contents 2016 (28.11.16) iiird - kalyana kalpatarukalyana-kalpataru.org/pdf (full...

CONTENTS1. Glory of Selfless Service ...... 92. Editorial ...... 103. BlessingsóJagadguru Shankaracharya Swami

Sri Bharatitirthaji Maharaja ...... 144. Sewå and TyågaóPath to God-realization

óSwami Padmanabhananda ...... 165. SewåóSwami Vivekananda ...... 206. What is Tyåga (Renunciation)?óSwami Rama Tirtha ...... 247. Real Art of GivingóSri Paramahansa Yogananda ...... 278. Worship Mother as God

óJagadguru Swami Sri Raghavacharyaji Maharaja ...... 319. Sewå and Its Importance

óBrahmalina Swami Sharanananda ..... 3410. Sewå-TyågaóSwami Ranganathananda ...... 3911. Essence of ServiceóSwami Sivananda ...... 4412. Worship of God as Mother Divine

óSwami Chidananda ...... 5513. TyågaóSwami Krishnananda ...... 6114. Selfless ServiceóSwami Jyotirmayananda ...... 6515. Desireless Sevå is Dharma

óAcharya Sri Vinoba Bhave ...... 6716. SevåóThe Highest GoalóSri Oriyababaji Maharaja ...... 7117. Tyåga of A Pound of Flour Greater

than A‹wamedhaóC. Rajagopalachari ...... 7418. SevåóSwami Sri Akhandananda Saraswati ...... 8019. ServiceóA Panacea for All Ills

óDada J. P. Vaswani ...... 8320. Glory of SevåóDivya Jyoti Devakiji ...... 8621. Sevå Leads to Highest Good

óBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka ..... 89

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22. What is Sewå? óNityalilalina Sri Hanumanprasad Poddar ..... 96

23. How to Serve?óBrahmalina Swami Ramsukhdas ...... 10124. What is Sevå?óKeshoram Aggarwal ...... 10325. Love All Serve AllóGobinda Chandra Panigrahi ...... 10726. Art of SewåóDr. Vijay Kabra ...... 10827. Motherís Unique SacrificeóR. T. Nathan ...... 11428. Selfless ServiceóDr. Girish Goyal ...... 11729. They Also ServeóHarish Chandra Srivastava ...... 12530. Service to Elderly PersonsóPractical Problems

and SolutionóSri R. P. Singh ...... 12831. Parentís ServiceóDr. Vishnudatta Gaur ...... 13232. Western Concept of SewåóMohan Lal Mago ...... 13833. Sewå and Itís ForerunnersóDr. Ashok Pandya ...... 13934. Sewå-TyågaóDr. Natwar Lal Mathur ...... 14535. Finding Opportunities for Various Kinds of Sewå

óLt. General (Dr.) S. R. Mehta ...... 14836. SewåóPathway to Divinity

óRamanuja Minakshi Agarwal ..... 15737. Service to All Living Beings

óDr. (Mrs.) Prabha Singh ..... 15938. Sewå or ServiceóS. Kothandaraman ...... 16439. SewåóA Sådhanå for God-realization ...... 17040. Sewå by Swåm∂ Vivekånanda

óDr. Amulya Mohapatra ..... 17641. Live to ServeóRukmini Ramamurthy ...... 18042. SevåóSelfless ServiceóDr. Bharat B. Gupta ...... 18543. Elements of Sevå in BuddhismóK. V. B. Sastry ...... 18944. True Sevå is Services of Poor

óShivratanji Morolia ..... 19145. God-realization by Sevå of Devotees ...... 193

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46. Medicinal Service óVaidya Sri Balakrishnaji Goswami ...... 195

47. Some Inspirational Instances of Sevå óShivakumar Goyal ...... 197

48. Importance of Sewå ...... 20449. Sevå ...... 20950. A Selfless ServiceóChilukuri Venkateswarlu ...... 21051. Selfless Sevå of HanumånóR. Subrahmanian ...... 21252. Selfless Service of Vulture Ja¢åyu ...... 21753. Great Tyåga of ›r∂ Caitanya ...... 21854. Glory of Association with Saints ...... 21955. Reward of Gurusevå ...... 22156. Knowledge of Brahma from Cow Serving ...... 22457. RantidevaóBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka ...... 22658. Tyåga of a Great Soul

óDr. Mukunda Pati Tripathi ëRatnamaliyaí ...... 23059. Ideal Spirit of Service of St. Francis ...... 23460. The Lady with the Lamp: Florence Nightingale

óSrishtirupa Srivastava ...... 23661. Go-Sevå of a German Gentleman ...... 24062. Story of a Foreigner in SewåóK. Subramanian ...... 24363. Service of Saint ...... 24564. Opportunity of Service is Blessedness ...... 24665. Spirit of Service ...... 24766. Some Great Tyåg∂sóAncient and Modern

óR. Sridharan ...... 24867. Guest-service by a Pigeon Couple ...... 25268. Guest-service of Dåmodara Couple ...... 25569. Self-sacrifice for Community Service ...... 25970. Social Service of Guru Tegabahådura

óShivakumar Goyal ...... 261

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71. Tyåga of a MotheróM. L. Narasimham ...... 26272. Divine Worship of Sålabega

óAcharya Dr. Udainath Jha ëAshokí ...... 26573. Bahiƒåbå∂óThe Ideal Spouse ...... 26874. Beatitude by Serving All Beings ...... 27275. Service to Lord Nåråyaƒa in the Guise of Poor ...... 27476. Saintís Spirit of Service ...... 27677. Learning from Gurusevå ...... 27778. Devotion of ›rawaƒa Kumåra to His Parents ...... 28379. Service of Mother ...... 28680. Renunciation in Marriage ...... 28881. A Wonder of Dedication to Sevå ...... 28982. Service of Guest by Vidyåsågara ...... 29283. True Server of the Country (Mahåmanå Målav∂yaj∂) ..... 29384. Cow Service of King Dil∂pa ...... 29585. Tukåråmaís Love for Cow ...... 29686. Sacrifice of His Life for a Cow by Nåmadeva ...... 29887. Loyalty of Durgådåsa ...... 30088. A Faithful Maidservant ...... 30289. Hypocrisy does not Work before a Saint ...... 30490. Even Curse of True Saint is Auspicious ...... 30591. Oneness with Humbles ...... 30892. Tyåga or Intelligence ...... 31093. O My Lord! Listen to Me

óShiv Sharan Singh Chauhan ëAnsumalií ..... 31194. Tyåga as Found in ›r∂mad RåmåyaƒaóR. Kannan ..... 31395. Real Tyåga According to G∂tåóDr. Debabrata Das ..... 31796. Sevå-TyågaóV. Ramanathan ...... 32197. TyågaóIts Meaning and Significance

óC. Jayanarayanan ..... 33098. Sewå and TyågaóR. T. Nathan ...... 33799. Tyåga or SacrificeóS. Kothandaraman ...... 344

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100. Evolution of Consciousness through Sewå-Tyåga óDr. Uma Sangameswaran ...... 356

101. Sewå and TyågaóR. P. Dwivedi ...... 361102. Tyåga of Råga-Dwe¶aóOm Prakash Dubey ...... 366103. Tyåga of Lust and Cardinal Desires

óRitudyuti Chakrabarty ...... 371104. Sacrifice and Service: The Milestone of Humanity

óSushanta Kumar Mohapatra ...... 375105. Tyåga as a Means of Spiritual Training

óDr. V. V. Rampal ...... 384106. The Vision and Significance of Sewå and Tyåga

óKishan Kumar Agarwal ...... 387107. Sewå and Tyåga in Buddhism

óGautam Chakraborty ...... 389108. Dance of FleshóBrigadier Karan Singh Chauhan ...... 393

List of Illustrations (Coloured)

1. Divine Guest of ›abar∂ ...... 51

2. Gau-Sewaka Emperor Dil∂pa ...... 52

3. ›ravaƒa Kumåra Serving Parents ...... 53

4. Five Great Yaj¤as ...... 54

5. Rapture in Sewå ...... 279

6. Mahar¶i Dadh∂ci ...... 280

7. Devoted to Welfare of All ...... 281

8. Compassionate King Rantideva ...... 282

˙ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊Œ— ¬ÍáÊ¸Á◊Œ¢ ¬ÍáÊÊ¸à¬ÍáÊ¸◊ÈŒëÿÃ– ¬ÍáÊ¸Sÿ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊ÊŒÊÿ ¬ÍáÊ¸◊flÊflÁ‡ÊcÿÃH

A MONTHLY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF SPIRITUALIDEAS AND LOVE FOR GOD

Glory of Selfless Service

ÿÃ— ¬˝flÎÁûÊ÷Í¸ÃÊŸÊ¢ ÿŸ ‚fl¸Á◊Œ¢ ÃÃ◊˜–Sfl∑§◊¸áÊÊ Ã◊èÿëÿ¸ Á‚Áh¢ ÁflãŒÁÃ ◊ÊŸfl—H

(G∂tå XVIII. 46)From whom all beings come into being and by whom the

whole universe is pervaded, by worshipping Him through theperformance of his own natural duties, man attains the highestperfection.

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Vol. 62 October 2016 No. 1

EditorialDear Readers,

The glory of true Sevå cannot be fully described inwords. A person who truly understands the meaning and secretof Sevå, can only know, how beneficial to spirit of Sevå is. Whena Sevaka renders true services, his ego is transmuted into Sevåitself, his whole life turns into Sevå. Real Sevå dissolves theego of the Sevaka. As a result of true Sevå, Sevaka gets self-realization and further he is blessed with ever-increasing, ever-new divine love. Thus, a Sevaka becomes useful to people atlarge which is God-incarnate. He becomes useful for himselfby getting rid of repeated birth and death in the world andforever he satisfies the Godís hunger for love. God is self-sufficient and He needs nothing else but He is hungry for humanlove. Real Sevaka, as a reward of his true service, is blessedwith such divine love thus, he becomes useful for God.

There was an age when people were in search of someopportunity to serve, but nobody was interested in accepting anykind of service from any person. Now, environment is such thatthere are ample opportunity for a man to do service in any field.

Practically, the whole world has become a victim of terror.The whole humanity is burning with the sentiments of jealousy,spirit of vengeance. Miseries and afflictions are tormentingpeople. There is strife among brothers themselves. In domesticfield we find there are clashes between husband and wife, themother-in-law and daughter-in-law, one neighbour with another.One nation is intent upon destroying another nation. There isno peace anywhere.

Agitations are going on for reservations for posts in

11Editorial

Government services. Women are claiming their rights forreservations of seats in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.If we deeply think over the reasons for such bedlam in countriesand in the world, the answer is that the feeling of selfishnessis predominating, the spirit of service is gone.

Without loving, peaceful and self-sacrificing individuals,there can never be a peaceful society, nation or world. Suchenvironment cannot be created by legislation or a mere changeof system. More legislations create more problems than it solvesand hence problems go on multiplying without end. Trueestablishment of peace and love can take place only in the heartsof people.

When the leaders and men of learning in a nation fall preyto selfishness, the nation is destroyed. Unless these people evokein themselves the spirit of service to all without the discriminationof caste, creed and community, real peace cannot progress. Thespirit of universal brotherhood and the spirit of oneness amongourselves is essential for rousing the sentiments of true service.

A thorn pierces the foot but tears come into the eyes. Why?The foot is obviously different in form and appearance fromthe eye and its functions and shape are also different from thoseof the eyes. Tears come into the eyes because the one whoholds the feet as his and the eyes as his, is the same. Thus, thevariable differences between the eyes and the feet are not basic,but only differences of form and functions. Even so, the worldwhich we see as full of different nations, religions, views, hasonly one Supreme Entity whom we may call God, Paramåtmå.Allah or whatever other name according to our way of approach.But He is one and the same. We all are His children. We arehere in this world to serve one another in a selfless and egolessspirit. Jesus urgedóìHelp all, and you will feel the pleasureof heartening others; help all because God is your father andeveryone is your kin. Love and help even your enemies in that

12 Kalyana-Kalpataru

spirit of divinehood.î The same is echoed in the Vedas andother scriptures. Unless this spirit of service and love is arousedin all human beings, there is no possibility of peace beingestablished in the world.

All human relationships are for service only, otherwise theyare illusory. Whatever materials or ability a human being isendowed with, that is only for the service of others, not foroneís own enjoyment. When a man renders unto the world whatbelongs to him, he gets detached from the body and itsrelationships and also with the whole world. He is blessed withunion with God.

It is not necessary that only a man of many externalpossessions and wealth can perform service. Generally peopletake service to be gift of some goods and helpful deeds whichone may perform in varying measures with own materials andmoney. That is good so far as it goes but a man can render servicewithout money and materials even by sharing experience andsympathy with people in their times of distress and pleasures.You can be a true servant if your heart is affected, seeing anotherman in misery and distress, you can offer your bodily efforts tomitigate the distress of others. Your consolation to the afflictedperson can be a great service. To spread good noble ideas, goodnoble thoughts among the people at large, is also a good service.

To spread among our countrymen noble ideas of service andsacrifice, we thought of publishing the Sevå-Tyåga Number ofKalyana-Kalpataru this year. Real Sevå dissolves the ego andresults in real Tyåga (renunciation). Such noble sentiments ofservice and Tyåga may flower in us and our readers!

In this issue various articles about liberated, exalted andelevated souls are included which throw light on various typesof Sevå we can perform. There are thoughtful write-upson how this Sevå we should perform so that we may spirituallyevolve ourselves. Certain illustrations of glorious Sevås are also

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included which are interesting and rewarding.We are thankful to our contributors who helped us in making

this issue as it is by sending us remarkable write-ups.Our co-editor and our staff took very painstaking efforts to

prepare this issue. Without their help it was not possible forus to get it in its present form.

In the end I offer my obeisance to God, whose Divine Graceis working and ever inspiring us. Without His Divine Grace,any movement of body or any thought is not possible. We aremere tools: ÁŸÁ◊ûÊ◊ÊòÊ◊˜ . May His Grace shower all around.

óEditor❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Editorial

Blessings(Glory of Bhagawatsewå)

óJagadaguru Shankaracharya Swami Sri Bharatitirthaji Maharaja

There are two types of SewåóSewå of God and Sewå ofmankind. Outcome of Sewå to God is endless whereas outcomeof Sewå to mankind is limited. Godís Sewå is within reachwhereas mankindís Sewå is troublesome. In this situation it isquite useful to perform Sewå to God, but menfolk do not realizethis truth and perform Sewå to mankind. Knowing well this fact,people are deep down in Sewå of menfolk leaving aside Sewåto God. This is really astonishing.

Such is said about Råjasewåó⁄UÊ¡‚flÊ ◊ŸÈcÿÊáÊÊ◊Á‚œÊ⁄UÊfl‹„UŸ◊˜–¬ÜøÊŸŸ¬Á⁄UcflXÔU— √ÿÊ‹ËflŒŸøÈê’Ÿ◊˜H

Råjasewå is rather more dreadful than to embrace a lion,to kiss a snake and lick the edge of sword. To please the kingis very difficult because they are of unsettled mind. When andwith whom he is displeased, is not known to anyone. One hasto look at his face all the time. He has to be adored, andnecessarily make all to hear his self-praise. One has to followhim. And after doing so much even than he is not happy.

A poet has said addressing a deeróÿmÄòÊ¢ ◊È„ÈU⁄UËˇÊ‚ Ÿ œÁŸŸÊ¢ ’˝Í· Ÿ øÊ≈ÍUŸ˜ ◊Î·Ê

ŸÒ·Ê¢ ªfl¸flø— oÎáÊÊÁ· Ÿ ¬ÈŸSÃÊŸ˜ ¬˝àÿ„UÊ œÊflÁ‚–∑§Ê‹ ’Ê‹ÃÎáÊÊÁŸ πÊŒÁ‚ ¬⁄¢U ÁŸº˝ÊÁ‚ ÁŸº˝Êª◊

Ãã◊ ’˝ÍÁ„U ∑È§⁄UXÔU! ∑È§òÊ ÷flÃÊ Á∑¢§ ŸÊ◊ Ã#¢ Ã¬—H

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O deer! You do not look towards these rich people againand again, you do not perform mendacious adoration to them,you do not listen their conceited sayings and you do not runafter them. Simply you rear the grass time to time only. Whenyou feel sleepy, you sleep, you are not facing any adversitylike menfolk. You are really lucky.

One Bhakta has told such asó‚ÊÒ¡ãÿÊê’È◊L§SÕ‹Ë ‚ÈøÁ⁄UÃÊ‹ÅÿlÈÁ÷ÁûÊªÈ¸áÊ-

ÖÿÊàSŸÊ∑Î§cáÊøÃÈŒ¸‡ÊË ‚⁄U‹ÃÊÿÊª‡fl¬Èë¿Uë¿U≈UÊ–ÿÒ⁄U·ÊÁåÊ ŒÈ⁄UÊ‡ÊÿÊ ∑§Áflfl⁄ÒU ⁄UÊ¡Êfl‹Ë ‚√ÿÃ

Ã·Ê¢ ‡ÊÍÁ‹ÁŸ ÷ÁÄÃ◊ÊòÊ‚È‹÷ ‚flÊ Á∑§ÿà∑§ÊÒ‡Ê‹◊˜HThese kings do not have either courtesy, character, virtue

or even simplicity. Even in this situation poets do Sewå to themonly. Why they do not offer Sewå to God who is pleased withBhakti only. What do we get from these kings after doing somuch for them?

About such, a Bhakta has briefedóˇÊÊáÊË∑§ÊáÊ‡ÊÃÊ¢‡Ê¬Ê‹Ÿ∑§‹ÊŒÈflÊ¸⁄UªflÊ¸Ÿ‹-

ˇÊÈèÿàˇÊÈº˝Ÿ⁄Uãº˝øÊ≈ÈU⁄UøŸÊœãÿÊŸ˜ Ÿ ◊ãÿÊ◊„U–Œfl¢ ‚ÁflÃÈ◊fl ÁŸÁ‡øŸÈ◊„U ÿÊ˘‚ÊÒ ŒÿÊ‹È— ¬È⁄UÊ

œÊŸÊ◊ÈÁCÔU◊Èø ∑È§ø‹◊ÈŸÿ ŒûÊ S◊ ÁflûÊ‡ÊÃÊ◊˜HWe do not honour these kings, who profess themselves the

supermost even after getting the possession of one hundredthpart of the corner of this endless earth. We are always readyto do Sewå to only the Supreme God who gifts boundlessopulence for only a handful of rice.

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Blessings

Sewå and TyågaóPath to God-realisationóSwami Padmanabhananda

The scriptures describe the Supreme Reality, God, in itsthree different aspects viz., Transcendent, Immanent andOmnipresent.

1. The TranscendentóDescribing this aspect, the Taittir∂yaUpani¶ad proclaimsó

ÿÃÊ flÊøÊ ÁŸflÃ¸ãÃ – •¬˝Êåÿ ◊Ÿ‚Ê ‚„U–(II. 4)

ìWords will fail to explain it. The mind cannot reach there.îThe Kenopani¶ad saysó

ÿã◊Ÿ‚Ê Ÿ ◊ŸÈÃ ÿŸÊ„ÈU◊¸ŸÊ ◊Ã◊˜–ÃŒfl ’˝rÊÔ àfl¢ ÁflÁh ŸŒ¢ ÿÁŒŒ◊È¬Ê‚ÃH

(I. 5)ìWhat one cannot think with the mind but by which they

say that the mind is made to think, know that alone as Brahma,and not this which people here worship.î

2. The ImmanentóWhile the Upani¶ads describe theAbsolute Truth ëGodí as beyond mundane, they also say thatthe Reality, is Immanent in everything perceived here.

