| Introduction Some years back a distinguished friend of mine referred me to a passage in
the book of St. Matthew’s in the Bible in which Jesus
Christ laid down in a beautiful manner that service to one's fellowmen is service to God.
This scriptural injunction has been the mainspring of the activities of the Christian
missionaries for humanitarian service all over the world. My, friend wanted to know
whether the same ideal had been emphasized in our ancient Indian classics. The passage in
the Book of St. Matthew’s-Chapter 25-Paragraphs 34 to 40-is as under: -
Para 34: Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
Para 35: For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink; I
was a stranger and ye took me in.
Para 36: Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick and ye visited me ; I was in prison and ye
came unto me;
Para 37: Then shall the righteous answer his saying, Lord, when saw we thee and hungered
and fed thee? or thirsty and gave thee drink?
Para 38: When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Para 39: Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison and came unto thee?
Para 40 : And the King shall answer and say unto, them, Verily
I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye
have done it unto me".
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