dispasson in sacrifice..

त्यागे सत्त्वनिधिः कुर्यात् न प्रत्युपकृतिस्पृहाम्।

कर्णः कुण्डलदानेऽभूत् कलुषः शक्तियाच्ञया॥ १९

महाकविना क्षेमेन्द्रेण विरचिते चारुचर्यायाम्॥

tyāge sattvanidhiḥ kuryāt na pratyupakṛtispṛhām|

karṇaḥ kuṇḍaladāne'bhūt kaluṣaḥ śaktiyācñayā|| 19

mahākavinā kṣemendreṇa viracite cārucaryāyam||

A great instruction from poet Kshemendra.. in his Charucharya

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When one makes a gift or renders some help to others in a spirit of sacrifice,

he should make such gift in utter humility and with the noblest intentions

and there should not be any direct or implied expectation for getting something in return.

Otherwise it is not a real gift or sacrifice at all

When Karna gifted his bright earrings ( which was in him even as he war born) to Indra, his gift was vitiated because he expected and received a powerful spear.. or shakti.. capable of killing any enemy.. in return.

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If we engage in some noble activity and are willing to help others, we are expected to do that genuinely from our own hearts. If such acts are done for publicity or in expectation of something in return, then that act loses its entire sheen of nobility..

Karna, the First son of Kunti, born to her from Sun God, had a pair of earrings and a body shield naturally build on him even as he was born.. As long as he had the earring and the armour no weapon could kill him.. it was the power of his father

In the family feud of Mahabhartham, Karna was in the enemy camp, pitted against his uterine brothers, the Pandavas..

Indra, the father of Arjuna, the strongman of the Pandava side, knew that Karna could be killed only if he was persuaded to give up those earrings and armour.. Karna was very famous for his munificience.. So Indra apporached him in the guise of a brahmin and asked for the Kavacham (armour) and Kundalam( the earrings) as gift.. Karna, by his very nature could not refuse any gift asked of him.. He was even dissuaded by his father Sun God from making such a gift.. Still Karna removed his earrings and armour and handed them over to the brahmin.. The pleased Indra revealed himself and asked Karna to take any boon in return.. Karna asked for a spear.. Shakthi, which could kill anyone in a battled against him.. Indra complied.. and that put Karna in a very formidable stated in war against Arjuna..

But the gift received in return as a quid pro quo marred the fame of Karna..

And of course, that wily Krishna maneuvered the happenings in the Mahabharatha war in such a way that Karna was force to use this Shakti to defeat and Kill Ghatotkacha, the Rakshasa son of Bheemasana, and therefore he could not use that weapon against Arjuna again.

That is only the story-line

The message is that a gift or offer made with conditions attached is not really a gift or offer at all