In the ›vetå‹vataropani¶ad, the Supreme Being is describedthusó

•XÔUÈ DÔU◊ÊòÊ— ¬ÈL§·Ê˘ãÃ⁄UÊà◊Ê‚ŒÊ ¡ŸÊŸÊ¢ NUŒÿ ‚¢ÁŸÁflCÔU—–

NUŒÊ ◊ŸË·Ê ◊Ÿ‚ÊÁ÷Ä‹ÎåÃÊÿ ∞ÃŒ˜ ÁflŒÈ⁄U◊ÎÃÊSÃ ÷flÁãÃH

(III. 13)

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ìThe Puru¶a, of the size of a thumb, who is concealed by theheart, intellect and mind, always dwells in the hearts of creaturesas their Inner Self. Those who know Him become immortal.î

›r∂mad Bhågavata-Mahåpuråƒa is also replete with suchexamplesó

Ÿ sÔëÿÈÃ¢ ¬˝ËáÊÿÃÊ ’uÔUÊÿÊ‚Ê˘‚È⁄UÊà◊¡Ê—–•Êà◊àflÊÃ˜ ‚fl¸÷ÍÃÊŸÊ¢ Á‚hàflÊÁŒ„U ‚fl¸Ã—H

(VII. 6. 19)ìIt is not difficult to please Acyuta. For, He is the innermost

spirit of all and can be communed with anywhere.î∞∑§ ∞fl ¬⁄UÊ sÔÊà◊Ê ÷ªflÊŸËE⁄UÊ˘√ÿÿ—H

(VII. 6. 21)ìIn all the entities and conditions is present that One Supreme

Spirit, the all powerful Divine Person, the Lord of all, theunchangeable substance.î

¬˝àÿªÊà◊SflM§¬áÊ ŒÎ‡ÿM§¬áÊ ø Sflÿ◊˜–√ÿÊåÿ√ÿÊ¬∑§ÁŸŒ¸‡ÿÊ sÔÁŸŒ¸‡ÿÊ˘Áfl∑§ÁÀ¬Ã—H

(VII. 6. 22)ìWhile baffling definition and remaining undifferentiated,

He manifests as the indwelling spirit and as the objects ofperception, as their Pervader and as the Pervaded.î

3. The OmnipresentóGod is also described in the scripturesin His third aspectóas the Omnipresent or all-pervadingRealityó

¬ÈL§· ∞flŒ¢ ‚flZ–ìEverything here is verily that Supreme Puru¶a.îThe very first verse of ∫‹åvåsyopani¶ad asserts:

ß¸‡ÊÊ flÊSÿÁ◊Œö‚flZ ÿÁà∑§Üø ¡ªàÿÊ¢ ¡ªÃ˜–ìAll thisówhatsoever moves in this universe (and that

moves not)óis indwelt or pervaded by the Lord.îThe Transcendent aspect of God is beyond the reach of mind

and words. The Immanent aspect of God is an intuitive

Sewå and TyågaóPath to God-realisation


experience. Only the Omnipresent aspect of God can be realizedhere and now and this experience is spiritual living.

True spiritual life is feeling the presence of God now andhere. We are ever living in His presence; this truth is to berecognized and lived. Service (Sewå) and sacrifice (Tyåga) arenot two different entities. They are the two sides of one coinand they always go together. To sacrifice oneís comforts to bringhappiness to another person is possible only when one feelsthe presence of God in the other. How one relates himself withothers, determines his spiritual aspiration and spiritual living.

An ordinary person is selfish and wants to grab everyopportunity to increase his comforts and happiness. The desireto sacrifice oneís happiness for another arises only in the heart ofthat person who considers the other person is worthy to berespected and adored. So the scriptures approach us from twoanglesóeradicating the negative and replacing it with the positive.

To begin with, the scriptures sayó◊Ê ÷˝ÊÃÊ ÷˝ÊÃ⁄¢U ÁmˇÊŸ˜, ◊Ê Sfl‚Ê⁄U◊ÈÃ Sfl‚Ê–

ìMay brother hate not brother, sister hate not sister, Maywe be united and speak auspicious words.î

Simultaneously, the scriptures instruct the seekers to developfriendliness and compassion towards all living beings. An idealrelationship of a seeker with the other beings of the world islucidly explained in ›r∂mad Bhågavataó

Ám·Ã— ¬⁄U∑§Êÿ ◊Ê¢ ◊ÊÁŸŸÊ Á÷ãŸŒÁ‡Ê¸Ÿ—–÷ÍÃ·È ’hflÒ⁄USÿ Ÿ ◊Ÿ— ‡ÊÊÁãÃ◊Îë¿UÁÃH

(III. 29. 23)A man who persecutes or hates others, who is proud and

haughty, really hates Me only, as I am the indweller in the other.Such a one will never attain to peace of mind.

•Êà◊Ÿp ¬⁄USÿÊÁ¬ ÿ— ∑§⁄UÊàÿãÃ⁄UÊŒ⁄U◊˜–ÃSÿ Á÷ÛÊŒÎ‡ÊÊ ◊ÎàÿÈÌflŒœ ÷ÿ◊ÈÀ’áÊ◊˜H

(III. 29. 26)

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As long as man is selfish and makes an absolute distinctionbetween himself and others without recognizing the unity of allin Me, he will be subject to great fear of death.

•Õ ◊Ê¢ ‚fl¸÷ÍÃ·È ÷ÍÃÊà◊ÊŸ¢ ∑Î§ÃÊ‹ÿ◊˜–•„¸UÿgÊŸ◊ÊŸÊèÿÊ¢ ◊ÒòÿÊÁ÷ÛÊŸ øˇÊÈ·ÊH

(III. 29. 27)ìOvercoming all the separativeness of self-centred life, one

should serve all beings with love, recognizing that such serviceis being rendered to Me who resides in all beings as theirinnermost soul.î

ÃS◊ÊÃ˜ ‚fl¸·È ÷ÍÃ·È ŒÿÊ¢ ∑È§L§Ã ‚ÊÒNUŒ◊˜–•Ê‚È⁄¢U ÷Êfl◊Èã◊Èëÿ ÿÿÊ ÃÈcÿàÿœÊˇÊ¡—H

(VII. 6. 24)ìTherefore, be kind to all creatures and extend your

friendship to them abandoning your evil nature. By this theSupreme Lord will be pleased.î

Gurudeva ›r∂ Swåm∂ ›ivånandaj∂ Maharåja, prescribesSådhanå in four wordsóëServe, Love, Meditate, Realise.íÅtma-Såk¶åtkåra or Bhagavad-Såk¶åtkåra is possible only whenthe Sådhanå starts with service of humanity with love. Sewåhelps to purify the mind and makes it fit for meditation andrealization of the Absolute.

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Sewå and TyågaóPath to God-realisation

SewåóSwami Vivekananda

From highest Brahman to the yonder worm,And to the very minutest atom,Everywhere is the same God, the All-Love;Friend, offer mind, soul, body, at their feet.These are His manifold forms before Thee,Rejecting them, where seekest Thou for God?Who loves all beings, without distinction,He indeed is worshipping best his God.This is the gist of all worshipóto be pure and to do good

to others. He who sees ›iva in the poor, in the weak, and inthe diseased, really worships ›iva; and if he sees ›iva only inthe image, his worship is but preliminary. He who has servedand helped one poor man seeing ›iva in him, without thinkingof his caste or creed or race or anything with him ›iva is morepleased than with the man who sees Him only in temples.

He who wants to serve the father must serve the childrenfirst. He who wants to serve ›iva must serve His childrenómust serve all creatures in the world first.

It is said in the ›åstra that those who serve the servantsof God, are His greatest servants. So you will bear this in mind.

Let me tell you again, that you must be pure and help anyonewho comes to you as much as lies in your power. And thisis good Karma. By the power of this, the heart becomes pure(Citta ›uddhi), and then ›iva who is residing in every one, willbecome manifest.

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Selfishness is the chief sin, thinking of ourselves first. Hewho thinks, ìI will eat first, I will have more money than others,and I will possess everythingî; he who thinks, ìI will get toheaven before others, I will get Mukti before others,î is theselfish man. The unselfish man says, ìI will be last, I do notcare to go to heaven, I will go to hell, if by doing so I canhelp my brothers.î This unselfishness is the test of religion.

This life is short, the vanities of the world are transient, butthey alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead thanalive.

Do you love your fellow men? Where should you go toseek for Godóare not all the poor, the miserable, the weak,gods? Why not worship them first? Why go to dig a well onthe shores of the Ga∆gå?

Who will give the world light? Sacrifice in the past has beenthe Law, it will be, alas, for ages to come. The earthís bravestand best will have to sacrifice themselves for the good of many,for the welfare of all. Buddhas by the hundred are necessarywith eternal love and pity.

Religions of the world have become lifeless mockeries. Whatthe world wants, is character. The world is in need of thosewhose life is one burning love, selfless. That love will makeevery word tell like thunderbolt.

Awake, awake, great ones! The world is burning withmisery. Can you sleep? Let us call and call till the sleepinggods awake, till the god within answers to the call. What moreis in life? What greater work?

May I be born again and again, and suffer thousands ofmiseries so that I may worship the only God that exists, theonly God I believe in, the sum total of all soulsóand aboveall, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my God thepoor of all races, of all species, is the special object of myworship.

Sewå


Doing good to others out of compassion is good, but theSewå (service) of all beings in the spirit of the Lord is better.

It is our privilege to be allowed to be charitable, for onlyso can we grow. The poor man suffers that we may be helped;let the giver kneel down and give thanks, let the receiver standup and permit. See the Lord back of every being and give toHim.

Doing work is not religion, but work done rightly leads toFreedom. In reality all pity is darkness, because whom to pity?Can you pity God? And is there anything else? Thank Godfor giving you this world as a moral gymnasium to help yourdevelopment, but never imagine you can help the world.

Self-sacrifice, not self-assertion, is the highest law of theuniverse......Religion comes with intense self-sacrifice. Desirenothing for yourself. Do all for others. This is to live and moveand have your being in God.

Selfishness is the devil incarnate in every man. Every bitof self, bit by bit, is devil. Take off self by one side and Godenters by the other.

The highest ideal is eternal and entire self-abnegation, wherethere is no ìIî but all is ìThouî.

Unselfishness is God.Are you unselfish? That is the question. If you are, you

will be perfect without reading a single religious book, withoutgoing into a single church or temple.

The difference between God and the devil is in nothingexcept in unselfishness and selfishness.

It is a privilege to serve mankind, for this is the worshipof God; God is here, in all these human souls. He is the soulof man.

Be grateful to the man you help, think of him as God. Isit not a great privilege to be allowed to worship God by helpingyour fellow men?

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The world is a grand moral gymnasium wherein we haveall to take exercise so as to become stronger and strongerspiritually.

The first of everything should go to the poor; we have onlya right to what remains. The poor are Godís representatives;anyone that suffers is His representative.

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Sewå

If a person has great knowledge, wisdom and talents, ifhe shines with many abilities and capacities, if with all theseendowments he is dishonest, untruthful, then he has a longway to go. God is far, far away from that personís life, becausehe has removed God from his life.

There is a great popular saying: ìIn that heart where loveabides, there God is; and God dwells not in that heart wherelove is not.î And the same can verily be said about this greatvirtue of truth: ìIn that heart where truth abides, there Godis. God dwells not in that heart where dwells untruth, falsity,concealment, cheating, dishonesty, hypocrisy, pretence,cunningness and crookedness which are all various shades ofAsatya or untruth.î

Our ancients knew the great importance of truth andinsisted upon it as a prime value to be practised if one wantsto even enter the portals of spiritual life. Bh∂¶ma, in the ›åntiParva, speaks about the glory, the greatness and theindispensability of truth in the life that would attain God.›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa again and again used to say: ìGod loves aguileless nature.î

—Swami Chidananda

What is Tyåga (Renunciation)?óSwami Rama Tirtha

There was in India a king called ›ikhidhwaja. He was agreat king and mighty monarch. He wanted to realize his God-consciousness; and in order to do that he thought that he oughtto give up his family life.

His wife was CuŒålå (øÈ«∏UÊ‹Ê). She wanted to teach him, buthe would not listen to her, for he thought nothing of her.

He renounced everything, gave up his kingdom, and his wifebecame the ruler. He then went to the Himalayas, and therehe lived about a year or so.

In the meantime the Empress, his wife thought of a planto bring him real happiness. So one day she put on the garbof a Sa≈nyås∂, and walked up to the cottage where her husbandthen was. She found him lost in a state of meditation; sheremained standing beside him and when he came to his senses,he was filled with joy. Thinking her a great Sa≈nyås∂, heshowered flowers on her.

She was in a blissful mood. He exclaimed, ìI think Godhas incarnated in you to lift me up.î She replied, ìYes, yes.îHe wanted her to teach him and she did so. She said, ìO king,if you want to enjoy perfect bliss, you will have to renounceeverything.î He was surprised and replied, ìI have renouncedmy empire, my wife, my children.î She said, ìYou haverenounced nothing.î

He could not understand and asked, ìAm I not a man ofrenunciation, have I not given up my empire, my family?î Sheanswered, ìNo, no, do you not possess something still?î ìYesî,

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he replied, ìI possess this cottage, this staff and this water-vessel.î ìThen you are not a man of renunciation,î she replied.ìSo long as you possess anything, you are possessed by thatthing. Action and reaction being opposites, you cannot possessanything without its possessing you.î He then burnt the cottage,threw his staff into the river, burnt his water-vessel, andexclaimed, ìNow, am I not a man of renunciation?î She replied,ìRenunciation cannot come from renouncing these objects.î Shesaid, ìO king, you have burnt the cottage, but do you not stillpossess three cubits and a half of clay? It was wrong for youto destroy those things, you have gained nothing by it. Whatyou possessed then you still possess, namely, that three cubitsand a half of clay, where you lie down.î He began to thinkand determined to burn the body. He piled up wood and madea great fire and was about to jump into it, but the wife preventedhim and exclaimed, ìO king, when your body is burnt, whatwill be left?î He replied, ìAshes will be left.î ìWhose ashes?îshe asked. He replied, ìMy ashes.î Then she replied, ìYou muststill possess ashes. By burning the body you have not attainedrenunciation.î He began to think and exclaimed, ìHow can Irenounce, what shall I renounce?î

She asked, ìWhose body is this?î He answered, ìMy body.îìWell renounce it.î ìWhose mind is this?î He answered, ìMymindî. ìThen renounce it.î The king was then made to askquestions. He said, ìWho am I then? If I am not the mind,I am something else, and if I am not the body, I must besomething different.î He reflected and the conclusion was thatthe king realized, ìI am the God of gods, the Lord of lords,the Infinite Being, the Supreme Excellence.î He realized thatand said that this Supreme Excellence cannot be renounced,though other things may be.

They say that charity begins at home. Renunciation oughtto begin with those things that are nearest and dearest. It is that

What is Tyåga (Renunciation)?


false ego which I must give up: this idea that ìI am doing thisî,ìI am the agent,î and ìI am the enjoyer,î the idea whichengenders this false personality. Take these thoughts in, eventhough they are not proved. These thoughts must be done awaywithóìmy wife,î ìmy body,î ìmy mind,î ìmy children.îUnless these ideas are renounced, realization is not attained.

Retire into the jungle and still you are not a man ofrenunciation, because the thought of making this or that belongsto you, is in your mind. Hermits do not always get rid of thisthought; while kings living in a royal state do get rid of itsometimes.

The man of renunciation is one who gets rid of this littleappropriating self, this little apparent self. Can a man who isever conscious of, ìI am doing this,î ìI am doing that,î ìthisis mine,î etc., be ever called a man of renunciation? No. Whenhe once realizes, and practically feels and knows the Truth,knows that ìI am the one Infinite, the Verity, that is thegoverning power, ruler and owner of the whole world,î whenhe realizes that, then he is the same as the stars, the sun andthe moon, the air and the water, for all these are his exponents.

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Real Art of GivingóSri Paramahansa Yogananda

The Bhagavadg∂tå instructs man in the art of giving bydifferentiating those gifts that expand the consciousness of thegiver from those that merely feed his sense of self-importance.It is the spiritually degenerate individual, bereft of humility, whoperforms religious rites pretentiously in order to impress others.Hypocrites, who feign religiosity to gain honour and humanattention, form the bad habit of using spiritual rites to acquiremundane praise instead of divine recognition. Praise receivedfor the performance of praiseworthy deeds should serve as animpetus to perform greater spiritual deeds. Love of praise asan end in itself, deviates the mind from God and centres it onthe self-satisfaction of the ego.

Ostentatious givers of alms delude themselves with a falsesense of superiority arising from ignorance, the conceit ofpersonal ownership. But no human being owns anything. Forthe brief interlude in which man is a guest on Godís earth, heis allowed the use of thingsómore or less according to themeasure of his past Karma, but always dependent uponHeavenís bounty. His own free will-initiated actions, in this andpast incarnations, earn his place in life; yet he could not getanything had God not anticipated manís needs and structuredcreation accordingly. It is by using the God-given gifts ofintelligence, creative ability, and will-power that man achieveshis self-proclaimed wonders. In the final reckoning, all thingsare gifts of God, even though He makes man work for themthat through the struggle of right endeavour he might hastenhis evolution.


The evolution of even the most materially dynamic man isinconsiderable so long as he remains hidebound in self-centredconcerns. Selfishness is a clamshell existence, tightly enclosinga soul in one body and one personality. Some people are solimited to their physical form and its sensations that they arelittle, if ever, aware of the feelings of others. Unselfishness andgenerosity make a person cognizant of the souls of others andthe tremors of their consciousness. To serve othersóby identifyingtheir necessities as oneís own and providing whatever one canin the way of material needs, psychological succour or spiritualenlightenmentóis wondrously expansive, uniting oneísconsciousness with the lives and hearts of others.

During the bestowal of gifts, the devotee should feel thathe is serving the Indwelling Lord in the body-temples of others.Whatever God-gifted bounty he has received, should be sharedwith Godís needy children as an offering to the Father of all.Thus, is God served as the extended Self in the selves of others.

It is the silent giver, presenting gifts to his brethren in secret,who receives the heavenly reward of feeling Godís omnipresencein other hearts. Anyone who gives alms or words of wisdomto another and brags about it destroys the sanctity of hischaritable act. To boast, ìI gave....î or ìI helped to redeem....îis not sanctity but sanctimony. A person who broadcasts hisìpietyî may receive material reward by gaining some indiscriminateadmirers and some followers, but glorifying oneself will keepaway wise friends and the all-wise God. The Heavenly Lawdoes not give the reward of revelation to braggarts; the pratingego hears nothing of truth.

The braggadocio, with his desire for publicity, reaps somebeneficial results from the good done to others by his bestowalof gifts; he is at least better than the miser. But the pridefulgiver remains limited in egotism, satisfied with its evanescentreward of the insincere applause of man. He thus, denies himself

29

the reward of Heaven, blessed expansion of self in the heartsof others. But gifts given in quiet humility joyously, unite theheart of the giver with the hearts of the benefited and withthe omnipresence of the spirit of God.

The Lord is the supreme philanthropist, Bestower of allthings on His mortal childrenóand to His good children Hehas even given Himself. Those liberated sons of God, one withthe Infinite Giver, likewise offer whatever is available to makeHim happy in the bodies of others. Everyone should embracethat example, sharing each day their kindness and at leastsomething of their earthly good fortune with worthy, needypersons; and, on a broader scale, supporting the needs of worthydivine causes, which benefit many.

Most people are willing to offer advice and sympathy; butwhen it comes to sharing their hard-earned money with others,they feel compelled to be ìtightwadsî with closed purse strings,believing only in family happinessóìus four and no more.î Aperson of means who is worried about losing a hundredthousand dollars on the stock market may not stop to think ofthe many people who possess little or nothing at all. Somepeople never hesitate when it comes to buying a yacht or anew luxury car, but are miserly when it comes to giving toa legitimate needy cause. There they economize and feelrighteous when donating a token sum.

As one lovingly, naturally, joyously, remorselessly gives thebest gifts to himself, without seeking publicity, so should onegive to others without ostentation. Giving freely and quietly toothers, one finds the divine law of supply secretly working inhis life. When attachment to God is more than to God-givenpossessions, automatically a channel is opened through whichHis abundance flows.

When giving to others with the right hand or the right spirit,let not the left hand or egotism, be conscious of it. Those who

Real Art of Giving


think of themselves as generous givers are not equal to thosewho give so open-handedly that they are hardly aware of theirbenevolence. If one has concern for others as he regards himself,the Spirit will reward him with the perception of OmnipresenceóGodís all-pervasive love and bliss sent openly into his heart.

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Bharataís Sacrifice and Devotion

No worldly gain, no attainment, not even the status ofBrahmå, Vi¶ƒu and Mahe‹a could deviate Bharata from thepurity of his devotion to ›r∂ Råma. To him, ›r∂ Råma wasthe way, the truth, the life and the goal. He was ever readyto please Råma and carry out his commands cheerfully. Henever disobeyed ›r∂ Råma under any circumstances. Hiswatchword was obedience to his brother ›r∂ Råma. His loveand reverence towards his brother are matchless in this world.You cannot find a second Bharata in the history of the world.The world has not produced his equal. Råma himself was notcapable of describing the love which Bharata had for him.

The spirit of self-sacrifice was ingrained in him. He didnot care for the rights of royalty and kingdom. He left themin favour of his absent brother. He led the life of an ascetic.No one else could have done this.

He practised self-denial and endurance. He spurned thepomp and glory of royalty. He was meek and simple. He wasa great Tyåg∂. He relinquished all the pleasures of the worldlike straw and cultivated divine qualities. Råma was his soledelight and joy.

óSwami Sivananda

Worship Mother as GodóJagadguru Swami Sri Raghavacharyaji Maharaja

A woman is Goddess Mother. In Indian Culture, the mysteryhas been revealed by presenting her as a mother and that, sheis not a mere object to fulfil the lustful desire but, is alwaysadorable and venerable. For this, our Religious Scripture hasestablished the glory of a mother ten lakhs-fold more than aspiritual preceptor, one lakh-fold more than a priest and tenthousand-fold more than the father. From conception to the timeof sending to Gurukula, the way of nurturing her son provesthat womanhood of a woman is only her motherhood. Anoffspring may become unfilial son but the mother is never andnot even in the most reverse situation, is unfilial mother. ì∑È§¬ÈòÊÊ¡ÊÿÃ `§ÁøŒÁ¬ ∑È§◊ÊÃÊ Ÿ ÷flÁÃ–”” Her love and affection is not limitedto her offspring only. If disciples of Gurukula comes for almsat her door, she gives alms with motherly affection, that meansshe teaches the lesson to treat other woman too, as a mother,thus, she acquires the beauty of being called mother of thesociety at large. Any man with sinful sight on her, cannot staybefore lustre of her chastity and he is compelled to bow downwith respect to her motherhood.

