28, 2020 'Dana Alms Offering' post on Facebook + comments