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What do our Hindu scriptures mention about helping people?
Are we interfering with other people's bad karma when we help them? Example, lending people money because they need to pay for their medicines, house loan etc.
Will we get part of their bad karma by helping them?
What do our Hindu scriptures say about this?
Thank you.
Compassion and kindness belong to qualities that are roots of dharma. We should serve others.
Roots of Dharma
Adroha (absence of ill-feeling), Alobha (absence of covetousness), Dama (self-control), Bhutadaya (kindness to living beings), Tapas (penance), Brahmacarya (celibacy), Satya (truthfulness), Anukrosa (compassion and tenderness), Ksama (forgiveness) and Dhrti (fortitude) – these are roots of Dharma but extremely difficult to achieve.
Vayu Purana I.57.116
Sympathy for others is a part of Sistachara.
The following eight are characteristic Sistacaras (rules of polite behavior): charity, truthfulness, penance, absence of greed, learning, sacrifice, procreation and sympathy.
Vayu Purana I.59.37
Need to feel for the afflicted
A Brahmana might be even-sighted and calm in disposition. But if he cannot sympathize with the afflicted, all the merits of his austerity come to naught like water kept in a broken pot.
Srimad Bhagavata Purana IV.14.41
Service to the afflicted
I abide in all beings as their inner-most soul. Disregarding My presence within them, men make a show of worshiping Me through images. If one disregards Me present in all as their soul and Lord but ignorantly offers worship only to images, such worship is as ineffective as a sacrificial offering made in ashes. A man who persecutes Me residing in others, who is proud and haughty, who looks upon God as the other – such a person will never attain to peace of mind. If a man disregards and persecutes fellow beings, but worships Me in images with numerous rituals and rich offerings, I am not at all pleased with him for proffering such worship. A man should, however, worship Me in images, side by side with discharging his duties, which include the love of all beings, until he actually realizes My presence in in himself and in all beings. As long as man is self-centered and makes an absolute distinction between himself and others (without recognizing the unity of all in Me, the Inner Pervader), he will be subject to the great fear of Death (including every form of deprivation of self-interest). So, overcoming the separateness of a self-centered life, one should serve all beings with gifts, honor and love, recognizing that such service is really being rendered to Me who reside in all beings as their innermost soul.
Srimad Bhagavata Purana III.29.21-27
Helping the indigent
Bhishma said, "Whatever wishes one entertains with respect to oneself, one should certainly cherish with respect to another. With the surplus wealth one may happen to own one should relieve the wants of the indigent. It is for this reason that the Creator ordained the practice of increasing one's wealth (by trade or laying it out at interest)."
Mahabharata, Santi Parva, Section CCLIX