This motherhood of a woman has not come as her shareor gift by any division on the principle of her equality witha man. If it would have been like this, she would not havebeen adorable. From Scriptural point of view, this is theblessings of compassionate mother of the universe to her andby this way the womenfolk have acquired the glory of Herimage. Verse of Vi¶ƒupuråƒaó


ŒflÁÃÿ¸æ˜U ◊ŸÈcÿ·È ¬ÈãŸÊ◊Ê ÷ªflÊŸ˜ „UÁ⁄U—–SòÊËŸÊêŸË üÊË‡ø ÁflôÊÿÊ....................H

In general the meaning is clear that in the manhood of gods-folk, animal-folk and menfolk, there is manifestation of LordVi¶ƒu and of Goddess Lak¶m∂ in womanhood.

Apart from this, the women who have safeguarded thecountry and made the history ornamental by her abdication,devotion, endowment with goodness, service, prayer etc., havesetup example, they are supermost glory of the mother ofuniverse. Without realizing the fact, under influence of Westerneducation, people spread wrong notions that there are sayingsin religious scripture through them, woman is made a burdenon father, husband and son and thus, Hindus have murderedthe rights of women. Fact is just reverse. Western culture hasfabricated with their own behaviour the origination of womanfrom one part of Ådama and compelled them to become amachine for enjoyment and pleasure and took them in such asorry state. Årya society will be in sorry plight if Western cultureis followed. Need of the time is that menfolk should pay highrespect and provide all needed protection to womenfolk. Mahar¶iYåj¤avalkya has orderedó

÷ÃÎ¸÷˝ÊÃÎÁ¬ÃÎôÊÊÁÃ‡flüÊÍ‡fl‡ÊÈ⁄UŒfl⁄ÒU— –’ãœÈÁ÷‡ø ÁSòÊÿ— ¬ÍÖÿÊ ÷Í·áÊÊë¿UÊŒŸÊ‡ÊŸÒ—H

(I. 82)ìThus, husband, brother, father, kinsfolk, in-laws, younger

brother of husband, all relatives of the women are duty-boundto pay highest respect to them.î

By supporting the duty of all individuals, religious personagehave proved that origination of man and woman is from halfpart each of creation (micro cosmos) and have established theoneness of husband and wife i. e., husband should be devotedto his wife only and woman should be chaste wife. Illustrious

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chaste woman acknowledge only the husband as a man. ““¬ÁÃ◊ÊòÊ¢¬ÈL§·¢ ◊ãÿ◊ÊŸÊ–”” She sees the importance of her husband beingdevoted to his wife. In the view of woman there is no otherman then her husband. In return to blessings by chaste Ansµuyå,S∂tå dedicated to her husband, told that Råma behaves motherlywith any other woman ““◊ÊÃÎflmÃ¸Ã flË⁄UÊ ◊ÊŸ◊Èà‚ÎÖÿ œ◊¸ÁflÃ˜”” indicates thatknowledgeable religious Råma behaves motherly with any otherwoman. Mother ›ruti proclaims ““◊ÊÃÎŒflÊ ÷fl””. That is, ìAdore themother as godî. In this proclamation itself, there is a predicationof worship to mother. Comprehensive aspect of this truth isadoration for the total womanhood. Ideal of Råma is directiontowards this. Therefore, it is the duty of menfolk to worshipmother and thus, worship the womenfolk.

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Worship Mother as God

In Mahåbhårata, Tulådhåra asks the ascetic ëJåjalií, whatare these rituals and ceremonies that you want to do? Whatis there even in that Tapasyå that you do standing on oneleg? The main thing is to try to serve people with your body,mind and spirit. Make others happier and happier. That is realDharma, ìOh Jåjali! If a single word can bring good tosomebody, why not say that? If just a little service makessomeone happy, why not do that ?î That person understandsDharma who is the friend of all beings always ever engagedin the welfare and happiness of all people. This person hasunderstood the truth.

óSwami Ranganathananda

Sewå and Its ImportanceóBrahmalina Swami Sharanananda

As are trader, trade and money, so are servant, service andthe served. As light is the very nature of the Sun and fragranceis innate with a flower, so is service in its real sense the verynature of the servant. Service cannot be ëdoneí, for it takes placespontaneously. True service emerges from that person who doesnot hanker after objects, states or situations and circumstancesfor personal pleasure. Slavery to objects, states and situationsetc., doesnít allow one to become a true servant. A true servantalone and none else gets the love of the world. A selfish workerloves the world, while the world loves the selfless servant.

The much cherished love, which the selfish worker is unableto get by any means, the selfless servant attains without payingany price. Just as one who purchases the fruits of a garden alsogets the shadow and fresh air without paying for it.

The selfless servant needs not to put in any iota of effortto attain the love of the world. Such love of the world runsafter the servant yet, that love cannot bind the servant as hismind effortlessly always flows towards the served like the flowof water. Purity abides in the nature of that servant i.e., all tracesof selfishness are annihilated from the servant. Diligence andskill naturally abide in all activities of a selfless servant as eachaction has the same value for him. Despite difference in thenature of activities, his love and aim towards them, is the same.Like acts in a play each situation presents itself before the servantand unites him with the served. No situation has any binding

35

effect on the selfless servant. The attachment for pleasure bornof action naturally vanishes from the servantís mind. Thatsublime peace which the Yog∂ attains by practice of Yoga andJ¤ånayog∂ attains by Vicåra, the servant attains by the properuse of the present situation i.e., the servant need not strugglewith the world for in his sight each situation automaticallypresented before him by Providence carries the same importancefor him. The fame and honour for which the sensual man craves,the very same fame and honour run after the true servant. Yetin spite of chasing him, fame and honour cannot catch him(cannot enslave him). In other words the fame and honour ofwhich the sensual is a slave, wait upon the selfless servant likehis obedient slaves. Just as a well governed duty boundgovernment spends all the money collected from its citizens inthe form of tax, for the welfare of the citizens themselvesóthe selfless servant uses all objects got from the world for thegood of the world itself.

Just as the trade of a trader resolves into money, the serviceof the servant resolves into the served (Beloved). As the kindledfire blazes more and more, the wood turns into fire, similarlyas the service of the servant intensifies, the being of the servantmerges more and more into that of the served. The Lord, belovedof servant abides in the servant without whom any service isimpossible. True service is possible only when there are spiritualpower and Mådhurya (sweetness) in the servant. Divine Potencyand Mådhurya (Love) are the very nature of the Lord. Therefore,it is proven beyond doubt that the Lord abides in the servant.The ideal servant never gets tired by serving. On the contraryas his service progresses he becomes replenished with more andmore energy. Restlessness or longing ever exists in the heartof a servant and this very fire of restlessness or longing uniteshim with the Lord (the served). Servants can be classified into

Sewå and Its Importance


two types. Oneóvery active like the Ganges ever serving thepeople right before their eyes and the other like the Himålayaóstable and rock-like-serving others through their ësilenceí. Withouttrue service attachment for the world never gets entirelyannihilated. Other than true service, all other means (Sådhanås)keep the world (and its attachment) alive even though it mayseem to be dead. True service devours the world, never allowsit to linger i.e., the state of that servant is even beyond Samådhi(trance). Or in other words the ideal servant has transcendedboth Pravætti (active) and Nivætti states of the mind. All aspirantslove the (served) God; while the Lord loves the ideal servant.Therefore in order to attain the love of the Beloved (God) serviceis quite unavoidable.

For the purpose of service there is no need for externalobjects. Only meritorious deeds can be done by acquisition ofmaterial objects. On delving deep one finds that true servicecan only be done by him on whom, the grace of the served(dawns) i.e., true service can only be done by real devoteesand saints. Besides these real devotees and saints none else cando real service. Ordinary common men regard help throughobjects as service. But on pondering, one realizes that this isnot service. The energy and zeal for service come by the graceof the Lord. By the measure man is able to serve himself, bythat measure alone he is able to serve others i.e., man is ableto do service by that means (Sådhanå) by which he does goodto himself. By mere collection or acquisition of external materialobjects none can be benefited in the real sense, than how canreal service be done out of them? By mere acquisition of objectsone becomes indebted to the world. Therefore utilizing thoseobjects in the service of the world is the way to redeem oneselffrom oneís debt. It should not be mistaken to be ëserviceí. Whenman redeems himself from the debt; he owes to the world he

37

becomes able to realize his true affinity with his Beloved (God).On realizing his close affinity with the Beloved, he becomesa channel of service through His divine power and sweetness.In other words love is the very nature of the ëBelovedí. Servantand service and love and Belovedóall are one. In order to doreal service, it is inevitable to develop an attitude of a servant.To be servant, one has to feel his intimate affinity with theBeloved. As a child becomes acquainted properly with youthfulnessonly on himself becoming a youth, similarly this cannot betaught to anyone. Though there may be crores of followersbehind each true servant all of these followers put togethercannot create a true servant. He, whose heart grieves for themiserable masses, when he realizes his oneness with the served(Beloved) then by the grace of the Beloved automatically, hegains the strength to render true service. From virtuous deedsone gains the ability to renounce and by renunciation, onebecomes a true servant. On becoming a servantóservice flowsspontaneously through him.

In order to win the love of both, the world and the Beloved,service is absolutely necessary. To him who turning his faceaway from the world becomes that of his Beloved (realizes hiseternal bond with his Beloved), the power and ability to servecomes quite spontaneously. Thus, each one is absolutely everfree to become a servant. Being a true servant is a sure meansto exaltation, while claiming to be a servant is a means todownfall. As the flow of the river is ever towards the oceanso also the progress of the servant is always towards the ëservedí.Just as when something obstructs the flow of a river, its speedincreases, similarly when some impediment crops up on the pathof a servant, the intensity of his service swells i.e., anyimpediment on his path is an advantage as it exalts him bymaking his service more vigorous; though such difficulties may

Sewå and Its Importance


seem unfavourable. The actions and feelings of a servant areaccording to his knowledge i.e., the feelings and actions of aservant merge themselves in J¤åna. True Service ever leads toperpetual freedom. The servant doesnít think of the world, butthe world thinks of him. The true servant never runs after anyorganization, but organizations are after him. There is no placefor the sense of humility and the sense of pride in the life ofa true servant.

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Anger is a deadly enemy, anger is a friend-faced enemy.Anger is a highly sharp sword. Anger takes away everything,destroys all virtues earned by sacrifices a person performs andwhatever in charity he gives, all that he destroys by anger.Therefore, one should give up anger; and control like acharioteer oneís senses, running forth towards their objects likewicked horses after turning away from their objects. A manshould do good to the people around himself by thought, byaction and by speech. He should not hurt anybody, no sin,therefore, will attach to him. The harm which is wrought byevil thoughts, are not done by a sharp sword or a serpenttrampled by foot or an ever wrothful enemy. One who haslearnt discipline, even his temperament cannot be changed,even if someone conceals his evil nature, it is surely betrayedby his actions.

óValmiki RamayanaóUttarakand

Sewå-TyågaóSwami Ranganathananda

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda has said that the national ideals of Indiaare Tyåga or renunciation and Sevå or service. Tyåga meansrenunciation; Tyaj means to give up, to throw away. And Sevåmeans service.These are the national ideals. That Tyåga ›r∂Kæ¶ƒa is going to expound here. And Sa≈nyåsa is a technicalterm; all are not going to be Sa≈nyåsins, because it is somethingvery special. So, ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa is going to explain the differencebetween Tyåga and Sa≈nyåsa. And ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa is clarifying thetype of life we should leadówhether based on Sa≈nyåsa orYoga.

The Blessed Lord saidó∑§ÊêÿÊŸÊ¢ ∑§◊¸áÊÊ¢ ãÿÊ‚¢ ‚¢ãÿÊ‚¢ ∑§flÿÊ ÁflŒÈ—–‚fl¸∑§◊¸»§‹àÿÊª¢ ¬˝Ê„ÈUSàÿÊª¢ ÁfløˇÊáÊÊ—H

(XVIII, 2)ìThe renunciation of Kåmya actions, the sages understand

as Sa≈nyåsa; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruit ofall works as Tyåga.î

“∑§flÿÊ ÁflŒÈ—” ësages sayí; that Nyåsam, ërenunciationí; of all“∑§ÊêÿÊŸÊ¢ ∑§◊¸áÊÊ◊˜” ëdesire-prompted actionsí either for worldlybenefit or for heavenly benefit; is Sa≈nyåsam, ëSa≈nyåsaí.Nyåsa means ëgiving upí; Sa≈nyåsa means ëcompletely givingupí. Vicak¶aƒå¨, ëwise peopleí; Pråhu¨ ësayí; Sarvakarmaphalatyågam, ëgiving up the fruit of all worksí; is Tyågam,ëTyågaí. You donít give up action. You ëgive up only the fruitof all actionsíóSarva karma phala tyåga, and continue to work.


That is called Tyåga. This can be done by Bhakti, by dedicatingthe fruits of action to the Divine or through J¤ånaóthe mindtaken away from the fruits of actions through J¤åna. Attachmentto the fruits is actually attachment to the separate ego that youand I are. When I am attached to this separate ego, then I amattached to the fruits of actions.

In the G∂tå, we find reference to Sarva-bhµuta-hite-ratå¨ andLoka-sa≈graha ideasóëI work for the good of the world, goodof society, good of all peopleí. There the ego as a separate entityvanishes. It feels its oneness with the world outside. Even thefather or mother feels his or her oneness with the childrenaround. That is why he or she works. Why not extend it beyondthe genetic limitations? The G∂tå wants us to do that. Whenyou live in a society, you must take society into account. Andtodayís society is not only national, but also international.

Originally, in the history of our Sanåtana Dharma, we hadplenty of sacrifices in the Vedic period. Many people performedsacrifices with a desire to go to heaven. That Kåma-Våsanå ortendency of desire was there: ëI must get this. I must get thatí.So, after some time some people felt that it was nonsense doingall sorts of rituals to go to heaven. They did not care for rituals.They left their houses; for if they stayed in the house, they hadto do these rituals. They did not want to do those rituals andso they left society. They became Sa≈nyåsins. They went tothe forest, lived there, and they had not to perform any sacrifices.They merely contemplated and realized the truth that is within.In this way, there came into existence a new type of spirituallife compared to the earlier one which was conservative, basedon rituals and ceremonies. On the one side is actions andritualsóvarious duties and ceremoniesódone with the desire forgoing to heaven and enjoying the pleasures of heaven. Heavenis said to be full of pleasures. As it is said, here on earth wehave to perspire to earn our living. In heaven you will get

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whatever you want without any ëperspirationí. With this kindof attitude people built up an idea of heaven. Then, on the otherside were people who said, ëWe donít want heaven. We donot want this desire-prompted action. We shall remain actionless.íWhen one retires to the forest, one no longer performs theseceremonies and rituals. One does not even have in a forest theitems necessary for performing elaborate rituals. So, these peopledeveloped contemplation as the main theme. And the peoplein the household continued to do desire-prompted actions. Theylead a worldly life, what is called in Sanskrit, a Gæhastha life.That is how this division came. Later on, ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa came. AndHe said that one could have the spirit of Sa≈nyåsa in oneíslife by means of Tyåga, ërenunciation of the fruit of actionsí;then one is as good as a Sa≈nyåsin. When one renounces thefruit of actions, lives a good life, and serves the community,it is beautiful. That is what the G∂tå has given as a solutionto this problem. Here is the world, and here is the one whois essentially worldly, who is centred in oneís own pleasure inthis world and in the next world as well. And here is the otherwho renounces all these and becomes an ascetic, curses thisworldly life, and goes to the forest. The forest recluse cursesworldly person; the worldly person also curses the forest recluse.We had both in our history.

›a∆karåcårya went for a discussion with MaƒŒana Mi‹ra,who was a great ritualist and philosopher of that time. ›a∆karåcåryahad completely shaven his head. And this great MaƒŒana Mi‹raasked, ëWhy this shaven head?í In Sanskrit this is put verybeautifully: Kuto muƒŒ∂? ëwherefrom this shaven head?í Quickcame the reply, ëfrom the neck upwards!í Neck upwards is theshaven head. A shaven monk is not welcome in a family wherethere is ›råddha or ceremony for the dead going on. It is saidto be inauspicious for the ›råddha. That was the conceptionat that time. So, you can see this controversy between doing

Sewå-Tyåga


work for personal enjoyment with a mindful of desires, andgetting rid of this nonsense and living a life of contemplationóa life of a Parivråjakaóin the forest. And going to a forestwas easy in those days. Leave the house, walk half a kilometre,and you will be in a forest! A forest life was not difficult. Now,you have to travel a thousand miles and even then you maynot get a deep forest. This development which took place inIndia, gave rise to this problem: to work or to renounce. Andthis problem has been solved by ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa in the G∂tå. Thatis the beauty of this great book. Here itself one can get thiswonderful quality of Sa≈nyåsa; you do not have to renouncethe world and go to a forest to be a true Sa≈nyås∂. Here inthe world itself one can be a Sa≈nyås∂ by living a life of inwardspiritual striving and outward human service, characterized bythe absence of attachment to the work that one does. Here itselfone can achieve the highest.

In many passages of the Mahåbhårata and the ›r∂madBhågavatam, these ideas have been discussed through variousdiscourses and discussions. We get one such ›loka in the secondpart of the Hitopade‹a (Sandhi, 90).

Vaneípi do¶å¨ prabhavanti rågiƒåmgæhe¶u sarvendriya nigraha¨ tapa¨,

Akutsite karmaƒi ya¨ pravartatenivætta rågasya gæha≈ tapovanam.

You want to leave this home and society, and go to aTapovanam, ëa forest for Tapasí, to achieve your spiritualdevelopment! No, you can convert your home itself into aTapovanam. How? Vaneí pi do¶å¨ prabhavanti rågiƒåm, ëthosewho have sensory attachments in the mind, even if they leavethe home and go to a forest, they will have great trouble thereí.That is so because the mind also is going with them. They haveleft behind only the worldly life at the body level. But the mindis full of Råga or attachments; therefore, he or she cannot get

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the fruit of that renunciation. Gæhe¶u sarvendriya nigraha¨tapa¨, ëto live in a household with oneís sensory system welldisciplined, is real Tapas.í Therefore, Akutsite karmaƒi ya¨pravartate, ëthose who are engaged in blameless deeds insocietyí; Nivætta rågasya, ëand one whose attachment has beenconqueredí; Gæham tapovanam, ëhis or her home becomes aTapovanam or forest retreat.í

This is the final teaching that has come out of all thesediscussions by great minds. And ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa takes up all this andgives us this remarkable advice: We can have realization hereand now. We need not seek for it in a far away forest oranywhere in a heaven. Because the truth that we are seekingis already within us. Where should we run to for getting it.It is ëhereí only, iha, iha, iha.

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Sewå-Tyåga

These days human beings consider virtuous actions asSevå. This is the reason that they remain bound by actions.True Sevå is not performed by materials and sense-organs,on hearing this thing appears as impossible but it is a surefact. As love is the nature of the beloved and the necessityof the lover similarly Sevå is the nature of an affluent personand the necessity of the needy person. A man becomes eligibleonly to do Sevå when he has nothing to do at all for himselfand he claims nothing as his own.

óSwami Sharanananda

Essence of ServiceóSwami Sivananda

What is the object of Sevå or service? Why do you servethe poor and the needy and the suffering humanity at large?Why do you serve society and the country? Yes, by doingservice you purify your heart. Egoism, hatred, jealousy, the ideaof superiority and all the kindred negative qualities will vanish.Humility, pure love, sympathy, tolerance and mercy will bedeveloped. The sense of separateness will be annihilated.Selfishness will be eradicated. You will get a broad and liberaloutlook on life. You will begin to feel oneness and unity.Eventually you will obtain knowledge of the Self. You willrealise ìOne in allî and ìall in One.î You will feel unboundedjoy. What is society after all? It is nothing but a collection ofunits or individuals. The world is nothing but a manifestationof God. Service of humanity and the country is, in fact, nothingshort of service of God. Service is worship. But one shouldserve with Bhåva. Then alone he can have quick realisationand purification of the heart.

The sense of separateness is a colossal fetter. Kill this senseof separateness through Brahma Bhåvanå, by developingAdvaitic unity of consciousness and by means of selfless service.This sense of separateness is an illusion created by ignoranceor Måyå.

Develop keen enthusiasm for disinterested, selfless service.Be kind to all. Love all. Serve all. Be tolerant and generoustowards all. Serve the Lord in all. That is the way to reachthe goal.

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Just as a mother who has lost nine children loves the onlysurviving son so dearly, so also you will have to developboundless love for all beings. This is the first and foremostqualification for an aspirant. The astral body of one who hasthis boundless love, will shine with magnificent brilliance andlustre. There will be a glow of ineffable splendour.

