Sevā

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BAPS Hindu volunteers performing seva in the form of humanitarian aid in Ukraine Seva-Ukraine.jpeg
BAPS Hindu volunteers performing seva in the form of humanitarian aid in Ukraine

Sevā (also transcribed as sewa) is the concept of selfless service that is performed without any expectation of reward for performing it. It is predominant in Hinduism and Sikhism. Such services can be performed to benefit other human beings or society. Sevā means "service". A more recent interpretation of the word is "dedication to others". [1] In Hinduism, it is also known as karma yoga, as described in the Bhagavata Gita . [2] In Sikhism Seva is an act of service to Waheguru (Supreme God), to whom Sikhs call as Waheguru and that it is a way to become closer to Waheguru.The principles of Seva underpin many Sikh values - such is the importance given to Seva in Sikhism. The Guru emphasizes this concept numerous times in the Guru Granth Sahib. The holy scripture focuses on the state of mind when practicing Seva, the spiritual benefits of doing Seva, and how one should perform it.

Contents

Etymology and religious significance

Seva comes from the Sanskrit root sev-, "to serve", and is a central concept in both contemporary Hinduism and Sikhism.

In Hinduism, seva means selfless service and is often associated with karma yoga , disciplined action, and bhakti yoga , disciplined devotion. Seva is also connected to other Sanskrit concepts such as dāna (gift giving), karunā (compassion), and preman (kindness). [3] Seva is also performed as a form of ego-transcending spiritual practise known as Sādhanā , and plays a large role in modern Hinduism. [4] : 42  A key concept in Hinduism is liberation ( Moksha ) from the cycle of births and deaths ( Saṃsāra ), and sādhanā is the effort one makes to strive for liberation; this highlights the importance of service to others. [4] : 43 

In Sikhism, the word seva also means "to worship, to adore, to pay homage through the act of love." In the writings of Sikh gurus, these two meanings of seva (service and worship) have been merged. Seva is expected to be a labour of love performed without desire and intention, and with humility. [5]

Kar seva (Gurmukhi: ਕਰ ਸੇਵਾ), from the Sanskrit words kar, meaning hands or work, and seva, meaning service, [6] [7] another concept of Sikhism, is often translated as "voluntary labour". A volunteer for kar seva is called a kar sevak (voluntary labourer)—someone who freely offers their services to a religious cause. [8] Sikhs use the term kar sevak to represent people who engage in ministrations, altruistic philanthropy, and humanitarian endeavours in service to religion and society. Sevadar (Punjabi : ਸੇਵਾਦਾਰ; also transcribed as sewadar), literally "seva-supporter", is another Punjabi word for a volunteer who performs seva. [9]

The idea of selfless service (seva) is an important concept in several religions because God is perceived as having an interest in the well-being of others; serving other people is considered an essential devotional practise of indirectly serving God and living a religious life that is a benefit to others. People of every religion are included in this service. [10] [ verification needed ]

Seva in Hinduism

In Hinduism, seva is the concept of service to God and/or humanity, without the expectation of return. According to Hindu scriptures, seva is seen as the highest form of dharma (righteousness). Seva has been said to provide good karma which facilitates the atma (soul) to obtain moksha (emancipation from the cycle of death and rebirth). [11] Before the early nineteenth century, the meaning of seva (serving or honouring) had been virtually synonymous with that of puja (worship), which typically also included distribution of prasad (sacrificial offerings or consecrated food), such as food, fruits, and sweets to all gathered. [12] Thus, seva typically involved offering of food to a deity and its murti (idol), followed by the distribution of said food as prasad. [13] The concept of seva and karma yoga is explained in the Bhagavad Gita, where Krishna expounds on the subject. In modern times, the concept has been taken to volunteering for the greater good, such as in disaster relief and other major incidents. [14]

