Shankaracharya's commentary, trans. Alladi Mahadeva Sastry (1897)
[1]That gift which is given — knowing it to be a duty to give — to one who does no service, in place and in time and to a worthy person, that gift is held Sattvic.
BG 17.20
दातव्यम् इति यद् दानं दीयते ऽनुपकारिणे । देशे काले च पात्रे च तद् दानं सात्त्विकं स्मृतम् ॥
dātavyam iti yad dānaṃ dīyate 'nupakāriṇe | deśe kāle ca pātre ca tad dānaṃ sāttvikaṃ smṛtam ||
"Sāttvic dāna: given with 'this must be given,' to one expecting no return, at right place, time, and recipient."
All public-domain translations
4 translations · all pre-1928 or released to public domain · sources
Swami Swarupananda, Srimad Bhagavad Gita (1909)
[4]"To give is right" — gift given with this idea, to one who does no service in return, in a fit place and to a worthy person, that gift is held to be Sattvika.
K.T. Telang, Sacred Books of the East Vol. 8 (1882)
[9]A gift which is made in the belief that it ought to be given, to one who will make no return, and which is given at a proper place and time and to a worthy person, is pronounced good.
K.M. Ganguli, The Mahabharata, Bhishma Parva (1883–96)
[13]That gift which is made under the idea — 'It should be given', — to one from whom no return is expected, in proper place and time and to a worthy person, is said to be of the quality of goodness.