He who ignores his own pleasures and comforts and triesto help others always, is really an advanced student in the pathof spirituality. He carries the master-key to unlock the realmsof spiritual bless.

You must be able to think quickly and act promptly withunerring precision and profound concentration in times ofemergencies. You must take care to see that you are not rashand impetuous. You must be cool and collected.

Many aspirants of the present-day, prefer to do some pleasantwork, some writing, some collection of flowers for Pµujå,arranging books in the library, some typewriting, some kind ofsupervision and management work, etc. They dislike works suchas drawing water and hewing wood, cleaning dirty utensils,washing clothes, sweeping, cooking, cleaning bedpans andnursing the sick. They consider these works as menial. Theyhave not tried to understand the real spirit of Karmayoga andVedånta. They are yet Babus. They need rigorous disciplineand training. I will put these Babu-aspirants to carrying themotion-buckets of the sick for a year, washing plates for anotheryear, and sweeping the room and washing the clothes of thesick the third year. Then alone they will become real aspirants.Then alone they will be ready for the commencement ofmeditation.

If an Å‹rama is not properly conducted, the kitchen becomesa fighting centre. The whole Måyå is in the kitchen. Aspirantsbegin to fight there. One aspirant says, ìI did not get any gheeor vegetables today.î Another aspirant says, ìThe dal soup was

Essence of Service


very watery. Vi‹wara¤jana added plain Ga∆gå water to the soup.He dislikes me.î But if there is a really developed Karmayog∂to train the young students, the real Advaita Vedånta beginsin the kitchen of an Å‹rama and ends in the Vasi¶¢ha Guhaof the Himålayas. A kitchen is the best training ground or schoolfor developing tolerance, endurance, forbearance, mercy, sympathy,love, adaptability, and the spirit of real service for purifyingoneís heart and for realising the oneness of life. Every aspirantshould know how to cook well.

If one lives with his Guru, he must be prepared to dowillingly any work assigned to him. If you create interest inwork which the mind revolts against, you later like to do anykind of work. By so doing, you will undoubtedly develop yourwill-power.

Balance of mind brings about real lasting happiness to adisciplined man. It is not a commodity which can be purchasedon the market. It is indeed a rare gift which can only be attainedby protracted selfless service with Åtma Bhåva, equal vision,controlled Indriyas and self-restraint, by developing virtues suchas adaptability, broad and generous tolerance and a high degreeof endurance, serenity, calmness, control of temper and byremoving anxieties, worries, fear and depression by spiritualSådhanå and meditation. It is serenity and balance of mind thatcan give real, eternal happiness to man. The wealth of the threeworlds is nothing when compared to the bliss enjoyed by thatgreat soul who has serenity and a balanced mind. Now, tellme honestly, where is bliss? Who is a great man? Is it in awealthy king with an unbalanced and unbridled mind, livingin a palace or in a poor saint with a magnificent calm andbalanced mind and living in a grass hut on the banks of thesacred Ga∆gå?

If you want to serve another man truly, you should try toplease him in all respects. You should not do anything that

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pleases you only. You should do such actions as can bring himimmense happiness. This will constitute real service. Butgenerally under the camouflage of serving others, people try toplease themselves only. This is a serious mistake. He who givesthe handle of a sharp knife to another to hold, holding thesharp blade himself does real service. A real Sevaka rejoicesin suffering. He takes on his shoulders the most responsible,difficult and the most ardous and uninteresting of works andkills his own little self just to please others. He willinglyundergoes pain and suffering in order to serve and please others.

To stop the breath by means of Kumbhaka for two hours,to twirl the beads for twenty-four hours, to sit in Samådhi forforty days in an underground cellar without food by cutting thefrenulum linguae of the tongue and practising Khecar∂ Mudrå,to stand up on one leg in the scorching heat of the summersun, to do Trå¢aka on the sun at midday, to chant O≈, O≈, O≈in silent and sequestered jungles, to shed an ocean of tearswhile doing Sa∆k∂rtanaóall these are of no avail unless onecombines burning love for Him in all beings and a fiery spiritof service in serving Him in all beings. Aspirants of the present-day are sadly lacking in these two indispensable qualifications.And that is the root cause why they do not make any headwayat all in their meditation in solitude. They have not preparedthe ground, I mean the Anta¨karaƒa, by protracted practice oflove and service in the beginning. I have seen several Bhaktasin all my experiences of life in this lineóBhaktas who wearhalf a dozen rosaries around their necks and wrists, and mutterHare Råma Hare Kæ¶ƒa day in and day out with a long JapaMålå in their hands. These Bhaktas will never approach a sickman even when he is in a dying condition and give him a dropof water or milk, and ask: ìWhat do you want, brother? Howcan I serve you?î Out of curiosity they will be just lookingat him from a distance. Can you call these people true

Essence of Service


Vaishnavites or Bhaktas? Can there be an iota of real benefitin their meditation or Bhajana? A Jindå Nåråyaƒa (livingNåråyaƒa) in the form of a sick patient is in a dying state. Theyhave not got the heart to go and serve him or even to speaka few kind and encouraging words at a critical juncture, whenhis life is trembling in the balance! How can they expect tohave Dar‹ana of that all-merciful Hari when they have heartsmade of flint? How can they hope for God-realisation whenthey have not the eyes to see God in all beings and the spiritof service to serve Him in all these forms?

That man who has knowledge and devotion can alone doreally efficient service to the country and the people. J¤åna andBhakti must be the rock bottom basis of Karmayoga. J¤ånacan be combined with Karmayoga or Bhaktiyoga can becombined with Karmayoga in the beginning with much advantage.The J¤åna-Karma-Yog∂ thinks and feels that he is serving hisown Åtman and realises Advaitic consciousness. The Bhakti-Karmayog∂ thinks and feels that he is serving his Lord in all,his own ∫¶¢am and realises God-consciousness and has Dar‹anaof his Beloved. Mere philanthropical work out of sympathywithout devotion and knowledge is nothing more than socialscavenging. It is not Yoga or worship. It is on a lower plane.It cannot elevate a man much. The progress is dull and slow,if progress you can call it. Remember, it is the mental attitudeor Bhåva that does immense good.

A Karmayog∂ who does all work in the form of worshipof God in the beginning, who surrenders his body, mind, souland all his actions as flowers or offerings at the Lotus Feet ofthe Lord, who is ever absorbed in the Lord by constant thoughtof God, loses himself in God-consciousness by total self-surrender. He gets absorbed in God. His will becomes one withthe Cosmic Will. That is his last and advanced stage. He realisesthat whatever is going on in the world is, but the L∂lå of the

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Lord or divine sporting. He realises the truth of the utterancesin the Brahma Sµutras: Lokavattu l∂lå kaivalyam. He feels thathe is one with the Lord and that he is a partner in His L∂lå.He lives for Him only. He lives in Him only. His thoughts andactions are now of God Himself. The veil has dropped. Thesense of separateness has been totally annihilated. He nowenjoys the Divine Ai‹varya.

A doctor who works in the hospital, should think that allpatients are manifestations of God. He should think that the bodyis the moving temple of God and that the hospital is a big templeor Brindavan or Ayodhya. He should think: ìI am doing allmy actions to please the Lord and not to please my superiors.îHe should think that God is the inner ruler (Antaryåmin), thatHe alone manipulates all his organs from behind, and that Heis the wire-puller of the body. He should think that He worksto carry out the Divine Will in the grand plan or scheme ofthings. He should consecrate all his actions at His Feet, whetherthey be good or bad. He should then say: O≈ tat satKæ¶ƒårpaƒamastu or O≈ tat sat Brahmårpaƒamastu in the endand at night when he retires to bed. This is J¤ånågni or thefire of wisdom or the fire of devotion that destroys the fruitof action, brings about Citta ›uddhi, knowledge of the Self andfinal emancipation. He should never dream even: ìI have donesuch meritorious acts. I will get an exalted place in Swarga,etc. I will be born in the next birth as a rich man.î By meansof constant practice of this nature he will slowly get mental non-attachment towards work. A lady, when she does her householdduties, should also entertain the above mental attitude. In thismanner all actions can be spiritualised. All actions will becomeworship of the Lord. A man can realise Godhead in whateversituation he may be placed in life, if only he works with thisright mental attitude.

May the great Lord, the Flute-Bearer of Brindavan, the lover

Essence of Service


of Rådhå, the joy of Devak∂, grant us right belief, ›uddhaPrema, right mental attitude and inner spiritual strength to doselfless service to the world, and to realise Godhead even whileremaining in the world, by doing Ni¶kåmya Karmayoga withNåråyaƒa Bhåva, by remembering Him at all times and byoffering all actions, body, mind and the soul at His Lotus Feet!May the blessings of ›iva and Hari be upon us all!

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Humanity

An young son of a doctor died. Without waiting for hisfuneral, the doctor went to his clinic to attend a few distressedand poor patients. He had to spend a little more time. At hishouse friends, relatives and kinsmen were waiting for him veryeagerly. When people asked, the doctor toldóìMy son hasdied. There is no possibility of his coming back but thosepersons whose lives could be saved. I can be of help to savetheir livesóknowing this, if I do not offer this serviceóI fallfrom the standard of humanity; thus, knowing the fact thatmy friends, relatives and kinsmen are being pained of myabsence, I gave much more import to the service of poor andserious patients. I am too late and for this I beg for yourpardon.

Worship of God as Mother DivineóSwami Chidananda

Radiant Immortal Åtman! Glory be to the Divine. May theGrace of the Lord bring peace to the whole world and happinessand welfare unto all mankind.

The ancient Vedic way of life, termed the SanåtanaDharma and known generally to the Western world by thename Hinduism, gives as the supreme objective in life, eternalfreedom from the shackles of earthly bondage and death throughDivine Experience or God-realisation. This state of spiritualemancipation and eternal blessedness is termed Mok¶a orKaivalya. This is a state of absolute felicity and eternalsatisfaction, characterised by cessation of all pain and sufferingand attainment of supreme bliss. You go beyond birth and death.

Indicating also the ideal and desirable pattern of life,favourable and conducive to the attainment of this supremeobjective, Sanåtana Dharma mentions three other objectivesbesides Mok¶a. They are, first of all, Dharma or righteousnessof conduct; secondly, the endeavour to obtain the normalnecessities of life without contravening the dictates of Dharma;and thirdly, the fulfilment of your legitimate personal (not selfish)desires in life arising out of the various duties that confront youand which you are called upon to fulfil. Here too, these desiresare not to be contrary to the dictates of Dharma. Thus, it hasto be noted that Dharma reigns supreme in this earnest processof attaining Mok¶a. A true Sanåtan∂, therefore, must necessarilyadhere to Dharma under all conditions and in every circumstance.A true Sanåtan∂ Hindu is he who never for a moment forgets


the supreme divine goal of his life, and ever remembering it,bases his entire life upon the principle of Dharma or righteousness.

Now, the ultimate goal or Mok¶a through Divine Realisationbeing the main objective before the true Sanåtan∂ Hindu, thisancient religion very clearly defines the practical means ormethods of attaining it. Numerous means and techniques havebeen shown; but no matter how numerous and apparentlydifferent, they may yet be summed up by one single term,namely, ìworship.î God is attainable through worship whichdraws forth the Grace of the Divine. Worship implies drawingnear to God. It covers within its range all forms and types ofworship, from the crudest stone or totem worship of the forest-dwelling tribes to the highest state of deep spiritual trance orSamådhi, where in a state of superconsciousness, the seekerdirectly worships the Deity without the media of the mind andthe senses. Worship implies duality of the worshipper and theworshipped. The concept of the personal God has a directrelevance to this approach by worship. It is precisely in thiscontext that we perceive the genesis of Mother worship or inother words, the worship of God as the Universal MotherDivine.The Genesis of Mother Worshipó

God as the Universal Mother has a special appeal to mandue to numerous reasons. Firstly, the mother is the earliestrecognisable friend of the infant human being; she is the supremewish-fulfiller of the individual and, at a certain stage, the all-in-all. Secondly, of all human relationships on earth, the sweetestand the most loving is this relationship of one with oneís mother.Thirdly, the father image is always associated with sternnessand discipline; whereas, the mother image is that of spontaneouslove, compassion, protective tenderness and care, forbearanceand forgiveness too. No wonder then that erring man is naturallydrawn into this approach to the Supreme Being as the Mother

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Divine rather than as the Universal Father. Seeking comforts,solace and forgiveness, man turns to the Mother rather than tothe Father. Stern justice is more likely to stem from the latter,whereas, solicitude, forgiveness and love would be expectedfrom the Mother. Thus, down the ages, man has evolved thisapproach to the Supreme Deity in Its aspect as the CosmicMother through the time-honoured tradition of Mother worship.

In this worship of the Mother Divine, the worshippernaturally feels himself as a child of the Mother. In this Bhåvaor attitude lies the very essence of this mode of approach. Asa child approaches the mother confidently and with full trustin the motherís all-goodness, even so the worshipper adores theMother, pouring forth the heartís love in surrender and sweettrust. This relationship in this worship has a profoundlytransforming effect upon the worshipperís personality. Crudeegoism gives place to childlike simplicity. Crookedness givesplace to guilelessness. Self-assertive arrogance gives place tosilent submission. Fear and awe give place to fearlessness andtrust. Thus the Mother is worshipped.

Mother means love. Mother means compassion. Mothermeans protectiveness and tender care. This must be well bornein mind if our worship of the Mother should maintain a sublimespiritual level and be effective in taking us towards the ultimategoal of all such worship, namely, God-realisation. The processof worship is aimed at bringing about a gradual divinisation ofyour consciousness. To experience the Divine, you mustbecome the Divine. To invoke the love and the grace of theMother, you must become a radiating centre of love yourself.An ascent into Divinity is from Tamas to Rajas, Rajas to Sattva,and Sattva to ›uddha Sattva, whence one goes beyond the threequalities and attains the Divine state. True and correct worshipof the Divine Mother is therefore a lofty spiritual technique ofthe highest Såttvika quality. If the purely impersonal aspect of

Worship of God as Mother Divine


the Deity is stern and remote, this personal aspect of the Deityis tender, close, intimate and fully approachable. The DivineMother is a love-filled Mother who awaits with outstretchedarms to draw the devoted soul to Her divine bosom.Distinctive Forms of Mother Worshipó

Worship of the Mother, as it presently prevails within theHindu religious world, is to be found in three or four distinctiveforms. Certain sections of the ›åktas devote themselves to theworship of the Mother according to methods laid down in the›åkta Tantras. This is a highly technical mode of worshipentailing specific ritual into which one must be initiated as per›åkta tradition.

There are other sections of the ›åktas, as also non-›åkta,who engage themselves in the worship through pure Bhakti, withsimple ceremonials. This is far less technical than the Tåntrikaworship and it tends to invoke Her solely as love.

Then again, Mother Divine is worshipped throughout Indiaby all sorts of people during the nine days of the NavaråtraPµujå. In this countrywide annual worship, the Mother is invokedmainly as auspiciousness and blessedness and prosperity.

Here it will not be out of place to make mention of yetanother form of Mother worship. It is really a degraded andimpure form of worship that deserves to be renounced. It isMother worship through fear and superstition. In this form, theMother is regarded as a dire Deity given to anger and vengeance.She is more in a mode of punishing than loving. This is noMother worship at all. It is a travesty of the concept ofMotherhood. This is a Tåmasika form of worship which evokesin the worshipper the Tåmasika qualities of guilt, fear and cruelty.To appease his dire Deity, the worshipper takes recourse to thedespicable means of committing violence upon other livingcreatures. He takes lives which he cannot give and which,therefore, he has no right to take. What such a blind worshipper

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fails to see is that the Mother is not the mother of man alone,but that She is the mother of the entire creation. Every fish,fowl, beast and insect is a divine child of the Divine Mother.Birds and animals too are Her children. All life is sacred. Takingof life is sin. If murder of man is a crime against the law, themurder of dumb beasts is a crime against Dharma. Their murderin Motherís Name is a crime against God Himself. Such sincannot bring down Divine Grace. It will only bring the inevitableresult in the form of much suffering. Worship should notcontradict the universal Dharma of love and compassion.Cruelty cannot be condoned under any name. It may have thesanction of ignorance and superstition, but it has not the sanctionof Sanåtana Dharma.

Thus, the last form of Mother worship is no worship at all,because it takes the worshipper farther and farther away fromGod, and will ultimately lead him into hell. Such worship standsself-condemned. It should be abandoned immediately. Thesooner it is abandoned the better it will be for man.

There is a deeply significant thing to be noted with referenceto one aspect of Motherhood. Upon occasion, She is worshippeddifferently as Mahå Lak¶m∂, Mahå Sarasvat∂ and Mahå Pårvat∂or Durgå. Worshipping Her as Durgå, you invoke Her Powerto destroy the evil within you in the form of egoism, anger,lust, greed, jealousy and delusion. These lower qualities ofdarkness constitute the animal within man. It is the impure Pa‹uinside the Manu¶ya. The worshipper is expected to offer assacrifice this inner lower self-made up of egoism, lust, anger,greed, falsehood and hatred. This is true sacrifice that elevatesthe worshipper and takes him near to God.

Worship the Mother with the flowers of compassion, peace,mercy, forgiveness, truthfulness, simplicity. Approach Her as theMother of love. Approach Her for the highest blessedness ofMok¶a. Then, She is no other than the Supreme Almighty and

Worship of God as Mother Divine


She can give you the Kaivalya Mok¶a. O, Children of SanåtanaDharma! Approach Her for this highest gift and not for anypetty objective here. The real glory of Mother worship is thatit can bring far quicker response than approach to God as theCreator and Law-giver. Mother is especially there to forgive andsave, whereas the Lord has to dispense justice. Thus, thedevotees of the Universal Mother laud their approach.

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When you can make your life beautiful, why should youallow it to give place to ugliness? When you can make yourlife wonderfully fragrant, why should you allow any contraryfactor to mar its fragrance? When you can make your lifeluminous, effulgent and radiant, why should you deny yourselfthis privilege? When you can make your life all that is good,auspicious and beautiful, why should you not do so and bea blessing to all?

For, this is your birthright which you can claim. Therefore,throughout the day always let your choice be for Divinity andthe expression of what you really are. Let each word that youspeak, each thought that you harbour in your mind, eachsentiment or emotion that you cherish in your heart, eachaction that you engage in, bring forth, express and activelymanifest the purity, the sublimity, the blessedness, theauspiciousness and the radiance that you are.

óSwami Chidananda

TyågaóSwami Krishnananda

The Eighteenth Chapter starts by recounting the principleof action, Karmayoga, which is many a time regarded as theestablishment in a kind of knowledge free from action, and atother times as the performance of action free from clinging tothe fruits thereof. Two significant terms are used at the veryoutsetóSa≈nyåsa and Tyåga. Though etymologically the twowords mean almost one and the same thing, they are used herewith a special meaning attached to each one of them. Whenall desireful actions are abandoned and we perform only actionsfree from desire, we are supposed to be in the state of Sa≈nyåsa,a relinquishment of everything that is associated with personalmotive or desire. But Tyåga, which is also abandonment, isdefined as the giving up of the desire for the fruit of the actionand not the giving up of action itself. There is, thus, a differencebetween the giving up or relinquishment of action and the givingup of the consequence of the action. These are not easy thingsto understand, though it would appear that we have studied alot on the subject throughout the course of the teaching. It wouldbe hard for us to make out what action is, situated as we arein a human complex working through the medium of socialrelationships and entertaining an outlook which is secretlymotivated by some form of desire. We cannot imagine a stateof affairs where we can be entirely free from all desires,whatever be the gospel, whatever be the teaching. This is agreat handicap before us. And so, it requires a herculean efforton our part to rise to that level of understanding where it would


be possible for us to live without motivated outlooks or desires,which are directed to particular ends. It is not possible for anyoneto live without doing some kind of action. This is one of thegreat points made out in the Bhagavadg∂tå. It is futile on thepart of anyone, whatever be his knowledge or wisdom, toimagine that he can be without any activity, because the worldis nothing but action, it is a field of movement, enterprise andeffort. It is Kurukshetra, an arena of activity; but it is alsoDharmak¶etra, a field of action regulated by law, and not merelyof some chaotic activity. Here is the problem before us; neithercan we be free from action, nor can we perform action withany motive behind it. If this could enter our heads in its truesignificance, we would have understood the message of the G∂tå.As this is a difficult point to grasp, it is further explained insome detail for the purpose of the elucidation of its meaning.

There are certain actions which are unavoidable. Among themany types of action, three specific ones are pinpointed asinviolable and impossible of avoiding under any circumstance.These three types are designated as Yaj¤a, Dåna and Tapas,terms which have a wealth of meaning behind them. Literallytranslated. Yaj¤a would mean sacrifice. Dåna would meancharity, and Tapas would mean austerity. These are notinjunctions of a religious type that are imposed upon us by theG∂tå. This is not a ritual that we are expected to perform byway of Yaj¤a, Dåna or Tapas. These are tremendouslysignificant cosmic requirements on the part of every individual,whatever be his vocation. There is a universal meaning behindthese great mandates. In our relationship to the Supreme Being,God, the Absolute, we have to be perpetually performing asacrifice on our part by ascending degrees of perfection andin increasing dimensions. God-being is the greatest of sacrificesin the sense, that it is the state of the abolition of all individualityand egoism. The state of God is the apotheosis of sacrifice.