Seva in Sikhism

Seva in Sikhism takes three forms: tan (Gurmukhi: ਤਨ), meaning physical service, i.e. manual labour, man (Gurmukhi: ਮਨ), meaning mental service, such as studying to help others, and dhan (Gurmukhi: ਧਨ), meaning material service, including financial support. [15] Sikhism stresses kirat karō (Gurmukhi: ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰੋ), "honest work", and vaṇḍ chakkō (Gurmukhi: ਵੰਡ ਛਕੋ), "split up", sharing what you have by giving to the needy for the benefit of the community. [16] It is a duty of every Sikh to engage in seva wherever possible, such as volunteering at a Gurdwara, community center, senior living centers, care centers, sites of major world disasters, etc. [17] Seva can also be performed by offering service for a religious cause, such as constructing a gurdwara, a place of worship that performs community services such as providing volunteer-run food kitchens. [18]

Kar seva is one of the main teachings of Sikhism—including its ordained philosophy, in Sikh scripture, theology, and hermeneutics. A tradition set forth with the clear understanding that there is God within all of us, and thus by serving humanity you are serving God's creation.[ sentence fragment ] [19] Seva is believed to be a way to control inner vices and is a key process in becoming closer to God. [20]

Criticism

Kar Sewa appeal for the construction of the clock tower gateway entrance to the Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, c. 1951 Kar Sewa appeal for the construction of the clock tower gateway entrance to the Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, ca.1951.jpg
Kar Sewa appeal for the construction of the clock tower gateway entrance to the Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab, c. 1951

Some Kar Seva groups and organizations have been criticized for their lack of care for and apathy towards preserving historical Sikh heritage sites, artwork, and architecture during renovation and construction projects. [21] Large amounts of historical Sikh scriptural manuscripts have been systematically "cremated" (burnt to destruction) [22] over the years at secretive ‘Angitha Sahib’ gurdwaras [23] in Dehradun and around India as part of kar seva. [24] The logic behind these crematoriums is the Sikh philosophy handed down by the tenth Guru Gobind Singh that Guru Granth Sahib is the living embodiment of a Guru, and so Sikh funeral rites are carried out. This practice is criticized for systematically destroying historical manuscripts.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikhism</span> Religion originating in Punjab, India

Sikhism, also known as Sikhi, is an Indian religion and philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religions and among the largest in the world with about 25–30 million adherents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gurdwara</span> Place of worship in Sikhism

A gurdwara or gurudwara is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs but its normal meaning is place of guru or "Home of guru". Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as Gurdwara Sahib. People from all faiths and religions are welcomed in gurdwaras. Each gurdwara has a Darbar Sahib where the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takht in a prominent central position. Any congregant may recite, sing, and explain the verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, in the presence of the rest of the congregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Granth Sahib</span> Primary scripture of Sikhism

The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth, its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606). Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604 and first installed inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Golden Temple. Shortly afterwards Guru Hargobind added Ramkali Ki Vaar. Later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, added hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor. This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth.

Waheguru is a term used in Sikhism to refer to God as described in Guru Granth Sahib. It is the most common term to refer to God in modern Sikhism.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ik Onkar</span> Religious phrase in Sikhism

Ik Onkar, also spelled Ek Onkar or Ik Oankaar ; literally, "one Om", hence interpreted as "There is only one God or one Creator") is a phrase in Sikhism that denotes the one supreme reality. It is a central tenet of Sikh religious philosophy.

Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm/), traditionally known as Jain Dharma, is an ancient Indian religion. Jain dharma traces its spiritual ideas and history through a succession of twenty-four leaders or tirthankaras, with the first in current time cycle being Lord Rishabhanatha, whom the Jain tradition holds to have lived millions of years ago, the twenty-third tirthankara Parshvanatha whom historians date to 8th or 7th century BCE, and the 24th tirthankara, Mahāvīra around 500 BCE. Jains believe that Jainism is an eternal dharma with the tirthankaras guiding every cycle of the Jain cosmology.

Shabda, is the Sanskrit word for "speech sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an utterance in the sense of linguistic performance.

Ahankar, commonly rendered as Hankaar or Hankār based upon its pronunciation in Punjabi, is a Gurmukhi word originating from the Sanskrit word Ahankāra which translates to mean "ego" or "excessive pride" due to one's possessions, material wealth, spirituality, beauty, talents, physical strength, intelligence, authoritative powers, charity work, amid others. It is one of the five thieves of Sikhism which hinder one's spiritual's progression.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh scriptures</span> Holy books of the Sikh religion

The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth, more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The second most important scripture of the Sikhs is the Dasam Granth. Both of these consist of text which was written or authorised by the Sikh Gurus.

