From the ancient period in Bharat (i.e.India) Sewa is considered as a part of Dharma, Sewa Dharma is a Duty. This concept of Sewa is very complex but in simple word the sages said “Paropakaraya Punyaya, Papaya Parapeedanam “. Which means whatever conduces to the good of others is noble deeds and should be followed. By the term Sewa, the common understanding is that it implies an act, word or thought which helps to mitigate the sufferings of others and increases their happiness.
The motive that inspire human beings to do an act of Sewa have been varied and many. The feeling of compassion, feeling of humanity and sympathy are usually mentioned as reasons for doing Sewa. But in Bharat i.e. India the Sewa is looked at in a different way. It is believed that God resides in every being , let it be human, animal, birds or plant. Thus the God who lives in me also existing in other living being and by serving them I am serving God. So sewa is done for one’s own happiness. Nar seva is Narayan Seva is the concept in Sewa work.
Sewa is done via three ways i.e.Tan, Man, Dhan. No sewa is complete without having one of these three or all the three elements are involved. In Indian philosophy, all wealth is given by God and a person receiving or collecting it should not go on accumulating or hoarding it.
In India since time immortal, a great importance is attached to Sewa. Sewa occupies a high position in one’s spiritual life. He alone lives who lives for the sake of helping other – says the Rugveda.
With this background of Sewa , which is Dharma i.e. Duty. Each family of India is one way or the other is involved in this Sewa Dharma. From the ancient time and the said legacy is carried forward by the new generations and is still prevalent. The Hindu India’s concept of Sewa Dharma is actually sharing one’s possession may it be food, education, service to the ailing with those deprived of it, as part of one’s dharma or duty.
Following this social leaders of the country have led the society by forming institutions to serve the people with the concept of Sewa Dharma . Here are few of some noted organizations :
Ramkrishna Mission : It runs 197 hospitals and its health-related work serves 85 lakh people annually, including 25 lakh in rural areas; 1186 educational institutions serve 3.4 lakh students including 1.24 lakh in rural areas.
Mata Amritanandamayi Math: It has built and provided 25000 houses to slum dwellers all over India till 2002. It has plans to build one lakh more houses – a target governments will find difficult to achieve.
Satya Sai Central Trust : The 9th Planning Commission document of the Government of India records that Sathya Sai charity has set an unparalleled initiative of implementing on their own , without any state budgetary support, a massive water supply project with an expenditure of Rs. 3000 millionn to benefit 731 scarcity and fluoride/salinity affected villages and a few towns in Anantapur District in 18 months. The ttrust repeated it in water-starved Medak and Mehboobnagar districts in Andhra Pradesh and also completed the Telugu Ganga connectivity to supply water in Chennai. These initiatives cost the trust a whopping Rs. 600 crores.
There are number of small social and Dharmik organizations who are in their own way following this Sewa Dharma and have contributed to society. These all were exhibited in the 2013 February Hindu Spritual and Sewa Fair at Chennai according to which the following details emerged. They
1. Run over 1 lakh educational institutions
2. Over 58000 rural development projects
3. More than 8200 hospitals
4. Over 88000 temples.
5. In Punjab not a single man, woman or child would have gone hungry in the last three centuries, thanks to the langar system in Gurudwaras feeding millions every day.
6. Jains run huge charities all over the country.
7. Traditional Indian communities allocate a fixed share of their turnover for charity.
8. The Mahamai, an informal charity tax among the Nadars in Tamil Nadu has founded and funded hundreds of the community’s educational institutions over a century.
9. The Nagarathar community in Tamil Nadu too, through their Mahamai, run huge charities.
10. The Marwaris and others in Northern India do so through the Dharmashalas and Dharmada
Thus we observe that The Sewa Dharma is not a physical act with some purpose but it is the way of our life . The family is the basis, the root of our society. What our family is, that is what our society becomes. Particularly when the children are very small they observe and learn theerby. This is rich heritage we inherited by birth and has made our country to stand above all.
Positive Bunch 