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Often, in Indian scriptures, God is referred to as Yaj¤a orsacrifice. ëYaj¤ovaivi¶ƒu¨íóëNåråyaƒa is Yaj¤aí or sacrificehimself. By this what is intended, is that even the least ofindividuality is wiped out in that conflagration of universalknowledge or realisation. To approach God would be to performa sacrifice on the part of oneself, because the highest state ofegolessness is God-being. And to approximate this Great Beingwould be to sacrifice or surrender the ego, little by little, bydegrees, which is the sacrifice that is intended. To surrenderand sacrifice our own self is the principle of true abandonmentor relinquishmentó Sa≈nyåsa or Tyåga. From the point of viewof our aspirations for God, our duty would be sacrifice,surrender, relinquishment of personality and egoism, the principleof the ëI amí in us. We are bound to perform a duty in ourrelationship to God, and our duty towards God is sacrifice.

Likewise, we have a duty towards the world. And that ischaritableness, Dåna. We cannot be possessors, accumulatorsor hoarders of any kind of property when we live in a worldof cooperative action and mutual respect. Respect for othersíwelfare and recognition of the value of anotherís existence isthe principle of charity which does not merely mean partingwith some material goods that we may possess, but an inwardattitude of respect for others, inasmuch as the Self is presentin others to the same extent as it is present in us. The feelingof love and affection, and a spontaneous sense of giving ratherthan taking is the essence of Dåna or charity. We performcharity not because we are rich and others are poor. The reasonis different, viz., that the others are equally important and theyhave as much right to exist as we ourselves have. The principleof the recognition of the Selfhood of all beings is behind theperformance of charity or the extension of goodwill with regardto others. This is our duty towards the world of beings, evenas we have a duty towards God, the Supreme Creator.

Tyåga


We have also a duty to our own self, in a similar manner.Self-control is oneís own duty in respect of oneself. Austerity,Tapas, is our duty from our own point of view, the oppositeof the indulgence of the senses. The pampering of the ego, themind and the senses is deleterious to the health of the personality.The more are we self-controlled, the more are we able to restrainour senses, the mind and the intellect, the larger do we becomein the content of our being. Tapas is a great duty of everyonein respect of oneself. Indulgence is the violation of this duty.The more we restrain ourselves from indulgence or satisfactionof any kind, the richer we become in righteousness and virtue.The more we begin to satisfy the ego and indulge in the demandsof the senses, the farther we are from righteousness. So, austerity,self-control, restraint of the senses, mind and the intellect, is ourduty in regard to our own self. Charity is our duty in regardto the world outside. Sacrifice is our duty towards God. Thesethree duties are incapable of abandonment under any circumstance.

Now, when we speak of duty, naturally, we are remindedof activity of some kind. Duty is ëto doí something, in someway, in respect of something; and doing is action. The momentwe think of action, we think of the actor or the agent, theperformer of the action. Under ordinary circumstances, it isdifficult to free ourselves from the idea of agency in an action.ëI doí, is the inherent notion behind every individual, whetherone performs a sacrifice, does a charity or is engaged in austerity.Whatever be the thing that we do, we cannot avoid the feelingthat we are dong it. ìI sacrifice, I do charity, and I performausterities,îó this is a mistake, again, and we are warned againstthis blunder. We are not the doers of anything, because the so-called ëIí or ëweí is an illusion, finally; it does not exist at all,on account of the ultimate reality which reigns above all things,eternally transcending and including all particular agents.

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Selfless ServiceóSwami Jyotirmayananda

Selfless service is one of the most powerful and effectiveaids in the purification of mind. Through Karmayoga you allowyour energies to be utilized in a dynamic way. When yourenergies are not well utilized, you are inclined to Tamasóinertia, negativity and dullness. When you are Tamasic yourmind becomes like a transistor radio tuned to discordant musicthat emanates from so many other negative minds.

When you keep your mind involved in performing actionthat inspires and purifies, you rise beyond the negative sentimentsthat cloud your mind. You begin to realize that the things thatcreated anger, hate and jealousy in your heart mean nothing.

Karmayoga is a process of spiritualizing all activity withthe understanding that your entire life can become an artisticprocess leading to Self-realization. Imbued with this understanding,a Karmayog∂ converts every aspect of his work into an act ofmeditation and prayer.

A Karmayog∂ develops the attitude of renouncing orsurrendering the fruit of action. Without looking for an egoisticreward or caring whether someone else is there to appreciatehis actions, he performs his duties to the best of his ability withan internal sense of integrity. Although he makes the effort tobe successful in every project, even if his actions do not yieldthe expected outcome, he will continue to perform his dutieswith patience. By not being attached to the fruits of action, heis able to stay balanced in gain and loss, and will not be heart-broken over the vicissitudes of life.


The human heart is constantly pressured by the urge todiscover its oneness with the Divine Self through acts ofgoodness, kindness, generosity, self-effacing love and magnanimity.As a Karmayog∂, an aspirant cultivates this urge in order toattain mental purity and to move on to the heights of spiritualrealization.

An aspirant must not let the vision of harmony and onenessbe dissipated because of the illusions of give and take that sustainthe practical realities of life. He must give with utter humility,and receive with a spirit of uplifting love proceeding from theDivine Self. His giving is an expression of his Divine love,and his receiving is an acceptance of a Divine blessing.

Acts of goodness must be like an aroma emanating froma blooming soul. You should not even be aware at the egoisticlevel of your acts of goodness done to others. An interestingstory is told about a sage who, by the force of his austerities,deserved a heavenly boon. The angels insisted on giving theboon of miraculous powers to him, but he pleaded that the boonshould rather be given to his shadow. As a result, the shadowof the Sage worked wonders in the world, while he himselfremained oblivious of all the good that proceeded from him.This is the secret art of doing the utmost good to one and all.

Give abundantly with love and humility. Be a dynamicservant of humanity. Share all that you have with others. Shareyour very being with all. Do not be miserly. Do not keep yourknowledge, your wisdom and your talents locked up in theconfines of your own little self. Fling open the doors of yourmind. Just as imprisoned air blends with the joyous breeze, sotoo allow yourself to blend with the breeze of cosmic life andbe free.

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Desireless Sevå is DharmaóAcharya Sri Vinoba Bhave

When we are born, we bring three institutions together. Aman could run these three institutions properly and efficientlyand make his life pleasantóG∂tå is the guide for this.

Which are those three institutions? The first institution isóthe bodyóenveloped around us, second institution is thisimmeasurable universe, spread around usóthis vast cosmos ofwhich, we are a particle. The society in which we are bornin, our mother-father, brother-sister, neighboursñthe expectant ofour birthóthis is the third institution. These three institutionsare in our daily useówe get them decrease. The decrementwhich occurs in their forbearance because of our utilizationóG∂tå teaches us to put our sincere efforts uninterrupted tocompensate those decrement and make our life glorious. Wemust fulfil our duty as our birthright, towards these institutions,without having any ego.

We are bound to fulfil these duties, but how we would planfor their fulfilment? The plan is made in combination of Yaj¤a,charity, penance. Though we are conversant with these wordsbut we do not understand their meaning fully. If we couldunderstand their actual meaning and we grasp them as religionof our life, then these three institutions are successful so alsoour life is flooded with redemption and pleasure.

First of all let us see that what is the meaning of Yaj¤a?We use daily the institution of creation. If one hundred peoplegather at one place then next day the creation of that place looks


polluted. We pollute the air of that place, spread the dirt allaround there, consume the grains and thus, we bring decrementto the creation. We should compensate the decrement of creationinstitution. Therefore, Yaj¤a was manifested. Whatever lossesto the creation have taken place, to compensate that loss is Yaj¤a.To compensate the loss of creation is Yaj¤a. We are ploughingthe field since thousand of years which causes decrement inits fertility. Yaj¤a teachesóyou return the fertility to the field.Go on ploughing the fieldóleave it free to enjoy full heat ofthe sun, put manureóto refilling of decrement in creation isone of the means of Yaj¤a. Another means is purification ofused things or materials. We use well and make surroundingplace dirty, water stagnates near it. The creation around the wellwhich has become slushy, we should purify it. One should doaway with accumulated water, slush should be cleaned. Alongwith such nature of compensating, we should also do someconstruction work like platform around the well etc. This is alsoa kind of Yaj¤a. We wear cloth and for this we should ginthe cotton to compensate the loss. To grow cotton plant, growingfood grains, ginning cotton are also as Yaj¤a. Whateverformation is done in Yaj¤a, that should not be with selfish motiverather motive should be of duty-boundness for compensation.This is not any kind of benevolence. We are already indebtedówe are born with a bundle of debt on our head and whateverconstructive work we do to repay that debt, that Yaj¤a is Sevå,not benevolence. With Sevå we are repaying the debt. On everysteps we enjoy the institutions of creation. Therefore, tocompensate the loss, to purify it, we have to produce afreshmaterial, we need to perform Yaj¤a.

Other institution isóour menfolk. Mother-father, Guru,friendsóthey all put labour for us. Thereby we are indebtedto all of them and to become free from debt of the society,principle of charity has been devised. Charity means freedom

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from debt of the society. It is not benevolence. We have beenmuch served by this society. When I came to this world, I wasweak and helpless, this society has made me grow up and forthis, I am duty-bound to serve the society. Benevolence isdefined as to serve others without taking anything in return buthere the case is different, we have already taken enough fromthe society. The service which we put for the benefit of societyselflessly, is called charity. The deed which we do to compensateto decrement of creation is Yaj¤a and the service performed withbody, heart, wealth and other means for getting free from debtof the society, is called charity.

Apart from all these, third institution is our body. This bodyis also waning day by day. We use our heart, knowledge,organs, we bring decrement in them. To remove the defect andblemish, caused in body institution, we need to have total controlover heart, mind and sense-organsóthis is called penance.

Thus, the functioning of all these three institutions properlyand in righteous way, it is our duty to act accordingly in befittingmanner. Though we constitute many different worthy andunworthy institutions but these three institutions are not constitutedby us. These have come to us automatically. These institutionsare not artificial. Therefore, to compensate for the decrementby means of Yaj¤a, charity and penance, is our nature-boundreligion. As such by following these rules whatever strength,either physical or mental are hidden inside us, will be utilizedfor this virtuous work and not a bit of strength will be left forother matters.

To keep the balance of creation, society and body we wouldhave to use our total strength. If we can say as Kab∂raóëOGod! The cover which you had given me, I am leaving,returning that cover as it was given i.e., in the same form, youcheck it carefullyí then what is it a great success? But for suchsuccess in practice, Yaj¤a, donation and penanceówe should

Desireless Sevå is Dharma


complete these Trividha (three types) work.I have taken Yaj¤a, charity and penance as different from

each other but actually speaking, there is no difference betweenthem; because creation, society and bodyóthese are no waydifferent at all. This society is not beyond creation, so also thisbody is not beyond creation. Thus, combining all these, it formsonly one grand alliance of creation institution. Therefore,whatever productive labour we would put, whatever donationwe impart, and whatever penance we would performóinpervasive form, these all could be called Yaj¤a. Mention in thefourth chapter of G∂tå about Dravyayaj¤a, Tapoyaj¤a etc., hasestablished wide meaning of Yaj¤a. Whichever Sevå we woulddo for the three institutions, they will be treated as Yaj¤a. Whatwe need, is only to do desireless Sevå. We never to have desireof fruit because we have already taken the fruit. Debt is alreadycontinuing. We have to repay only which we have taken.Equanimity prevails in creation through institution by Yaj¤a,society is benefited in equality by charity and our body getsequality by penance. Thus, this is the way to maintain equanimityin all these institutions. This will purify us and evil thought willvanish.

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SevåóThe Highest GoalóSri Oriyababaji Maharaja

Attainment of supreme bliss and total annihilation of sufferingsshould be oneís highest goal. Following are a few means toattain above:

(1) To serve others with disinterested spiritóSevå of allbeings.

(2) Sevå of Idol of the God and so also of devotees of God.(3) Japa of divine name and Dhyåna (meditation).Sleepiness, drowsiness, laziness, dissipation and suspicionó

these all are impediments of Sådhanå.Reverence, devotion, humility, enthusiasm, patience, light

food, good conduct, purity of body, cloth and house, highthinking, control over sense-organs, inculcation and purity inrectitude and abandoning evil companyóthese all help inelevating Sattva quality.

You came to this world weeping. Do such deeds so thatwhile you depart you go laughing.

Do not even think ill of anyone and serve the pooróthisis nectar of goodness.

The most difficult work in the world is Sevå. Human beingscan repeat Divine name and meditate but, to do Sevå is verydifficult. Only those person can do Sevå who has blessings ofGod.

Our future life is mostly under the control of our gesticulation.We will become similar to our gesticulation. If we have sordidfeelings then we will reach the bottom of sordidness and contraryto this, if we have high feelings, we will climb up to its height.


Therefore, we should always cherish high thoughts.Dhyåna, Japa, Sevå, Swådhyåya and Satsa∆gaóthese five

disciplines are very important. We should practice them all thetimes. If your mind shifts from one, then another one shouldbe taken up. Thus, we should practice all the five disciplinesone by one. This is the main duty of a Sådhaka.

We will get free from distracted mind by worshipping Godand doing Sevå of devout persons.

In the house of a householder, where guests are served withrespect, Bråhmaƒas are worshipped, saints are revered, and allfamily members are affectionate and love each other, that houseis truly a paradise.

Truly speaking, whatever we do, is only for our ownhappiness and only delusion of benevolence. Our heart getsmoved when we see someone thirsty and we make him drinkwater just to remove pangs of our heart and thereby, it is forour own happiness. Likewise, when we worship the God, noany material purpose of God is served. This is also to get peaceof our inner soul. Thus, whatever deeds are performed in thisworld, are done only for our own happiness. If we are sosteadfast in this spirit, then differentiation goes away and onenessprevails.

Remembrance of Godís name, Sevå of God, Sevå of devoutpersons, to have company of devout persons, to sing virtuesof God, to read about the life of devout persons, meditationfor God, to chant loudly names of God and attraction towardsGodóthese all are means of God-realization.

A devotee offers offering to his revered deity, according tohis gesticulation and that is called worship. In this, thegesticulation of the devotee is important, but on the other handif a devotee offers the offering according to the taste of thedeity and for his pleasure, then it is called Sevå. In this, thetaste of his venerable God is important. This is the difference

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between these two. All devotees are worthy to do worship, butGodís own Sevaka or his intimate devotee can do Sevå.

The devotee who sees entire universe in God and God asentire universe, who has equanimity everywhere and loves allbeingsósentient and insentient, who serves all, such devoteeis worth salutation. Blessed are those who have vision, payobeisance and do Sevå of such devotees.

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SevåóThe Highest Goal

Those who render the greatest service to mankind arepeople who do not merely behold in front of them a multitudeof persons and feel a social obligation or a political necessityto be considerate and serviceful to them, but those in whoma deeper impulse is welling up to see their ownselves in all.The spiritual leaders of mankind alone can render the greatestservice to people in terms of their very souls, while thecommon social-welfare projects can touch only the fringe ofhumanityís needs. To serve the body with food, clothing,shelter and medical attention is indeed good, but a betterservice would be to educate people and make them confidentin themselves with the recognition of the dignity of man asan emblem of divinity. To work for the salvation of the soulis the greatest of all services. The saints and sages, with theirpowerful thoughts and concentrated feelings, render a servicewhich cannot be seen with the physical eyes. These mastersdescend on earth for a while, think a few thoughts that willvibrate for all time to come, and leave the world unnoticed.These are the greatest geniuses of the world, not the kings,the wealthy magnates and marshals of war.

óSwami Krishnananda

Tyåga of A Pound of FlourGreater than A‹wamedha

óC. Rajagopalachari

When Yudhi¶¢hira was crowned and installed as king afterthe Kurukshetra battle, he performed an A‹wamedha Yaj¤a. Aswas the custom on occasions of this great horse sacrifice, allthe princes of the land gathered on invitation and the Yaj¤awas completed in great splendour. The Bråhmaƒas and the poorand the destitute people, who had come in great numbers fromall parts of the country, received bounteous gifts. Everythingwas done in magnificent style and in conformity with theinjunctions relating to the sacrifice.

From somewhere unseen, a weasel suddenly appeared rightin the middle of the assembled guests and priests in the greatpavilion and, after rolling on the ground, laughed a loud humanlaugh as if in derision. The priests were alarmed at this strangeand unnatural occurrence and wondered whether it was someevil spirit that had come to pollute and disturb the sacred rites.

The weaselís body was on one side all shining gold. Thisremarkable creature turned round and took a good view of theassembly of princes and learned Bråhmaƒas that had come fromvarious countries and gathered in that great pavilion and beganto speak:

ìPrinces assembled and priests, listen to me. You no doubtbelieve that you have completed your Yaj¤a in splendid style.Once upon a time, a poor Bråhmaƒa who lived in Kurukshetra,made a gift of a pound of maize flour. Your great horse sacrifice

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and all the gifts made in that connection are less than that smallgift of the Kurukshetra Bråhmaƒa. You seem to think too muchof your Yaj¤a. Pray, be not so vain about it.î

The gathering was amazed at this strange and impertinentspeech of the golden weasel. The Bråhmaƒa priests, who hadperformed the sacrificial rites, went up to the weasel and spoketo it:

ìWherefrom and why have you come to this Yaj¤a,performed by good and worthy men? Who are you? Why doyou utter words of scorn about our sacrifice? This A‹wamedhahas been duly completed in every detail in accordance withsastraic injunctions. It is not meet that you should speakderisively of our great sacrifice. Everyone that has come to thisYaj¤a has been duly attended to and has been accorded suitablehonours and gifts. Everyone is pleased with the gifts and returnshappy and contented. The Mantras have been chanted perfectlyand the oblations duly offered. The four castes are pleased. Whydo you speak as you do? Do explain yourself.î

The weasel laughed again and said:ìO Bråhmaƒas, what I said, is true. I do not grudge the

good fortune of King Yudhi¶¢hira or the good fortune of anyof you. It is not envy that makes me say this. The Yaj¤a, whichyou have just completed so showily, is not in truth as greatan act as that gift of the poor Bråhmaƒa which I have seen.And in reward for his gift, he and his wife, son and daughter-in-law were immediately taken to Swarga. Listen to my storywhich is a true narrative of what I saw myself.

ìLong before you waged your battle there, a Bråhmaƒa livedin Kurukshetra, who obtained his daily food by gleaning in thefields. He and his wife, son and daughter-in-law, all four livedin this manner. Every day in the afternoon they would sit downand have their only meal for the day. On days when they failedto find enough grain, they would fast until the next afternoon.

Tyåga of A Pound of Flour Greater than A‹wamedha


They would not keep over any thing for the next day if theygot more than they required for the day. This was the strictU¤chavætti discipline they had pledged themselves to observe.

ìThey passed their days thus for many years, when a greatdrought came and there was famine all over the land. Allcultivation ceased and there was neither sowing nor harvestingnor any grain scattered in the fields to be gleaned. For manydays the Bråhmaƒa and his family starved. One day, afterwandering in hunger and heat, with great difficulty they camehome with a small quantity of maize which they had gathered.They ground it and after saying their prayers, they divided theflour into four equal parts and, offering thanks to God, sat downeagerly to eat. Just then, a Bråhmaƒa entered and he wasexceedingly hungry. Seeing an unexpected guest arrive, theygot up and made due obeisance and asked him to join them.The pure-souled Bråhmaƒa and his wife, son and daughter-in-law were exceedingly delighted to have the good fortune ofreceiving guest at that juncture. ëOh best of Bråhmaƒas, I ama poor man. This flour of maize was obtained in accordancewith Dharma. Pray accept this. May blessings attend on you.ísaid the Bråhmaƒa of Kurukshetra and gave his share of theflour to the guest. The guest ate it with avidity but he was stillhungry when he had finished.

Seeing his hungry and unsatisfied look, the Bråhmaƒa wasgrieved and did not know what to do, when his wife said: ëLord,give my share also to him. I shall be glad if the guestís hungerbe satisfied.í Saying this, she handed her share of the flour toher husband to be given to the guest.

