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SAHAYOG ( सहयोग )

Dt. 26.02.2019 – Rajendra Koppikar

The word ‘Sahayog’ (सहयोग - Collaboration) is many times treated at par with ‘Sahakaarya – (सहकाय
- Cooperation). However, difference in ‘willingness’ involved separates both concepts.

सहयोग - Collaboration
Result of two or more individuals or organisations coming together willingly and work together for
achieving a common goal or completing a task is called as ‘collaboration’. The same is indicated in
origin of term ‘Sahayog’ as:
सहयोग = सह (धारण मता) + योग (जोडणे) [युज ् + घञ ् ( यंजनात ’अ’ ची भर)]

Saha – Ability to perform together, jointly + Yog – Action, endeavor, application

सहकाय - Cooperation
An activity of working together towards a common end of an action or a process is called as
‘cooperation’. The participants may not work together willingly. There is a possibility of certain
amount of compulsion in participation.

However, to remain in line with prevalent understanding of the concept, ‘Sahayog’ may be
considered as ‘cooperation’.

Human life would be impossible without the spirit of cooperation. Neither an individual nor society
could exist without it. All living beings cooperate for same reasons like Underlying benefit, Need of
association, Being part of a cultural group, Cultural evolution etc.

Sense of cooperation is generated in one’s heart. One has to be constantly aware of importance of
cooperation because it is a critical function in one’s life while playing role as an individual, as a part
of society and subsequently as a part of the nation as well as the nature.

This awareness of being cooperative to self, to society / nation and further to universe has to
constantly exist through a vigilant or alert mind , sense of sentiment to support and spontaneous
motivation. Volunteering with such an awareness results in to true sahayog (cooperation).

The most effective affirmation / confirmation about cooperation depends on one’s self
contentedness and is translated in to mental and physical soundness (wellness) of all. Unhappy
individuals cannot cooperate with other/s.
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Various aspects of life that affect quality of cooperation:

* Communication: Verbal or nonverbal. Common language results in better cooperation.

* Fairness in dealing: Fairer the deals between individuals, better is the cooperation. At least, sense
being fair has to be felt. Feeling of unfair treatment received deteriorates cooperative attitude.
* Emphasis on duties: Harmonious relations are built only when cooperation is with emphasis on
duties and not on rights. When sense of duty turns in to rights, disharmony creeps in to relations.
* Teamwork: Every great work or achievement of a goal has been a result of cooperation of many.
It would not accomplish on one’s own efforts.
* Knowledge and progress: One cannot know everything on one’s own. Every transaction,
commercial or noncommercial, takes place only as a result of collective base of knowledge.
* Spiritual advancement: Reduction in personal demands and desires results in to cooperative
attitude. This helps in spiritual growth.
* Living state: Humans responsiveness in cooperation depends on living or non-living state of
respondent. E.g. One’s sense of cooperation will be dramatically different towards a human being
and towards a machine (artificially intelligent equipment) as a respondent. Hence, one’s struggle
for maintaining ‘relation’ with living beings and negligence in ‘maintenance’ of a machine.
* Greed: Greed in the minds of humans has been the only proven factor so far which has proved to
be affecting sense of sahayog adversely.

Western theory of cooperation:

Darwin’s theory is limited to evolution of mankind which is based on competitive nature (survival
of the fittest), struggling for existence. Principle of sharing had less importance. It resulted in
different methods of transactions in the forms of ‘ism’s like Capitalism, Communism etc. in
different parts of world. Competition has been the best for any race as a group but for an individual
it became hard to survive the constant competition.
Non-Bharateeya understanding of sahayog generally allows practicing of the same for materialistic
benefits irrespective of constructive or destructive outcome.

Bharateeya theory of cooperation:

Bharateey theory of living is based on ‘Sahayog’ and has proved to be self-sustaining. It has been
laid down as an unwritten rule for an individual’s as well as society’s constructive progress,
materialistic and spiritual.

The Bharateeya philosophy has evolved from selfless feeling in hearts and considers ‘sense of
cooperation’ as one of the values of life.

Corresponding results of ‘struggle’ and ‘cooperation’ in the process are felt in the form of ‘pains’
and ‘bliss’ respectively.

The supreme power which creates, maintains and dissolves entire universe has established all
systems based on complementary interdependence. E.g. Carbon-di-Oxide exhaled by humans and
animals is consumed by vegetation and same vegetation exhales Oxygen for consumption of
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human beings and the animals. Vegetation produced together by earth and atmosphere is
consumed by humans and animals. The processed output then goes back to earth and atmosphere
for repeating the cycle and for consumption of future generations. Evaporated water from a
comparatively limited part of earth returns to entire surface of earth in the form of rains. Living
beings distribute seeds of plants on earth and earth produces fresh vegetation.
Human beings and animals recognise enjoyed benefits of sahayog with each other and as a general
response tends to behave in cooperative manner with each other. E.g. Inter-human behavior,
between humans and animals, between humans and plants (experiments of plant behavior with
human speaking with them).

‘Sahayog’ in the Bharateeya philosophy has been evident in different eras –

*During the most ancient times - in scripts like Vedas (Rugveda mandal10: sookt 191)
संग छ वं संवद वं सं वो मनां स जानताम ् | दे वा भागं यथा पवू स जानाना उपासते ||
May you move in harmony, speak in one voice; let your minds be in agreement; just as the ancient
gods shared their portion of sacrifice.
समानो म : स म त: समानी समानं मन: सह च तमेषाम ् |
समानं म म भम ये व: समानेन वो ह वषा जुहो म ||
May our purpose be the same; may we all be of one mind. In order for such unity to form I offer a
common prayer.
समानी व आकू त: समाना दया न व: | समानम तु वो मनो यथा व: सुसहास त ||
May our intentions and aspirations be alike, so that a common objective unifies us all.

* During relatively modern era – in poems by saints

एक एका सहा य क । अवघे ध सप
ु ंथ ।।
- संत तक
ु ाराम गाथा (महा. शासन मा णत त), प ृ ठ . ३६४, अभंग . २७३२.
*Practical examples in recent times - Migrated individuals staying together, Joint families, Trade
between nations, Industrial operations, Fighting terrorism etc.
*Integral nature of Bharateeya thoughts – Strives for global peace through cooperation and
collaboration between one another, including natural resources.
ओम ् सहनाववत,ु सहनौ भन
ु त,ु सहवीय करवावहै, तेजि वनावधीतम त,ु मा व वषावहै। ओम ् शाि तः शाि तः
शाि तः।।
Ekatm Manav Darshan:
Ekatm Maanav Darshan guidelines of mutual complementarities and interdependence among all
individuals in groups, societies, nations and with natural resources promise lifelong strength of
sustenance.
Deendayaljee also mentions that as the ‘struggle’ in life is visible, so is the ‘cooperation’. (द 20प.ृ 19)

More detailed views about ‘Sahayog’ are available in below mentioned literature:
1. द नदयाल वचार दशन
2. एका म मानव दशन - चरं तन हंद ू जीवन ट
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3. दै शक शा (by Badrisah Thulgharia )

4. National Policy Studies in light of Ekatma Manav Darshan (by Ekatm Prabodh Mandal –
ededited by Ravindra Mahajan )
5. ‘I’ versus ‘We’ (by Vishwanath Limaye)
6. Integral Humanism (by K.Ramachandra Rao)