Seva in the Ramakrishna Mission Movement in India

Abstract

This article is based on an understanding of seva in Ramakrishna Mission, one of the oldest Hindu-inspired faith movements in India. Seva which is panegyric for the movement has been studied through content analysis of texts and archives, discussions with key informants and non-participant observation. Points of analysis have been the ‘social’ as embedded in the repertoire of faith, the basket of social initiatives and implications on the social cartography. The main contention is that Ramakrishna Mission’s style of service contributes to nuances of theistic existential approach to seva. There is an emphasis on soul immanence, commune building and notions of social justice which fertilise aspects of faith-based charity and philanthropy. At another level, seva is a means to forward the Hindu nationalist agenda in a benevolent way onto the Indian social fabric.