ëFaithful one,ísaid the Bråhmaƒa, ëthe beasts and the birdsand all the animals tend the females of their species with care.May man do worse? I cannot accept your suggestion. What shallI gain in this or in the other world if I leave you to starveand suffer hunger, you who help me and serve me to do the

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sacred duties of a householderís life? Beloved one, you are nowskin and bone and famished and exceedingly hungry. How canI leave you to suffer in that condition and hope to attain anygood by feeding the guest? No, I cannot accept your offer.í

ëYou are versed in the ›åstras, best of Bråhmaƒasí, repliedthe wife. ëIs it not true that Dharma, Artha and all the objectsof human activity are to the common and equal benefit of bothof us who have been joined together? Do look on me withcompassion and take my share of the flour and satisfy therequirements of this our guest. You are hungry as I am andyou should not make any distinction between us. I entreat younot, to deny my request.í

ëThe Bråhmaƒa yielded and took the wifeís share and gaveit to the guest who took it greedily and ate it.í ëBut he wasstill hungry! Great was the distress of the poor Bråhmaƒa ofKurukshetra. His son, who saw this, came forward. ëFather, hereis my share,í said he. ëGive it to this guest who seems to bestill hungry. I shall be indeed happy if we shall thus, be ableto fulfil our duty.í

The fatherís distress increased. ëChild!í He exclaimed, ëOldmen can stand starvation. Youthís hunger is severe. I am notable to find it in my heart to accept what you say.í

The son insisted: ëIt is the duty of the son to look afterhis father in his declining years. The son is not different fromthe father. Is it not said that the father is born afresh in hisson? My share of the flour is yours in truth. I beg of you toaccept what I give and feed this hungry guest.í

ìDear boy, your nobility and your mastery over the sensesfill me with pride. Blessing on you; I shall accept your share!îsaid the father, and he took the sonís flour and gave it to theguest to eat. The guest ate the third part of the flour also buthe was still hungry! The Bråhmaƒa, who lived on scatteredgain, was confused.



While he was in distress, not knowing what to do, hisdaughter-in-law addressed him thus:

ëLord! I shall give my share too and gladly complete ourefforts to feed this guest. I beg of you to accept it and blessme, your child, for, by that, I shall have eternal good as myreward.í

ìThe father-in-law was sad beyond measure. ëO girl ofspotless character, pale and emaciated as you are from starvation,you propose to give your part of the food also to me, so thatI may earn merit by giving it to this guest. If I accept youroffer, I shall indeed be guilty of cruelty. How could I possiblylook on when you wither in hunger?î

The girl would not listen. ëFather, you are lord of my lordand master, preceptor of my preceptor, god of my god. I imploreyou to accept my flour. Is not this body of mine dedicatedwholly to serve my lord? You should help me to attain the good.Do take this flour, I entreat you.í

ëThus implored by his daughter-in-law, the Bråhmaƒaaccepted her share of the flour and blessed her saying, ëLoyalgirl, may every good be yours!í

The guest received this last portion avidly and ate it andwas satisfied.

ìBlessed is your hospitality, given with the purest intent andto the uttermost of your capacity. Your gift has pleased me.Lo there! The gods are showering flowers in admiration of yourextraordinary sacrifice. See! The gods and the Gandharvas havecome down in their bright chariots with their attendants to takeyou with your family to the happy regions above. Your gifthas achieved Swarga for you, as well as for your ancestors.Hunger destroys the understanding of men. It makes them goaside from the path of rectitude. It leads them to evil thoughts.The pious, when suffering the pangs of hunger, lose theirsteadfastness. But you have, even when hungry, bravely set

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aside your attachment to wife and son and placed Dharma aboveall else. Råjasµuya sacrifices and horse sacrifices completed insplendour, would pale into insignificance before the greatsacrifice you have done through this single act of hospitality.The chariot is waiting for you. Enter and go to Swarga, youand your family.í Saying this, the mysterious guest disappeared.î

Having related this story of the Kurukshetra Bråhmaƒa wholived by gleaning scattered ears of corn in the field, the weaselcontinued:

ìI was nearby and caught the fragrance wafted from thatflour of the Bråhmaƒa. It made my head all gold. I then wentand rolled in joy on the ground where some of the flour hadbeen scattered. It made one side of me into bright gold. I turnedon the other side but there was no more flour left and that partof me is still as it was. Desirous of getting my body made allgold. I have been trying every place where men perform greatYaj¤as and penances. I heard that Yudhi¶¢hira of world famewas performing a Yaj¤a and came here, believing that thissacrifice might come up to the standard. But I found it did not.So, I said that your great A‹wamedha was not so great as thegift of flour which that Bråhmaƒa made to his guest.î Theweasel then disappeared.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


SevåóSwami Sri Akhandananda Saraswati

Once we people went to Gote village. Gote village is inMadhya Pradesh. We were five or seven people in all. Swåm∂Swarµupånandaj∂, who is ›a∆karåcårya these days, was with us.Hitaji, Cho¢ej∂, Dådåj∂, Dwårakå ›åstr∂ and Råma‹araƒaj∂ wereall with us. We, along with Cho¢ej∂ stopped at one temple.Cho¢ej∂ cooked KhicaŒ∂ and I also partook of that. Where mealswere arranged for guests, those all people reached there. Therethe vegetable of brinjals was prepared. That vegetable was veryfilthy. It was prepared in an iron frying-pan. It was just likecoal. Banana and brinjal are such items if they are cooked inan iron frying-pan then they become just like coal. Whenfinishing their meals, they returned to the temple where we werestaying, then our Dådåj∂ vomited and also got fever. What typeof Sevå it was? Is this called guest Sevå ? Arrangements offood for guests should be agreeable to their health and spiritualdiscipline. Every care should be taken in arranging food forguests. We should keep in mind that guests are our deities.

Purity is an important factor in Sevå. The utmost purity isof the money used in Sevå. This thing you know not at all.At Vrindavan, there was a gentleman named Så∂n. One doctornamed Hotåcandra lived there. He had come from Pakistan. Attimes he invited us for meals at his home. One day that Så∂ntold us that we should not go to his house for our meals. Wereplied that he invited us with much devotion and feed us withgreat love. Så∂n told us that he squeezes money from the patients.Sickness inheres in his money and his meals, if you people

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take. You would become sick. Therefore, you need not go tohis home for your meals. We accepted his saying. We did notmake any arguments. These days people make many argumentsthat how money itself could be impure and how the foodpurchased with that money could be impure. But the fact isthat the feelings of the patients and the doctor both do haveimpact on such money and food. And that impact is also uponthe man who consumes such food. Therefore, food should bevery pious. Purity of money used, is a very important factorin meals. You people should know it and understand it thatsanctity of money used in Sevå, is very essential.

Pandit Madana Mohana Målav∂ya used to relate a story. Iam relating that story to you. One Bråhmaƒa had to marry hisdaughter. His wife insisted upon him that he should go to theking of this place as he was very generous and if he couldgift us some money with which, we would be able to marryour daughter. Bråhmaƒa went to the king and begged moneyof him. The king told the Bråhmaƒa, ìToday I do not possessany money worth giving to you. Whatever money is in mytreasury, all that is either tax-realised money from subjects orfine realised from evil-doers. Tax-realised from public shouldbe spent in their welfare and money obtained from evil-doersshould be utilised in their good. This day I have no moneywith me as my own worth giving to you. You, please cometomorrow. I would positively help you tomorrow.î

At night the king in disguise stepped out of his palace insearch of some job to get some money to help that Bråhmaƒafor his daughterís marriage. A man who parches grain, told theking that if he parched his grain, he would pay four paise. Theking parched grains and he got four paise as wages. You peopledo not know the value of four paise. Perhaps these days nocoin of less than five paise is exchangeable. We used to hirea labourer for four paise in a day. They made their both ends

Sevå


meet with those four paise. They were quite satisfied. Thesethings elate to our childhood. We are relating you historicalthings. The king kept four paise with him. Next day theBråhmaƒa came to the king. The king gifted him those fourpaise. Bråhmaƒa told his wife that the king had paid him fourpaise as a help for daughterís marriage. She flew in rage andthrew away those four paise. A tree sprouted at the place wherefour paise were thrown. Diamond were there in that tree as itsblossoms. Those diamonds were prosperous fruit of this honestearning of the king.

Whatever earned in an honest way, is always very auspiciousand prosperous. That money is not spent for doctors, footlickersor frolickers and legal practitioners. There is no altercations athome. The king does not grab it, thieves do not thieve it. Ourearnings put us in trouble only when it is mingled with earningsof other people and it evolves a physical and mental agony ofsomeone. You should bear in mind these facts. If you alwayswant peace, happiness and bliss in life, it is very essential thatyour money should be very pious. The purity of money issupreme. Only earning by honest means should be our property.Then there would be always bliss and auspiciousness at ourhomes.

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ServiceóA Panacea for All IllsóDada J. P. Vaswani

There was a young woman, who was a great devotee ofLord Kæ¶ƒa. She spent the better part of her day in prayer, Pµujåand repetition of the Name Divine. Her one devout wish wasto see the Lord in person, welcome Him into her home, andoffer her devoted service at His Lotus Feet.

One night, ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa appeared in her dream. ìI shall visityour home tomorrow,î He said to her. ìPlease be on the lookoutfor me.î

The girlís joy knew no bounds. She was up with the larknext morning. She washed and cleaned and polished, till everynook and corner of her home shone. With her own hands sheprepared a delicious spread of eats, to offer to the Lord whenhe came. When everything was ready, she ran to the front door,and sat on the steps, watching for ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒaís arrival.

An old man hobbled up, leaning on a stick. ìDear sister,you are the very picture of kindness,î he said. ìWould you beso good as to lead me to the nearest hospital? I need a pair,of crutches, and the doctors may be able to help me.î

ìI would have gladly helped you, Baba,î said the girl. ìButnot today, please! The Lord has promised to be here with metodayóand I have no time for anyone but Him!î

Disappointed, the old man hobbled away.A little later, a fakir (mendicant) approached her door. He

sang a beautiful song, and then requested her to give him somefoodófor he was hungry, and had a long way to travel.

ìI would gladly give you food, brother,î she said, ìBut


not today, please! The Lord has promised that he will be withme todayóand all the food in my home has to be offered toHim before I offer it to anyone else. I beg your pardonóbuttoday, I have no time for anyone but Him!î

The fakir smiled at her, and went on his way. The girl grewanxious as the hours passed. There was no sign of ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa!

A poor woman came along, with a baby in her arms andtwo little children following her. She said to the girl, ìMay theLord Bless you sister! Give us alms in His Name, for we arepoor and needy. Give us, in your charity and generosity, andbe richly blessed by the Lord!î

ìYes, yes,î said the girl hastily. ìBut not today, please! TheLord is visiting me, and I have time for no one but Him! Pleasego away now; if you come tomorrow, I will give you everythingthat you need.î

The woman begged and pleadedóbut to no avail. She too,moved on, disappointed.

Darkness fell. The girl sat on the steps, still waiting. Themoon and stars appeared. Gradually, the world went to sleepand all was silent. The girl rose from the steps. Her eyes werefilled with tears. She went before the Mµurti of ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa whichshe worshipped and fell at His Feet. As she had kept awakethroughout the day with unblinking eyes waiting for the Lordto appear before her, her eyes were tired and she dropped offto sleep.

She saw a dream. In the dream ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa appeared beforeher. Immediately, she cried. ìHow could you do this to me,Lord? You promised me, you would comeóand you have notkept your word!î

ìI kept my word to you!î she heard the Lord say, ìI cameto you for help and assistance. I came to youónot once, butthriceóbut you turned me away!î

Does not the Lord tell us: ìWhatever you give to the least

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of men, you give unto me?î We will do well to rememberthat the Lord lives in the lowly and the humble. When we servethem, we serve Him. So, it was that Sådhu Våsawån∂ said,ìService of the poor is worship of the Lord.î

Sådhu Våsawån∂ also said: ìIf you would be happy makeothers happy.î These beautiful words are carved on the pedestalof his statue, which greet everyone who enters the city of Pune,at the Sådhu Våsawån∂ Chowk, where the Pune cantonmentmeets Pune city:

If you would be happy, then make others happy!Truer words were never spoken. For the happiness that goes

out of you to others, comes back to you. Such is the law!Therefore, I tell everyone I meet, do at least one good deedof service everyday.

CourtesyóB. K. Satapathy❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

ServiceóA Panacea for All Ills

Even as God humbly stands Himself in utmost secrecy andanonymity while bestowing ceaseless munificenceósunlight,air, food, life, love, wisdomóso should His children learn fromHim the gracious art of selfless, silent giving. Human beingsbound in bodyóconfining egotism, need to expand the. ëI-meñmineí consciousness into divinely inclusive love for allóit is a primary lesson to be mastered in this school of mortallife.

Glory of SevåóDivya Jyoti Devakiji

Sevå is such a principle that its outer form i.e., service withmaterials and body leads to the building of a good society andits inner view i.e., sentiments and feelings of a Sevaka leadsto oneís emancipation. Sevå is an essential and importantdiscipline for God-realization. There have been many Sådhakaswhose lives have been devoted to the welfare of all people.With such Sevå, they have evolved their lives to a very highstandard. We can have glimpses of the glory of Sevå in livesof certain devotees.

Bred up in a low family, bereft of riches, learning andwisdom, having no husband or son, a rustic lady became lovableof ›r∂ Råma even by virtue of Sevå. She became an ideal fordevotees of all times. When we think of her, we get exhilarated.She became so lovely only by virtue of dedicated Sevå of agodly saint. ›abar∂ had no knowledge of any type. Her life wasdedicated only to the devoted service of forest dwelling saints.That was her fancy, liking. She never expected anything inreturn neither from saints nor from God. Sevå for her was nota discipline but it was her aim of life.

Being of low caste, she had no courage to go near the sages.In a hidden way she placed woods by plucking them from theforest in the huts of sages. She was joyful in the fact that herlabour may be useful for sages. She had no trace of pride inherself. The route by which sages used to go to bathe in thetank was swept off and made free of gravels by ›abar∂. This

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was her lovely job. What a pious sentiment is of ›abar∂ thatno gravel should prick the feet of sages. Her egoless, selflessdevoted Sevå purified her mind. Being a female of low caste,she felt very shy. By Godís inspiration, time had come to getrid of this shyness.

Hermit-dweller, God-loving sage, Mata∆ga became veryeager to see the individual who was devoted to the service ofsages in a very hidden way. Along with his pupils he kept vigilthe whole night and witnessed ›abar∂ devoted to such service.Seeing her, sage was much blissful but on the other hand ›abar∂contracted herself with shyness due to her own pettiness. Shewas not aware that she has become very pious by virtue ofher bath in the Ganges of devotion of saints. God-loving sage,Mata∆ga valued her devotion and he kept her in his hermit.He initiated her with Mantra and assured her that she wouldbe blessed with the vision of Lord Råma, when he would cometo DaƒŒakåraƒya. It was the glory of her Sevå that attractedblessings of such a high saint.

Sage Mata∆ga assured ›abar∂ of the vision of God on hisown self-confidence because he knew that God will definitelygrant vision to ›abar∂ who is so devoted to saints though asceticswho are proud of penances may lag behind in this matter. Thoseaspirants who are devoted to God-devotees, are very lovely toGod. Simple-hearted ›abar∂ was not conscious of the fact thathow much dear she is to God. On the assurance of her Guru,she believed that God is very kind and would kindly grant mevision. God would come, God would come, she had plungedherself in the sweet wait of Lord. Physical service develops lovefor service and that love leads to oneness with the beloved. Thisthing happened in case of ›abar∂. Just on reaching DaƒŒakåraƒya,Lord Råma visited ›abar∂ís hut to take relish of her devotionas He is very submissive to His devotees.

Glory of Sevå


Lord relishes the love of His prideless devotees in such ablissful way that He becomes oblivious of His Lordliness. Goddid not feel that He has graced ›abar∂ rather He felt gratefuland told ›abar∂ that she has removed His fatigue by gifting Himsweet fruits.

Blessed is God and blessed are His devotees.❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

This world is not for cowards. Do not try to fly. Looknot for success or failure. Join yourself to the perfectlyunselfish will and work on. Know that the mind which is bornto succeed, joins itself to a determined will and perseverance.You have the right to work, but do not become so degenerateas to look for results. Work incessantly, but see somethingbehind the work. Even good deeds can find a man in greatbondage. Therefore be not bound by good deeds or by desirefor name and fame. Those who know this secret, pass beyondthis round of birth and death and become immortal.

The ordinary Sa≈nyås∂ gives up the world, goes out, andthinks of God. The real Sa≈nyås∂ lives in the world, but isnot of it. Those who deny themselves, live in the forest, andchew the cud of unsatisfied desires, are not true renouncers.Live in the midst of the battle of life. Anyone can keep calmin a cave or when asleep. Stand in the whirl and madnessof action and reach the centre. If you have found the centre,you cannot be moved.

óSwami Vivekananda

Sevå Leads to Highest Good óBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka

Almost all living beings remain engrossed in suffering.Sufferings are of two kindsó(1) Worldly, (2) Other-worldly.

Worldly sufferings are of three kindsó(1) Ådhibhautika, (2) Ådhidaivika, (3) Ådhyåtmika. Sufferings

caused through the agency of men, beasts, birds, insects, mothsand other creatures are called Ådhibhautika. Sufferings causedby gods of air, fire, water, rain, space, planet, sun and moonare called Ådhidaivika. Ådhyåtmika sufferings are of twocategoriesó(1) Mental agony, (2) Physical ailments. Evenmental agonies have been classified in two typesó(1) Insanity,epilepsy, frenzy etc., diseases, (2) Passion and anger, greed-infatuation, arrogance-envy, attachment-aversion, jealousy, fear,duplicity-fraud, the egoism and the sense of myness etc., arevices which cause downfall in spiritualism. All these and manymore likewise diseases are called mental agonies. Diseases ofthe body and the senses are called physical ailments. After deathin the other world or in this world after rebirth, to move invarious species of life is called other-worldly suffering. Withtrue knowledge of God, all kinds of sufferings go away. Withsuch knowledge is realized, God is also realized. With God-realization one gets rid of all types of sufferings and attainseternal peace and supreme bliss.

Therefore, in the body of a God-realized soul, such sufferingsmay be seen due to his own destiny but in reality his soul isbereft of all kinds of sorrows. In him there is a total negation


of modifications such as attachment-aversion, pleasure-sorrowetc. His soul is totally detached with his body, mind and senses.Therefore, bodily ailments due to his destiny, have no significancefor him.

That real knowledge of God is attained through the practiceof devotion to God, association with God-realized souls, studyof G∂tå like scriptures, selfless action, the path of knowledgeand meditation. Out of these paths, the path of selfless action,associated with devotion to God in brief, is discussed below.Godis abiding in all beings. Therefore, Sewå of all beings is theSewå of God. It is stated in G∂tå (XVIII. 46)ó

ÿÃ— ¬˝flÎÁûÊ÷Í¸ÃÊŸÊ¢ ÿŸ ‚fl¸Á◊Œ¢ ÃÃ◊˜–Sfl∑§◊¸áÊÊ Ã◊èÿëÿ¸ Á‚Áh¢ ÁflãŒÁÃ ◊ÊŸfl—H

ìFrom whom all beings have emanated and by whom thewhole universe is pervaded by worshipping Him through thededicated performance of oneís own duties, man attains thehighest perfection.î

Above-mentioned Sewå is automatically done by perfectperson. Virtues and actions of the perfect persons are worthemulating for spiritual aspirants.

Lord has described characteristics of accomplished lovingdevotees in verses thirteen to nineteen of chapter XII ofG∂tåó

ÿ ÃÈ œêÿÊ¸◊ÎÃÁ◊Œ¢ ÿÕÊÄÃ¢ ¬ÿÈ¸¬Ê‚Ã–üÊgœÊŸÊ ◊à¬⁄U◊Ê ÷ÄÃÊSÃ˘ÃËfl ◊ Á¬˝ÿÊ—H

(XII. 20)ìThose Sådhaka devotees solely devoted to me who try to

cultivate these virtues in themselves, God has called these asextremely dear to Him.î

Hence, regarding all being pervaded by God, one ought toperform according to Godís dictates selfless Sewå of all beingsremembering Godís name and form.

Such Sewå is of two typesó

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(1) Usual Sewå, (2) Sewå leading to servedís salvation.To eliminate the sorrow of those ladies and gents and to

provide them comfort who are sorrowful, helpless and distresseddue to earthquake, flood, famine, conflagration or afflicted withdiseases or any other calamity, is Sewå. Such worldly Sewåis of many typesó

(1) To arrange for medical treatment, hospitalization, toprovide protective place, to arrange food, clothing, diet, eitherby oneself or through others for a sick or distressed person whois lying on the road and has nothing to eat, no clothing, noshelter, even he has no means for medicine and food. To helpsuch destitute, helpless and sick persons, is very noble Sewå.Therefore, each man should perform such Sewå. Selfless physicians,either working in charitable organization or privately, should notcharge any fees from patients at all in the organization, betterit is if they are generous for not charging fees even for thevisit at the house of the patient.

(2) One oneself or by others should arrange food andclothing for the families who have no such means with them,as their houses have been burnt in fire or swept away by flood.

(3) To arrange food and accommodation, personally or byothers for such men whose females and children have died underrubbles or such women and children who have been masterlessand their houses and other properties have been destroyed byearthquake.

(4) To arrange livelihood and education for minor boys andgirls who have no parents or any other guardian, by keepingthem in an orphanage or in any home for destitute.

(5) To help as per his own capacity to one who is unableto arrange money for the marriage of his or her daughter.

(6) To arrange food, clothing and other needs to any widoweither by oneself or by others.

