Dan Dharm (The Importance of Charity)

Swami Rajarshi Muni was born on 11th February, 1931, in Porbandar, in western Gujarat, in the princely lineage of the Jadeja rules of Kutch. He received sannyas initiation in February 1971 and thereafter devoted himself almost exclusively to secluded Yoga sadhana of the khechari mudra expounded and practiced in the modern spiritual tradition of Lord Lakulish, twenty-eight incarnation of Lord Shiv, in which he is the present spiritual head. In 1993, in response to a spiritual calling, he temporarily interrupted his self-imposed seclusion undertake a worldwide campaign to spread the knowledge of Yoga and the moral, cultural spiritual values of the Sanatan (eternal) Indian heritage. He resumed secluded sadhana in 2007 to complete his Yoga and establish the authenticity of the principle of the indestructible Divine Body, on which he has written with profound clarity and authority based on personal practice experience. He is an advanced yogi, a realized Master in the classic mould of Indian adepts, knower of the kundalini and master of the khechari mudra. The extraordinary heights he attained in his Yoga practice establish him firmly as the latest addition to the lineage of perfected masters which has long embellished the Indian spiritual tradition.

Swami Rajarshi Muni's long spiritual ministry has included not only his extraordinary personal sadhana that has raised him to the highest pinnacles of yoga practice but also a lifetime of teaching of all aspects of yoga and the moral and ethical values and practices of the Sanatan dharma to his disciples and the world at large through a vast body of printed literature and discourses.

This vastly illuminating book is a compilation of his chief discourses on dan dharma or the practice of charity. They delineate, with examples from the Scriptures, the types of dan, and its correct practice and benefits. Readers will find comprehensive guidance from this book on the importance and practice of dan dharma which Indian Scriptures have indicated as being the only surviving foundation of dharma in the kali yuga. Hopefully, it will inspire and motivate them into its correct practice for their own spiritual benefit.

Contents

1	Publisher's Note	vi
2	What is Dan?	1
3	Accumulation of Wealth Brings Misfortune	1
4	Accumulate Punya through Dan	1
5	Primacy of Dan in Kali Yuga	2
6	The Four Pillars of Dharma	3
7	Example of How to Give Dan	5
8	Interpretation of Shloka By Naradji	8
9	Interpretation of Shloka Continued	18
10	Further Interpretation of Shloka	21
11	Interpretation of Shloka Advanced	24
12	Example of King Shvet..	26
13	Interpretation of the Second Line of the Shloka	31
14	Pauper's Dan is Superior to Dan of the Rich	34
15	Do Not be Miserly in Giving Dan	35
16	Dan is the Key to Making Human Existence Meaningful	37
17	The Way of Doing Dan	38
18	Types of Dan According to Indian Scriptures	38
19	Dan is a Give and Take	40
20	Give Dan Out of Your Own Earnings	40
21	Example of King Virbhadhra	41
22	Fruit According to Dan	43
23	Example	43
24	When is Dan Devalued?	46
25	What is the Right Feeling for Giving Dan?	49
26	Dharma is the Foundation of a Meaningful Life	50
27	Dan is the Main Instrument of Dharma in Kali Yuga	50
28	Special Importance of Food Dan	51
29	Example of the Merchant	52
30	Pride of One's Wealth Obstructs Dan	55
31	Example of the Proud Millionaire	56
32	Food Dan Should be Given Cheerfully and Humbly	57
33	Example of the Mongoose and the Pandava Yagya	57
34	Fruit of Dan	62
35	Rajasthan's Poor Donor	63
36	Misers are Guests of Hell	64
37	The Lion's Moustache	65
38	The Sapphire on the Serpent's Head	66
39	The Sati's Body	68
40	Shoor Khadag: The Warrior's Sword	69
41	The Miser's Wealth	70
42	Conclusion	78

Sample Pages