VEDIC CANON REGARDING DAKSHINA WHILE CONDUCTING DOMESTIC VEDIC RITUALS

While giving Dakshina to the Brihaspati, one has to accept whatever is given as dakshina without demanding. At the same time, the person who conducts the Vedic ritual should necessarily honor the Brihaspati based on his financial background. The same rule may be applied for those participating in the Sraddha (श्राद्ध) . We may infer that the principle of the financial capability of the Yajamana (यजमान) in terms of “यथा शक्ति “ applies in all such situations.
To substantiate this we may refer to Taittiriyaranyakam 1-132 which deals with the subject matter of giving Guru Dakshina to the Guru who has taught the Vedas in the Forest with the following four options :-
dhenu: dakshiNA --- Cow as Dakshina
kamsam vAsa: ca kshaumam --- Bronze Vessel with White Silk Vastram
anyat vA Suklam --- White cotton Vastram
yathA Sakti vA --- Whatever one can afford to give based on his capacity
Thus the first option is to give a cow as Guru Dakshina.
If this is not possible as a second option he may give Bronze Vessel with White Silk Vastram as Guru Dakshina.
If this is not possible as a third option he may give a white cotton Vastram as Guru Dakshina.
If this is also not possible as the forth and final option he may give whatever he can based on his capability as Guru dakshina.
तमाचार्यो द॒द्यात् । शिवा नश्शन्तमेत्योषधी॑राल॒भते । सुमृडीके॑ति भू॒मिम् । एवम॑पव॒र्गे । धे॑नुर्द॒क्षिणा । कंसव्वाँस॑श्च क्षौ॒मम् । अन्य॑द्वा शु॒क्लम् । य॑थाश॒क्ति वा । एवं स्वध्याय॑धर्मे॒ण । अरण्ये॑ऽधीयी॒त । तपस्वी पुण्यो भवति तपस्वी पु॑ण्यो भ॒वति । --- तैत्तिरीयारण्यकम् १-१३२
जय जय श्रीराधे