सेवा
Seva
sevā
In simple words
Seva is service done for others without wanting anything back, such as cooking for anyone who comes, caring for the sick or cleaning a shared space. In Sikh life it is a central spiritual practice.
What is it?
Seva means service. In Sikh thought it is one of the pillars of the path, practised in the community kitchen (langar), the gurdwara and society, and it is valued because it wears down ego (haumai). In the Gita the closest ideas are acting for the welfare of all beings and action as offering (yajna), without attachment to results. Bhakti traditions describe service to God, the guru and devotees as an expression of love.
Scholar’s note
Sikh sources distinguish service of the body (tan), mind (man) and wealth (dhan). In Vaishnava bhakti, seva can mean ritual service of the deity image as well as service to devotees; in Ramanuja's lineage the soul's essential nature is described as being a servant (shesha) of God. Modern expositions, notably Vivekananda's, extended the idea to social service as worship.How its meaning differs
Selfless service within and beyond the community is a core discipline alongside remembering the Name and honest work; it dissolves ego and expresses equality.
Service to God, guru and fellow devotees is a natural outflow of love and a way of offering one's whole life.
The soul's essential nature is to be a servant of God; service is fulfilment, not a burden.
Modern expositions such as Vivekananda's present service of people, especially the poor, as service of God.
Where it appears in the Gita
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय:।
राजा जनक-जैसे अनेक महापुरुष भी कर्म (कर्मयोग)-के द्वारा ही परमसिद्धिको प्राप्त हुए थे। (इसलिये) लोकसंग्रहको देखते हुए भी (तू) (निष्कामभावसे ) कर्म करनेके ही योग्य है अर्थात् अवश्य करना चाहिये।
5.25लभन्ते ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृषय: क्षीणकल्मषा:।
जिनका शरीर मन-बुद्धि-इन्द्रियोंसहित वशमें है, जो सम्पूर्ण प्राणियोंके हितमें रत हैं, जिनके सम्पूर्ण संशय मिट गये हैं, जिनके सम्पूर्ण दोष नष्ट हो गये हैं, (वे) विवेकी साधक निर्वाण ब्रह्मको प्राप्त होते हैं।
12.4सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं
और जो (अपने) इन्द्रिय-समूहको भलीभाँति वशमें करके चिन्तनमें न आनेवाले, सब जगह परिपूर्ण, देखनेमें न आनेवाले, निर्विकार, अचल, ध्रुव, अक्षर और अव्यक्तकी तत्परतासे उपासना करते हैं, वे प्राणिमात्रके हितमें प्रीति रखनेवाले (और) सब जगह समबुद्धिवाले मनुष्य मुझे ही प्राप्त होते हैं।
Where else it appears
Follow this idea
Trace the idea from one source to the next.
- 1Gita verseBhagavad Gita 3.20Acting for the good of the world.
- 2Gita verseBhagavad Gita 5.25Sages devoted to the welfare of all beings.
- 3Conceptनिष्काम कर्मNishkama karmaService as action without selfish motive.
- 4TraditionगुरमतSikh philosophy (Gurmat)Where seva is a central pillar of practice.
- 5Textगुरु ग्रन्थ साहिबGuru Granth SahibThe Sikh scripture.
- 6Thinkerस्वामी विवेकानन्दSwami VivekanandaA modern reading of service as worship.
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