Recently, I learned the meaning of Philanthropist. But when I started sesrching for such personality around the world, only few names comes up. We can easily count the number of philanthropist on our fingers. A philanthropist is someone who donates money, time, or other resources to help people or causes. The word philanthropy comes from the Greek word philanthrōpos, which means "humane, kind". Philanthropists can be wealthy or not, and they can help in many ways. These kind of people alwsys work towards the welfare of mankind in different ways. We have following mention about a philanthropist in our Sanskrit. And that too highlight the rare occurrence of these people.
शतेषु जायते शूरः सहस्रेषु च पण्डितः|
वक्ता दश सहस्त्रेषु दाता भवति वा न वा|
Shateshu jaayate shoorah sahasreshu ch panditah.
vaktaas dash sahasreshu daataa bhavati waa na waa.
Shateshu = among one hundred.
Jaayate = takes birth, happens.
Shoorah = a brave person.
Sahasreshu = among one thousand.
Cha = and.
Panditah = a learned and wise person.
Vaktaa = an orator.
Dash = ten.
Das sahreshu = among ten thousand.
Daataa = a person who gives donations, a philanthropist
Bhavati = happens, becomes.
Waa na waa = an expression of surprise as also of certainty.
Among one hundred persons only one person happens to be brave , and among a thousand of such brave persons only one person is also learned and wise. And it is not surprising that among such ten thousand orators and learned persons, hardly one person is also a philanthropist.
The fact is that the persons who are brave,learned and good orators are available in the society in the descending order, but rarely a philanthropist is found among them. Philanthropy can take many forms, including one-time donations or long-term giving. Philanthropists can help people in need, support good causes, or help pay for things like museums or schools. We already lost a well known philathropist in Ratan Tata. Who alwsys values human than personal benefits. He always supported humanity and the welfare of our society. Such great persons are rarely born. He also inspired me to search for the words actual meaning.
A philanthropist is considered rare because it requires a combination of significant wealth, a genuine desire to make a positive social impact. Philanthropy often involves sustained giving over a long period to see meaningful change, not just one-time donations.
