Bageshwar Dham Sarkar
What is the difference between daya and karuna, and what does a compassionate person look like?
Karuna flows always; daya comes on seeing sorrow
Daya (pity) is outward and appears when you see someone's sorrow, while karuna (compassion) is inner and flows constantly. Saints have this melted heart for all and see no one as an enemy.
Daya may come at times, but karuna is in only a few. Daya is an outward matter, karuna an inner one. Daya appears on seeing someone's sorrow; karuna flows always.