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Corporate Social Responsibility lessons from The Mahabharata

We all have heard the story of Bhimsen and Bakasur in Mahabharata. We all know how Bhimsen, during the Agyatwas ( Incognito existence of a year) stayed in a town plagued by the demon Bakasur. And how, he used his power to slay the demon and freed the town from the atrocities inflicted by the demon Bakasur.

How does it connect with CSR?

Well, Bakasur symbolises the social and economic evils in the communities companies operate in. And Bhimsen symbolises the corporates who have resources to manage such challenges. 

Therefore, CSR or Corporate Social Responsibility could be the method by which Companies can beat social evils faced by their communities, just as Bhimsen killed Bakasur and freed the community that sheltered him and his family when they needed it.

What I see here is a symbiotic relationship. The communities have something to offer to the corporates and the corporates have something to offer to the communities. It is this mutual relationship that can help both the communities and companies prosper. 

More than five thousand years back we had the solutions that we seek now. Interesting insights from our mythologies that can help us learn to build more inclusive communities and societies. 

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