Nowadays it is observed that widow mothers and sisters

Sevå Leads to Highest Good


in poor family, hardly maintain their livelihood. Even widowsin prosperous family, are not getting respect in in-lawís houseor in parentís house. They are considered as burdens on family-members as the family people have no sentiments to serve them.Therefore, widows generally get disrespect everywhere. Whethercash or ornaments these widows possess, if however, theydeposit with the in-laws or parents, it is observed at severalplaces that some of them usurp that money and jewellery.Therefore, for safety point of view, such widow mothers andsisters should make fixed deposits of sale proceeds of theirornaments or should purchase debentures of good companies,even they may earn lower interest.

My request to widow mothers and sisters is that they shouldlead a life like non-attached person. They should devote theirtime in devotion to God. They should exercise self-control andlead a life of noble conduct. They should perform Sewå inparentís house or in in-lawís house without any selfish motive.They should engage themselves in preparing meals or stitchingand embroidery works. This is very much beneficial to them.It is not advisable to consume food without doing somehousehold chores. Mind also gets purified by rendering suchunselfish works. Members of the parents and in-lawís familiesfeel pleasure. For widows, it is important that they should repeatGodís name or meditate upon Him or study religious books inthe morning and evening in a lonely placeówhile sleeping atnight, they should sleep remembering name, form, virtue andglory of God. They should do every work unselfishly, consideringit as Godís work for His pleasure and remembering God allthe timeóGod has so exhorted in G∂tåó

ÃS◊Êà‚fl¸·È ∑§Ê‹·È ◊Ê◊ŸÈS◊⁄U ÿÈäÿ ø–◊ƒÿÌ¬Ã◊ŸÙ’ÈÁh◊Ê¸◊flÒcÿSÿ‚¢‡Êÿ◊˜ H

(VIII. 7)ìTherefore, Arjuna, think of Me at all times and fight with

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mind and reason set on Me, you will undoubtedly come to Me.îLikewise other men and womenfolks should treat widow

mothers and sisters in a noble way and should do their Sewåbecause Sewå done to virtuous widows, is more valuable thanSewå done to the afflicted, orphan, distressed and cow. Contraryto that to hurt them, is very harmful as the curse of sufferingwidows is much pernicious.

The mute animalsócow, oxen, bulls etc., who are in distressdue to scarcity of water and fodder or who are sick and oldfor that reason, their owners do not rear them, to arrange relieffor them, is a noble service.

Service of a deaf or mute is better than the service of atalkative.

Likewise, to protect the life of human beings, animals, birds,insects, moths etc., and to provide them comfort by guardingagainst miseriesóall these are worldly Sewå. This worldlySewå, if done in an egoless and unselfish spirit for Godíspleasure, it turns into ëParama SewåíóSewå leading to theirsalvation.

Sewå done to a man wandering in various species of lifewhich leads a man to God-realization after delivering him fromall sorts of miseries is called ëParama Sewåí.

This type of Sewå is naturally done by God-realized personsbut a Sådhaka can do such Sewå as a spiritual practice of life.Though a Sådhaka has not the power for bringing outredemption of any person, still he can be an instrument in thatëParama Sewåí being egoless and relying on Almighty Godísbehest, mercy and inspiration.

(1) There are many type of ëParama Sewåí such as to impartthe knowledge of J¤ånayoga, Dhyånayoga, Karmayoga andBhakiyoga etc., to people revolving in the cycle of birth anddeath for getting rid of such transmigration of soul.

(2) To one who is nearing his death, if he wants to listen,



then to recite before him G∂tå, Råmåyaƒa, divine names.Such work is more valuable than doing Yaj¤a, giving

donations, performing penance, doing material Sewå, repeatingGodís name, meditating, adoring God, studying scriptures andengaged in doing Satsa∆gas. These works can be done evenany time but to recite divinely subjects to a person facingimminent death, cannot be done afterwards his death. If the mindof the person who is heading towards death is anchored inGod by hearing recitations of spiritual versions and divinelynames, then he immediately gets redemption.

Lord Kæ¶ƒa has said in G∂tå (VIII. 5)ó•ãÃ∑§Ê‹ ø ◊Ê◊fl S◊⁄Uã◊ÈÄàflÊ ∑§‹fl⁄U◊˜–ÿ— ¬˝ÿÊÁÃ ‚ ◊jÊfl¢ ÿÊÁÃ ŸÊSàÿòÊ ‚¢‡Êÿ—H

ìHe who departs from the body, thinking of Me alone, evenat the time of death, attains My state, there is no doubt about it.î

Therefore, if by making such efforts, if even one man getsemancipation then our birth too is a success, as this human lifeis bestowed to attain self-realization. Even if we do not seekanything of God even then, God will grant us salvation becausewe are doing this job selflessly without egoity only for thepleasure of God. This job will excel even emancipation, if weget rebirths and God assign us this duty, we should never misssuch opportunity. We must do this work first of all forsakingeven lacs of work. There is no greater ëParama Sewåí thanthe Sewå of such a highly afflicted deserving person.

To present, to gift or to arrange such gifts of G∂tå,Råmåyaƒa, Bhågawata, religious scriptures, monthly religiousmagazines like Kalyåƒa, write-up of God-realized saints andtheir discourses, their biography, their sermons etc., spiritualliterature on the occasion of marriage and on other suchceremonies. To give free or getting them free such books tosaints and students. To distribute such literature free or at a veryreasonable prices for the welfare of people. To distribute free

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or at reasonable price oneself or arrange for such distributionamongst §R¶ikula, Gurukula, Brahmacaryå‹rama, High schools,Colleges, På¢ha‹ålås, Prisons, Hospitals and Ayurvedic dispensaries.To do such work by opening oneís own shop, one should dothis job of preaching spiritual literature in towns, villages,suburbs or in fairs etc., by loading such literature in trucks,handcarts or carrying in hand bags. This is a spiritual Sewå.Bereft of ego and with unselfish motive, if such Sewå is doneonly for Godís pleasure, it will be termed as ëParama Sewåí.Therefore, each person should do such preaching workconscientiously and with enthusiasm for oneís own redemption,considering this work as a spiritual discipline for God-realization.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


A true Tyåg∂ is a practitioner of real renunciation, evenif he lives in the world and to outer appearances looks likeany ordinary person of the world. Such person having inwardlyrenounced all desires and attachments, remains intoxicatedwith God.

The devotee of outer renunciation, on the other hand,forswears all material luxuries in the beginning to accustomhis consciousness to the simple life and the non-attachmentmotive to his soulóthe prerequisite renunciation of worldlypleasures and worldly ways of living before one can knowGod. But though an aspirant renounces everything outwardly,he may yet remain inwardly attached to mundane objects andbe haunted by sensual desires.

The garb one wears or the lack of it, and other externalexpressions of renunciation do not necessarily make onespiritual.

What is Sewå?óNityalilalina Sri Hanumanprasad Poddar

A Godís devotee who makes adoration of God as the natureof his life itself, keeps himself ever engaged in worshipping Godfor Godís pleasure. What are the sentiments and nature of sucha Sewaka who is dedicated to Sewå, can be appraised fromthe following pious utterance of Bhaktaråja Prahlåda. LordNæsi≈hadevaówho fulfils all wishes of the devotees, askedPrahlåda to seek boon of Him, then Prahlådaj∂ submitted to theLord in very polite wordsóìO Lord ! I am attached to worldlyenjoyments since my birth, kindly donít allure me for seekingboons. Being afraid of the contact of sense-enjoyments andexperiencing the pungent agony given by them. I have soughtyour shelter with a view to get rid of these. O the WorldPreceptor ! Your honour must be testing me, otherwise OMerciful Lord! how can you ask me to seek boons which arenothing but to trap me in material enjoyments?î

ÿSÃ •ÊÁ‡Ê· •Ê‡ÊÊSÃ Ÿ ‚ ÷Îàÿ— ‚ flÒ flÁáÊ∑˜ H•Ê‡ÊÊ‚ÊŸÊ Ÿ flÒ ÷Îàÿ— SflÊÁ◊ãÿÊÁ‡Ê· •Êà◊Ÿ—–Ÿ SflÊ◊Ë ÷ÎàÿÃ— SflÊêÿÁ◊ë¿UŸ˜ ÿÊ ⁄UÊÁÃ øÊÁ‡Ê·—H•„¢U àfl∑§Ê◊SàfljÄÃSàfl¢ ø SflÊêÿŸ¬ÊüÊÿ—–ŸÊãÿÕ„UÊflÿÊ⁄UÕÊ¸ ⁄UÊ¡‚fl∑§ÿÊÁ⁄UflH

(Bhågavata VII. 10. 4ó6)ìO Preceptor of the universe! He who seeks worldly

blessings from you, is no Sewaka of yours. He is only abusinessman. One desiring blessings for oneself from a masteris no Sewaka in the true sense of the word. And likewise he

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is no master, who grants such gifts expecting the recognitionof his mastership from his Sewaka. I, however, am your Sewakaor devotee without any craving while you are my Lord havingno expectation from me, unlike the interest of a king and hisservant here, our interest in each other is not maintained by anyother selfish motive.î

What type of a Tyåg∂ such a dedicated Sewaka is, iselucidated by God in the guise of Kapiladeva.

‚Ê‹ÊÄÿ‚ÊÌCÔU‚Ê◊Ëåÿ‚ÊM§åÿÒ∑§àfl◊åÿÈÃ –ŒËÿ◊ÊŸ¢ Ÿ ªÎˆÔUÁãÃ ÁflŸÊ ◊à‚flŸ¢ ¡ŸÊ—H‚ ∞fl ÷ÁÄÃÿÊªÊÅÿ •ÊàÿÁãÃ∑§ ©UŒÊNUÃ—–ÿŸÊÁÃfl˝Öÿ ÁòÊªÈáÊ¢ ◊jÊflÊÿÊ¬¬lÃH

(Bhågavata III. 29. 13-14)ìMy Sewakas accept not, in exchange for Sewå done to

me (the five forms of final beatitude, viz.) Sålokya (residencein my divine realm), Sår¶¢i (enjoying my powers), Såm∂pya(living in my presence), Sårµupya (possessing a form similar tomine), and Såyujya (absorption into my being). Even when theyare offered to them by Me. The aforesaid devotion or Sewåhas been declared as the highest goal. Thus, transcending therealms of the three Guƒas (modes of Prakæti), the Sewakaóthe devotee becomes one with Me and attains pure divine love.î

How and in what forms God is to be adored ? To worshiponeís adored God verily leads to salvation that is so much goodbut to limit the worship only to oneís adored God is not enough.Lord further says, ìI am ever dwelling in all living beings astheir very innerself. A man who worships Me through an idolalone showing disrespect to Me as abiding in all creatures, makesa travesty of worship. Ignoring Me, the Supreme Ruler, the selfabiding in all living beings, he who stupidly resorts to idol-worship alone, throws oblation into the ashes.

Therefore, realizing the presence of God in all beings, one

What is Sewå?


should worship God.ìHe alone is exclusively devoted to Me, who is steadfast

in his conviction that he is the Sewaka and the whole world,both animate and inanimate creation is the manifestation of theLord, his master.î

ëThis type of Sewå is true Sewå.í This is the highest lovein the form of Sewå, God, though ever selfless and self-contentedto relish this sweet love in the form of Sewå, manifests Himselfas if He has the hunger of such love and He is insatiate. Weget sermon of such divine supreme Sewå from the divine lifeof saints.

The low and high, various forms of Sewå are prevalent inthe universe due to variance in inclinations and different mind-set of people based on Sattva, Rajas and Tamas Guƒaspredominating them. So present oneself as a Sewaka and tobe called as a Sewaka without rendering any type of Sewå isdeceit, hypocrisy and sin.

To fulfilment of oneís own great self-interest or for obtainingsome sort of big status to serve bureaucrats, ministers or withsimilar selfish motives to give donations to societies, politicalparties, help financially during elections, to perform some socialservice for winning elections and to advertise that service, theseall are neither Sewå nor true donations but simply to gain morewith fewer capital investments, is a kind of business or gambling.

Regarding oneself as a benefactor with vanity of servicedone, to consider the served as low compared to oneself, tooblige the served; to claim gratefulness and something in returnfrom the served, to treat the served as ungrateful, if he doesnot fulfil the serverís expectationóthis all is not true servicerather a kind of business only.

Doing Sewå according to oneís own will disagreeable tothe served, considering it beneficial and pleasure giving for himand thus, imposing Sewå on the served, is mockery of service.

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With pure motive to do Sewå, if one oneself deriveshappiness and self-contentment by doing Sewå according to thenecessities of the served with mind, body and materials asavailable with oneís ownself, then that Sewå is commendable.

For the welfare and happiness of the served, if service isdone agreeable to his will, though it may be against the serverísown will with reverent heart, it is also laudable.

To serve the poor, destitute with oneís own availablematerials in a silent and unknown way, is the best Sewå. Afew years back a poor gentleman told me that he had beengetting regularly every month money from various names andplaces through money-orders for my livelihood. Even upontrying to find out who is the benefactor, I could not trace.›abar∂j∂ used to remove thorns and pebbles from the routes ofthe hermitage of the sages in a hidden way. Such servers areafraid of fame and feel shyness and shame in being regardedas Sewakas.

Sewå done for Sewå sake and without doing it one feelsrestless. It is done for self-contentment and is done automatically.This is the best type of service. Regarding the same self-abidingin all the moving and unmoving beings, one does all sorts ofservice according to their needs as if, he is serving oneís ownselfóthis is the supermost service of the soul. In this service onefeels the suffering and happiness of other beings as oneís ownsorrow and pleasure. This supermost Sewå reflects the self-realization of the server.

Viewing God in all animate and inanimate beings, one whoworship each being as God through his each and every activitywith zeal and fervour, God whose manifestation the wholeuniverse is, gets pleased. This is the supermost worship of God.

Such egoless service in which one is oblivious of oneís ownhappiness and welfare, heaven and redemption and sorrow andhell; through his every thought, activity and object, he wants

What is Sewå?


to please the most lovable God, his habit has become such, thenatural service of such a man is the supreme Sewå. This issupreme because it is based on abdication of enjoyments andsalvation, considering them trivial, no other Sewå is equal to it.

Keeping such Sewå as oneís own ideal of Sewå in view,one should keep moving on the pious path of Sewå. To sucha Sewaka, self-realization and salvation come of their ownaccord. They supplicate to him for their acceptance. He attainsthat love which puts even ever-free God in perpetual bondageby controlling Him. Such love is summum-bonum and thediscipline also.

One must make his life the blessed one through Sewå inthe form of selfless activity, in the form of Bhakti, in the formof self-realization along with them, the Sewå in the form of thesupreme love of God as ideal of his life.

‚ÊœŸ Á‚Áh ⁄UÊ◊ ¬ª Ÿ„ÍU–(Månasa II. 288. 8)

Kåkabhu‹uƒŒij∂ told to GaruŒaj∂ó‚’ ∑§⁄U ◊Ã πªŸÊÿ∑§ ∞„UÊ– ∑§Á⁄U• ⁄UÊ◊ ¬Œ ¬¢∑§¡ Ÿ„UÊH

(Månasa VII. 121. 13)❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

How to Serve?óBrahmalina Swami Ramsukhdas

ListeneróI have neither wealth, strength, knowledge, talent,capability nor any material with me, even though I want toserveóhow to do it ?

Swåm∂j∂óVery intelligent question. Answer will also notbe unremarkable, listen attentively. Service meansóothers arebenefited and they are happy. Instant happiness to them andlater on they feel goodness, what better service will be otherthan this ?

How to enjoy otherís happiness when we have no materialsto serve? As per my knowledge, I am telling you an exemplaryfact about this. Suppose there is a rich man and has incurredloss in business or he is suffering from malignant disease, sondies, in this condition, be sympathetic with him and tell, ëYourson died, I feel very sad for this, your business loss also pinchesme. Like this, share his sorrow by heart, he will be happy andhe will be served. Contrary to these, if someone becomeswealthy overnight, son becomes intelligent, share his happiness.He will be happy with this.

Character of saints saysó““¬⁄U ŒÈπ ŒÈπ ‚Èπ ‚Èπ Œπ ¬⁄U””(Månasa. VII. 38. 1).

Feel sorrowful for otherís sorrow and happy for otheríshappiness. You can do this service without spending a penny,without any sort of power or even without material either.Seeing others painful, feel their pain as of yourself and tellóìO Lord ! What to do?î I have no material, no wealth, no


strength, out of which I could have made others happy, whatI could do? In this way your self feeling sorrowful and feelingpleasure, seeing someone happy by heart, this will be yourgreatest service. With mere vision of such people, who havesuch heart, people attain peace.

We will serve and we will help with wealth only, this isvery gross reasoning. I say this is rather sordid mentality. Youhave not given an importance to service, but to wealth. Whoattaches value to wealth, he is sordid. You are giving moreimportance to money than to your own-self. Money, practicallyis trivial. And you assume this is necessary to serve others. Thisis very poor understanding. Service from wealth brings vanityto oneself and disrespect to others. You will try to oblige theserved one, that, I have given you so much, have helped youto this extent. In case sometime he goes against you then youwill blame him and say that I helped him and he is betrayingme. Then rivalry will ensue. You will serve according to yourlearning and when other will do the same, jealousy will surface.I deliver discourse, but if discourse of someone else is better,then also jealousy will crop up. You say that you are servingthe public but actually you are quarrelling and not serving.

Such people are very rare who sincerely serve. I speak aboutglory of repeating the name of Råma and inspire others to devoutthemselves in repeating divine name, but if others do the same,then I feel otherwise. If someone devouts oneself in chantingdivine name by my inspiration; I feel happy. If the same thinghappens by anotherís inspiration; we do not feel so much happyrather we should be more happy.

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What is Sevå?óKeshoram Aggarwal

Generally when we help a man in distress with worldlymaterials or money, we consider that we are doing service tothat man. No doubt it is a service. It is very good. But weshould deeply think, what is the motive behind this service?We are doing it for earning name or to be called a noble man,then it is really not a service. It is rather self-enjoyment. Anyaction or Sevå performed for oneís own pleasure or benefit isëBhoga.í Action or Sevå performed for the happiness and benefitof others, is Sevå.

Suppose we find a hungry man or a diseased man, if werun for his service without thinking of gaining anything forourselves, even not to be called gentleman or Sevakas, we renderhelp to that man, that is service. Whatever we offer to him forhis help, that is to be considered as his, not ours. We feelourselves so affected in our mind that we cannot check ourselveswithout doing his service, our mental agony is satisfied onlywhen we have given relief to that hungry or diseased man. Itis pure service.

Here is an example. It is a story of the late Abraham Lincoln,the then President of America. Once he was going out to addressthe Senate. On his way, he noticed a pig badly entangled inthe marshing swamp. It was dead tired. In spite of this, it wasstruggling hard for its life, but was unable to free itself fromthe death-trap. It was pitifully groaning. The President couldnot bear the sight. He got off his royal coach and with the helpof his bodyguards and others, saved its life. His cloths were


soiled with dirty mud, but he did not mind it, and went straightto the Senate in the same condition. When the Senators learntthe whole story, they were all praise for the President andremarked that he was very kind, noble-hearted and God-fearing.The President felt embarrassed and intervened. ëNo, No, No!Please donít say that I am noble-hearted. I did not show anykindness to anybody. I was influenced by, as if, by an infectiousdisease, by the heart-rending groans of the pig due to its pain.I took out the pig only to relieve myself of the pain in myheart. This Sevå was done not to earn any fame or to avoidoneself of any blame. Purely for the benefit of the served, ifthe Sevå is done in this spirit, then in the real sense of the term,it is Sevå.

Suppose we are serving a leper. We are serving him withmaterials only. Suppose we do this service selflessly with noexpectation of any reward or fame, our life would be spirituallyevolved. We are getting a reward of spiritual upliftment in returnfor only giving relief through material goods. If we are reallySevakas, we should feel grateful to that leper, we should notput any obligation on him.

Sevå to the exalted and liberalized souls, is to obey theirbidding and to live our lives under their guidance.

This human life is bestowed by God only for the serviceof the world. Nothing belongs to a man. All things belong tothe world or God. Thus, all possessions, even the body itself,should be used as a manure for the world-garden. The beautyof the Sevå is that it devours your selfishness and makes youegoless. Further, it blesses you with divine love. It also inspiresother to do true service.

A man who has no worldly means, can also do great service.One who does not consider any man as evil, one who doesnot do any evil to any person. One who does not want to doany evil, such person is doing the service of the universe. One

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who becomes happy seeing the happiness of others and onewho becomes sad, seeing other sorrowful or in misery, suchperson is also doing a great service to those people.

If a man feeds a lakh of people by providing them food,he is doing a big service to them but if a man becomes aninstrument in inspiring a man to devote his life towards God.He is doing greater service than that of the former. A man ison the point of death. By chance you get an opportunity torecite Godís name or G∂tå at that time to help him in spiritualdevelopment, by your recitations if he, however, remembersGod in his last breath. This type of service is of the highestvalue. One should be always alert or cautious to seek suchopportunities.

With body, ability or things with which we want to do Sevåof some person till we have the sense of possessiveness withthese tools of service as our own, we cannot do true service.

