dana
दान danaGiving, charity; a generator of merit (punya) that may be dedicated to another, including the dead.
Where this term appears
- The Four Aims of Life (Purusharthas) Essentials
The two great uses of a household's prosperity, yajna , sacrifice, and dana , giving, both require that there first be something to offer.
- What are Mudras? Lineages
The downturned hand, palm out and fingers pointing to the earth, is varada mudra , the gesture of boon-giving, of dana or charity.
- The debt to the dead Treatise
The giving of gifts, dana , can be performed on behalf of another or dedicated to their benefit.
- The debt to the dead Treatise
Pinda-dana is the heart of it, and it is the strangest and most concrete of the rites.