Haumai is the concept of self-centeredness (egoism) in Sikhism which hinder humanity's spiritual development and cultivation.

Akhand Path The continuous and uninterrupted recitation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is known as Akhand Path Sahib.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nanakpanthi</span> Religious community in Pakistan and India

Nanakpanthi, also known as Nanakshahi, is a Sikh sect which follows Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh architecture</span> Style of architecture

Sikh architecture is a style of architecture that was developed under the Sikh Confederacy and Sikh Empire during the 18th and 19th centuries in the Punjab region. Due to its progressive style, it is constantly evolving into many newly developing branches with new contemporary styles. Although Sikh architecture was initially developed within Sikhism its style has been used in many non-religious buildings due to its beauty. 300 years ago, Sikh architecture was distinguished for its many curves and straight lines; Keshgarh Sahib and the Harmandir Sahib are prime examples.

Rehat refers to the rules and traditions which govern the unique Sikh lifestyle and determines correct Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy. The Sikh Rehit Maryada is a code of conduct and conventions for Sikhism. The final version of the Rehat Maryada was controversially approved by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Amritsar in 1945. The Rehat Maryada was created to provide guidance to Sikhs on practical and functional aspects of daily life, including the operations of Sikh Gurdwaras, and religious practices to foster cohesion throughout the community. Rehitnāma is a Punjabi term that refers to a genre of Sikh religious literature which expounds upon specifying an approved way of life for a Sikh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sikh discipline</span>

In Sikh discipline, a Sikh is required by the Sikh Gurus to live a disciplined life by doing pure and righteous deeds and actions. The following are the list of activities that a Sikh should engages in:

The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Sikh and Indian tradition. The main purpose of this list is to disambiguate multiple spellings, to make note of spellings no longer in use for these concepts, to define the concept in one or two lines, to make it easy for one to find and pin down specific concepts, and to provide a guide to unique concepts of Sikhism all in one place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guru Nanak</span> Founder and first guru of Sikhism (1469–1539)

Gurū Nānak, also known as Bābā Nānak, was an Indian spritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar is the gurdwara of Dublin, Ireland. It has two main halls, Divan Hall and Langar Hall. Divan Hall is the main hall where the holy Guru Granth Sahib is kept. It is located on the site of the old Oscar Cinema in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 which the Irish Sikh community purchased in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidh Gosti</span> Sikh composition

Sidh Gosti, also spelled as Sidh Goshti, Sidh Gosht, or Sidh Gosat, is a famous spiritual interfaith dialogue between Guru Nanak and Nath Siddhas. The composition is present from Ang 938 to 946 in the Adi Granth. The composition has 73 stanzas, written in Ramkali Raga. Prominent Sidh and Naths present during discussion were Charpatnath, Bhangarnath and Loharipa. The popular belief is that this discourse happened at Achal Batala. Other than that Guru Nanak had discourses with Sidhas at various places mainly at Gorakhmatta, Achal Batala and Mount Meru. The discussion explains the differences of Gurmat with Yoga.

