We often qualify the term ‘sewa’ in various ways. For example, ‘true (Sachi) sewa’, ‘selfless sewa’, ‘neswarath sewa’ and the most common ‘nishkam sewa’. The meaning we wish to convey is ‘service without any personal motive or gain of any sort’.
When we expect anything in return, even praise, it becomes a ‘deal’, a ‘transaction’ coated in materialistic colours. Those who do charity with expectation of reward or recognition are not much different from politicians for whilst they are doing some good for others, their main motive is to promote themselves. They then have no right to point at politicians and other so called do-gooders.
It’s common these days to see people engaged in charitable work in the U.K. with the hope of landing awards and honours from various institutions, in particular from the government. They are, in the main, chasing MBEs, OBEs and CBEs. I have been personally asked to take up honorary positions to this end. If this is not egotism then what is it?
Selfless service and egotism cannot go together. They are mutually exclusive.