References

  1. ↑ Pagani, Frederique (2013). "Empathy, Salvation, and Religious Identity". In Schlecker, Markus; Fleischer, Friederike (eds.). Ethnographies of Social Support . Palgrave Macmillan. p.  180. ISBN   978-1-137-33096-3.
  2. ↑ Phillips, Stephen (2009). "Karma Yoga". Yoga, Karma, and Rebirth: A Brief History and Philosophy. Columbia University Press. p.  100. ISBN   9780231144841. Thus outlined, yoga can be done in the world, in all kinds of action done for the sake of sacrifice. Yoga becomes seva, service.
  3. ↑ Jacobsen, Knut A. (29 May 2018), "Sevā" , Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online, Brill, retrieved 16 April 2022
  4. 1 2 Jacobs, Stephen (2010). Hinduism Today: An Introduction. London: Continuum International Publishing. p. 42. ISBN   9786612874345.
  5. ↑ Virdee, Gurmit Singh (2005). "Labour of love: Kar seva at Darbar Sahib's Amrit Sarover". Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory. 1 (1): 13–28. doi:10.1080/17448720500231409. S2CID   144267107.
  6. ↑ Singha, H. S. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Hemkunt Press. p. 121. ISBN   8170103010.
  7. ↑ Christiane Brosius, Melissa Butcher (1999). Image journeys: audio-visual media and cultural change in India. Sage Publications. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-7619-9325-4.
  8. ↑ Alter, Stephen (2001). Amritsar to Lahore: A Journey Across the India-Pakistan Border. University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. p.  198. ISBN   9780812217438.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Sewa, Selfless Service". Sikh Philosophy Network. 12 August 2009.
  11. ↑ Gibson, Lynne (2002). Hinduism. Heinemann Educational. p.  56. ISBN   9780435336196.
  12. ↑
    • "Prasada". Encyclopædia Britannica.
    • "Puja". Encyclopædia Britannica. 23 September 2023.
    • Bhangaokar, Rachana (2020). "The Development of Communal and Spiritual Dutifulness in India: Upholding Dharma, Offering Seva". In Jensen, Lene Arnett (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Moral Development: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Oxford University Press. p.  341. ISBN   9780190676056. The communal preparing and sharing of food or prasad (sacred food offered to the deity and then distributed among the followers) is particularly important as an activity binding together a community of followers.
    • Hawley, John; Narayanan, Vasudha, eds. (2006). The Life of Hinduism. University of California Press. p.  13. ISBN   9780520249141.
  13. ↑ Cush, Denise (2012). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Routledge. p. 783. ISBN   9781135189792.
  14. ↑ "Engagement Guidelines: Hindu Leaders" (PDF). FEMA. Tip Sheets: Engaging Faith Communities. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  15. ↑ Wood, Angela (1997). Movement and Change. Cheltenham, England: Nelson Thornes. p. 46. ISBN   978-0-17-437067-3.
  16. ↑ Cole, W. Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy. Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge. pp. 31, 59. ISBN   978-1-135-79760-7.
  17. ↑ Volz, Christian (2014). Six Ethics A Rights-Based Approach to Establishing an Objective Common Morality. Ebookit.com. pp.  278. ISBN   9781456606916.
  18. ↑
    • Ahluwalia, Muninder K.; Locke, Anna Flores; Hylton, Steven (2014). "Sikhism and Positive Psychology". In Kim-Prieto, Chu (ed.). Religion and Spirituality Across Cultures. Springer Netherlands. p.  129. ISBN   9789401789509.
    • Singha, H.S. (2000). "Kar Seva". The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. Hemkunt Publishers. p.  121. ISBN   9788170103011.
  19. ↑
    • Goshen-Gottstein, Alon (2018). Interreligious Reflections, Six Volume Set. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p.  259. ISBN   9781532671524.
    • Hett, Geoffrey (2021). Diversity, Culture and Counselling. Brush Education. p.  162. ISBN   9781550598759.
  20. ↑ Jhutti-Johal, Jagbir (2011). Sikhism today. London; New York: Continuum. p. 58. ISBN   9786613089229.
  21. ↑
  22. ↑
    • Mann, Gurinder Singh (2001). "8 The Guru Granth Sahib". The Making of Sikh Scripture. Oxford Academic. pp. 121–136. ...all old manuscripts were sent to Goindval for "cremation" in the late 1980s
    • Taylor, P. M.; Dhami, Sonia, eds. (2021). Sikh art from the Kapany Collection (First Indian ed.). New Delhi, India. pp. 296–302. ISBN   978-81-949691-2-9. OCLC   1258082801.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  23. ↑
  24. ↑ Dogra, Chander Suta (27 May 2013). "Endangered texts". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 8 January 2023. The logic behind these crematoriums is the Sikh philosophy handed down by the Tenth Guru Gobind Singh that their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib is the embodiment of a guru
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