The true Sevaka makes no difference between a small pieceof work and a so-called big piece of work, for, all works arefor the service of the afflicted who is the temple of God. Itis the egoist who makes such differences for his own glorification.Whatever and how much service we may do at the level ofaction, they are limited but the least of service is unlimited atthe level of love or sentiment which motivates it. The tinniestbit of pure service, therefore, yields the same result as a bigact of service in evolving your spirituality.

True service flows from the true Sevaka to all alike whocomes his path. He who limits himself to a certain creed, casteor country to the exclusion of otherís, cannot be called a trueSevaka.

As the flower diffuses sweet fragrance by itself, even sodoes the true Sevaka blazes perpetual service to mankind.

The test of true service is that it leaves no trace of anySa≈skåra on the inner organ.

What is Sevå ?


The greatest service egoistically performed, is not equal tothe simplest service rendered egolessly.

Sevakas are of two types. One who appears in the sightof humanity and others who stands motionless behind the scene.Saints and sages have never proclaimed their service eventhough many of them may not appear to serve in the ways ofman, who dare say that Kab∂ra, Tukåråma, Guru Nånaka, SaintM∂rå, Saint Tulas∂dåsa have not done service of the mankindand that also of a very high nature.

Real Sevå is bound to result in renunciation, self-realizationand divine love.

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Sevå blesses the Sevaka with immense loveliness of God.Sevaka gives no quarter to the enjoyment of happiness, comfort, convenience and respect.True Sevå results in Tyåga and Love.Real Sevå effaces the sense of selfishness.Develop the habit of Sevå for annihilating selfishness.Not to claim anything as oneís own is Tyåga.

Love All Serve AllóGobinda Chandra Panigrahi

ìLove all, serve all, sacrify the egoîóSince primitive to present, the motto is thus.For service is a pious tree of true humanity,That stands upon the fertile soil of sacrifice.Its roots are the humble and noble thoughts,And its trunk is selfless strong morality.Its bark is the examples of noblemen,Whose idealism admired them a lot.Thus, it stretches the branches of right actions,To help and serve the distressed, those are.Its leaves are the speedy hands, soIt consoles the served are to laugh.Service brings the blooming flowers of needs,Those are felt through sweet-loving words.Service yields the fruits of brotherhood,Within the mind as the selfless love to all;And becomes the pioneer of others too, toSacrify and serve lovingly onwards more.Service needs no caste or creed and notAny cost it desires to have; but only itGathers the pleasures of the served oneísAnd let to leave the history of humanity thus.

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Art of SewåóDr. Vijay Kabra

Sewå in English literally means service. The word serviceby its general use has evolved to mean ëdoing some work ondemand or on instructions in return of some remuneration inthe form of money or kindí. But this word Sewå express anemotion and have deeper meaning than what is expressed byits literal meaning, it needs more explicit descriptions.

Service can be of different types and to distinguish it, inEnglish language adjectives are put to express the nature ofservice, like social service, divine service, religious service etc.But none of such combination connotes still deeper meaningof the word Sewå which originates in the Hindu culture andliterature. So, in the present context we have to explore thebroader meaning of the word Sewå.

In the act of Sewå, there are at least two persons, one isdoer, the Sewaka and other is beneficiary, the Sewita. The mostimportant aspect of the act, Sewå is once the need of the needy,is noticed by the observer, appropriate help is extended by thehelper, the Sewaka, to the needy, the Sewita, without requestand demand to the Sewaka by the Sewita. The act of Sewåalso demands from the Sewaka not only help in meeting thephysical needs of the Sewita but also help in such a way sothat Sewita becomes self dependent, it results in the upliftmentof self-esteem of the Sewita, address the emotional and monetaryneeds of the Sewita, that is one should keep in focus thebetterment of Tana, Mana and Dhana of the Sewita. Also, tothe beneficiary, it should not only give short term benefit but

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also long term benefit. Along with that it should makebeneficiary feel respectful.

In the simplest form, Sewå is to help someone to bringhim out of the unpleasant living condition. A bad livingcondition is one when someone is having difficulty in managingminimum needs, Ro¢∂, KapaRå Aura Makåna. For humans threebasic needs, for the living conditions to be called satisfactory,are food, clothes and shelter. Foremost of these is food, the mostimportant thing, needed to help someone to maintain the souland body together, that is from dying. Over and above that,for respectful living, clothes and shelter are needed. These arethe minimum things which all human beings need to call livinglife satisfactory.

But unfortunately not all beings are blessed or are capableenough to have these minimum comforts for living-conditionsto be called satisfactory. Fortunately, however, in us humanbeings, a natural instinct exists, called Sewå, which in Englishnearly means ëhelpí or ëserviceí. That is, if someone lackingbare necessities of life and need help, and that comes into noticeof someone nearby, a natural reaction of the viewer is to helpthe one in trouble.

But the definition of Sewå varies from person to personand accordingly degree of Sewå and its time and place variesfrom person to person. Also it depends on how the observeranalyses the situation and then how he prioritizes between theself and service, how he believes and perceives the phraseëservice before self.

To analyze the type of Sewå, let us assume a worst casewhere a person is not having food, clothes and shelter.Immediate need of such a person would be to provide foodto keep him alive and next of concern would be his health andclothing. Then that is further followed by arranging a temporaryshelter to him.

Art of Sewå


Only providing food can qualify as Sewå. But for some itwonít end there. He may take pain or pleasure in arrangingclothes for him. Still some will go further. He will think to takehim to some refuge where his all the three needs could be lookedafter. So we can see that Sewå can be of varying degree.

All put together, a needy person should be provided thesenecessities. But one cannot keep getting such helps lifelong andalso that is not best way of help either. One can be allowedto depend on such donations for sometime but he should notbe given these amenities for long to make him complacenttowards doing some work to manage these necessities himself.Instead, once he becomes physically fit, he should be given somework and if performs well, he should be made independent assoon as possible. It is not that all needies need whole rangeof help mentioned in preceding lines. Sometime someone maybe having all the three things but no work to sustain themaintenance of bare necessities of life. Then providing a jobis real Sewå.

One cannot and should not be serviced by giving reservationor help lifelong as this on one hand does not help the doneeto develop the tendency to work and on the other hand, howeverless important, does not help the upliftment of self-esteem ofthe donee.

In the above passage, things regarding Sewå has beendetailed keeping only donee in mind. But if there is a donee,there would also be a donor. The donor brings one more aspectof Sewå into mind and that is the element of selflessness. Theinclusion of this element while doing Sewå, not only helps thedonee to accept Sewå cheerfully but also donor benefits in thelong run directly or indirectly. It is so because the instinct ofselflessness is noticed and praised by everyone and sooner orlater such donor finds himself blessed by the grace of God withsociety as the medium. This can be called real Sewå withhighest quality.

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Broadly, Sewå can be divided into three typesóthe first typeis one who keeps Sewita as foremost and he is living the phrase““‚fl¸ ÷flãÃÈ ‚ÈÁπŸ—.......””, the second type is one in which Sewakakeeps benefits of both in the mind and the third type is onein which Sewaka is doing Sewå keeping in mind himself firstand the Sewita secondarily. Three varieties necessitate thatquality of Sewå be graded. On the basis of qualities, Sewå canbe classified into three categories as best (Uttama) Sewå, better(Madhyama) Sewå and good (Sådhåraƒa) Sewå.

A Sewå can be done keeping in mind a gain of one ofthe many varieties. It may benefit Sewita or Sewaka or both.One, when Sewita is kept in mind as foremost and the Sewakanot keeping himself as beneficiary (however benefits indirectly).Two in which, Sewita is kept as primary and Sewaka will notbenefit directly from that deed as in case of Dadh∂ci, whereDevas were able to meet their mission of killing Asuras butDadh∂ci had to sacrifice his life but for a noble cause. Thirdtype is one in which Sewita gets benefit for the time being butthe Sewaka benefits for longer period, for example a bad rulerof a state collects revenue from public, promising to reinvestin the service of the public. But once he collects and gets incontrol of the resources, gives first priority to himself and hisfamily, and second to public. This is a Sakåma Sewå. Normally,this Sewå is labeled as selfish type. But this Sewå giving animpression of ordinary type, needs to be seen with a differentperspective in the sense that even if not being the best wayof Sewå is better than nothing.

The best situation is the first one in which both the Sewitaand Sewaka benefits. Benefit to Sewaka, direct or indirect, isalso necessary because that will help Sewaka to remain ableto service in the future too.

Doing Sewå keeping in mind its benefits, is business, whereone invests his resources to ultimately get a return of some kind.

Art of Sewå


This instinct is good if one is really doing something for earningfor once own well being, and for those dependent on him, butnot when one is serving someone to help him to get into aposition to become self dependent. When one is doing a selfishSewå, he actually, is firstly serving himself to better his statusin the society. It may or may not help to the subject one hasidentified for help rather the subject becomes a means for thebetterment of himself.

Here is a short story to exemplify a way of Sewå.There was one well-to-do middle class family, husbands,

wife and a young school-going son. The husband, head of thefamily, was the earning member, wife used to manage houseand the son was focused on his studies. One day due to somereason husband succumbed to untimely death. Since he was theonly earning member, family started finding difficult maintainingtheir daily spending for living. One day the wife decided tosell her jewellery and asked her son to go to a jewellery shopwhich was of his fatherís friend. The owner of the shop checkedthe necklace but returned it saying that presently market demandis not good so selling wonít fetch a good price. Understandingthe condition of the family, he offered the boy work on hisshop. After seeking permission from his mother, he happilystarted doing the job. Slowly with the passage of time the boyhimself became expert in valuing jewellery. Seeing that, hisuncle asked him to bring that necklace which he had broughtone day to him for selling. Son, to his amazement, found thatthe necklace was not made of gold or silver as was thoughtof by mother, but was an imitation. He politely asked his unclethe reason of not disclosing it earlier regarding that. Uncle saidthat had I said so, your mother might have thought that insteadof helping, he is now avoiding us. Secondly, understanding thecondition of your family, I understood that you and your motherare in immediate need of money. So, I felt that presently it is

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better to provide you a job. On one hand, the salary whichyou got, met out your immediate monetary requirement, and onthe other hand, over a period of time you got trained as anexpert yourself which would help you to work independentlyfor earning. Earning yourself also gave upliftment of your selfesteem.

So, the jeweller did a real service to the family by makingthem independent in earning their livelihood instead of helpingthem monetarily which would have given a temporary relief,but due to lack of any source of earning, soon they would havefound themselves in the same position in which they had beenearlier.

Story is to exemplify the art of Sewå, * the way one shouldthink and act before committing oneself for help. The mostimportant aspect while deciding for Sewå, is not to think ofderiving any benefit for oneself but be selfless.

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*This simple act of real Sewå is an act, which can be of noble benefitto the Sewaka leading to union with Bhagawån if Sewå is done withNi¶kåma Bhåva without expecting any direct or indirect return of that act.

Art of Sewå

Motherís Unique SacrificeóR. T. Nathan

Humanity is so structured that no living being is independentof others. The natural relationship between people is one of love,compassion, empathy, safeguard etc., as Sevå (service) andTyåga (Sacrifice). Sevå is service to others, Tyåga is service,undergoing some sacrifice also. Both are offered withoutexpecting anything in return. Certain relationships are such thatone party is bound to do sacrifice in favour of the other outof a sense of commitment, duty, emotional bond etc. One suchunique relationship is that of the mother with the child, rightfrom the time of conception. During the period of pregnancyand that follows after the delivery of the child, during theinfancy, the mother is put to a lot of hardship, pain, strain,anxiety etc., which she cannot entrust to others. She has toherself bear all the deprivations, which she undergoes silentlyand willingly. She does not expect any compensation. In factthere is no compensation available also in the whole world forsuch sacrifice.

The son realizes the troubles suffered by his mother whenhe grows up, but it is too late by then. He can only feel sorryand seek atonement for the sin acquired by him in troublingthe mother. Vedic rituals provide a solution for the satisfactionof the son. Every Bhårat∂ya is expected to offer special parentalobsequies at Gayå at least once in his lifetime apart from theperiodical ›råddha ceremonies at his residence wherever he is.During the Gayå-›råddha, he is made to offer 16 rice-balls

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(PiƒŒas) with water and sesame seeds as ablution, chanting theMantra of Måtæ §SoŒa‹akarma.

All other ancestors including father also are given only onePiƒŒa. The Mantras enumerates the harassments and inconveniencessuffered by the mother during the pregnancy and the infancyof the child and the son seeks redemption of the sin acquiredby him.

The verses of the Mantra state that bearing the child isactually painful, she has to undergo pain month after month,the pain in the final month is very much unbearable, the mothersuffered the pain from the kicking of the child in the womband as a child in hand, aborted delivery causes great grief, themother has to take bitter medicines for the sake of the child,by not taking regular food and nourishment, the mother becameweak, her clothing gets soiled by the urine and faeces of thechild, the mother had to conduct herself compromising herrequirements to the comfort of the child in summer, winter andrainy seasons, the child had to be fed timely when he is thirstyand hungry, she became sad when the child was sick and shehad to often go on restricted food and she must guard herselffrom any bodily illness. The son offers a PiƒŒa for each oneof the above and also one for helping her to pass the hotVaitaraƒ∂ river to reach the abode of Yama on the other bank.

The mother cannot offload on or entrust to any other thetending of the child as the child, though not able to speak butonly cry identifies the mother by her very warmth.

Jagadguru ›r∂ Ådi ›a∆karåcårya also in His Måtæ Pa¤cakam,refers to the sacrifices by the mother. He feels sorry for themother who has suffered the unavoidable delivery pangs,tastelessness, weakness of the body. The soiling of the clothingby the urine and faeces of the child and laments his utterhelplessness. He remembers, the mother by calling him pearl,eyeball, Raja, darling etc., and wishing him long life.

Motherís Unique Sacrifice


To that mouth from which the above words emanated, theÅcårya feels too small in having to offer only a few dried ricegrains.

The Åcårya expresses his helplessness except calling Kæ¶ƒa,Govinda and Hare Mukunda for the mother, who during thelabour pangs called her mother, father, ›iva etc. He can seeka mere apology only.

We have seen how painful and uncomfortable is the stateof the woman who bears the child and bringing it up. Thechildren have nothing to give her in compensation except theablutions.

Had it not been for the sacrifice of the woman for herchildren, humanity would not have existed in the world. As such,sacrifice has no parallel in the world, the Vedic rituals and otherhymns like that of the Great Åcårya acknowledge the greatnessof woman. Motherís sacrifice is supreme.

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As long as the name of this earth shall last, vibrations leftby great souls shall last; and whenever this earth shall go,that record shall rest in the bosom of the father (God).So shall we leave ìfootprints in the sands of time.î Spiritualfootprints of good vibrations by our love for God and serviceto His work, think how wonderful will be what we leavebehind us.

óParamahansa Yogananda

Selfless ServiceóDr. Girish Goyal

ìOur prime purpose in this life is to help others. And ifyou canít help them, at least donít hurt them.î

óDalå∂ Låmå (XIV)ìAsk not what your country can do for youóask what you

can do for your country.îóJohn F. Kennedy

One of the most extolled virtues of all time is selfless serviceto others. The blessedness of giving rather than receiving is oneof the most popular and most quoted verses in the Bible, andJohn F. Kennedyís call for service is one of the most recognizedlines from any presidential inaugural address. The value ofselfless service is found in many religions and spiritual traditionsaround the world. Indian religions refer to selfless service withthe Sanskrit word Sevå, which means helping others in needwithout the thought of receiving any reward or repayment inreturn. Sevå is thought to advance a personís spiritual growthor development.

So, is it really possible for an ordinary person to serve otherswithout expecting reward or recognition or does one have tobe a saint to engage in such service? The answer is that weall have the capacity for selfless service. Helping out is not somespecial skill. It is not the domain of rare individuals. It is notconfined to a single part of our lives. We simply need the callof that natural impulse within and follow it where it leads us.

Nearly every person has a natural impulse to help anotherhuman being who is in need. Yet I also believe that there are


substantial individual differences in the strength of this impulseto help others and the likelihood of acting on this impulseconsistently. It is one thing to drop a dollar into the hut of ahomeless person I happen upon; it is quite another to devotemy entire life to assisting the homeless or volunteering for similarselfless service.

I am sceptical about whether most of us can help othersconsistently without expecting some kind of reward. I am notsaying that we necessarily need a return favour from the personwe help or recognition from society. All I am saying is that,at the very least, we expect to feel good about ourselves afterhelping someone. I think that expecting to feel good (or to avoidfeeling bad) is the anticipated reward that motivates mostcharitable acts. Consider the following example.

You are walking down the street and notice that a strangerísparking meter has expired. You decide to put some change inthe meter so the person doesnít get a parking fine, and thenyou walk away. Because the owner of the car does not knowyou, he or she will not be able to thank you or return the favourin any way. But, did you really receive no reward for yourrandom act of kindness? Didnít you feel good about yourselffor helping the stranger? Wasnít feeling good a rewardingexperience? Let me put it another way. If you did not expectto feel good after putting the change in the meter, would youhave helped the stranger to avoid the parking fine?

I question the notion of pure altruismóof doing somethingto benefit another person without expecting anything in return.As I said, at the very least, when we do good deeds, we expectto feel good about ourselves or to avoid negative feelings likeguilt or shame. Often, we actually expect more. We usuallyexpect in return at least a smile, a ëthank youí or other tokenof appreciation.Think about it: How long would you keep givingto a friend if he or she never showed appreciation? How long

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would that friendship last? According to Gretchen Rubin, TheHappiness Project: Or why I spent a year trying to sing in themorning, Clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, andgenerally have more funóìThe belief that unhappiness isselfless and happiness is selfish, is misguided. Itís more selflessto act happy. It takes energy, generosity and discipline to beunfailingly light hearted, yet everyone takes the happy personfor granted. No one is careful of his feelings or tries to keephis spirits high. He seems self-sufficient; he becomes a cushionfor others. And because happiness seems unforced, that personusually gets no credit.îGodís Plan for Manís Evolution is Workó

Love of God and service of man is the secret of true life.The meaning of true life is service and sacrifice. Life is meantfor service, and not for self-seeking sacrifice! Do your dutieswell, sincerely. Your privileges will follow unasked.

Hold your life for the service of others. The more the energyyou spend in elevating and serving others, the more the divineenergy which will flow to you.

Serve. You will rule. Serve humanity with divine Bhåva.The cancer of individuality will be dissolved.Selfless Service Purifiesó

ìSelflessness should be the basis of every relationship. Ifa person truly cares about you, theyíll get more pleasure fromthe way they make you feel, rather than the way you makethem feel.î

óColleen HooverWhat is the object in Sevå or service? Why do you serve

poor people and the suffering humanity at large? Why do youserve the society and the country? By doing service, you purifyyour heart. Egoism, hatred, jealousy, idea of superiority vanishes.Humility, pure love, sympathy, tolerance and mercy are developed.Sense of separateness is annihilated. Selfishness is eradicated.

Selfless Service


You get a broad outlook of life. You begin to feel onenessor unity of life. You develop a broad heart with broad, generousviews. Eventually, you get knowledge of the Self. You realisethe ëOne-in-allí and ëall-in-Oneí. You feel unbounded joy.

The first step in the spiritual path is selfless service ofhumanity. Selfless service is the watchword along the road tosalvation. Selfless service of humanity prepares the aspirant forthe attainment of cosmic consciousness or the life of onenessor unity with God. Aspirants should direct their whole attentionin the beginning towards removal of selfishness by protractedselfless service.

Through selfless service and charity, develop the heart andcleanse the lower mind. Purify your heart by selfless and humbleservice of the poor and the afflicted, and make it a fit abodefor God to dwell. Selfless service alone can purify your heartand fill it with divine virtues. Only the pure in heart, will havethe vision of God.

Grow in love, purity and self-sacrifice. Live for others. Youwill attain the state of blessedness. Selfless service and cosmiclove are the Ga∆gå and the Yamunå that irrigate the fleld ofthe human heart and enable the rich harvest of peace, joy,prosperity, immortality, and Åtma-J¤åna to be reaped.Opportunities for Selfless Serviceó

The world is yourself. Therefore love all, serve all, be kindto all, embrace all. Behold the Lord in the poor, the downtrodden;the oppressed and lowly ones.

Become a servant of humanity. This is the secret of attainingGod-realization. Seek out the lowly and the miserable; cheerup and bring a ray of comfort to them by serving themunstintingly. Console the disconsolate. Comfort the distressed.You will be blessed.

Serve your parents, elders, teachers, and guests with divineBhåva. Wash the clothes of your parents, elders, the sick, andthe Mahåtmås.

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Feed the hungry, nurse the sick, comfort the afflicted andlighten the sorrow of the sorrowful. God will bless you. Clothethe naked. Educate the illiterate. Feed the poor. Raise thedowntrodden. The world is burning with misery and suffering.Wake up, O man! Serve! Serve with love. Serve untiringly.Attain the peace of the Eternal.

Meet your friends and the members of your society in acommon place once a week or a fortnight for Satsa∆ga andK∂rtana. Develop an understanding heart. Help your youngerbrothers in the spiritual path. Lift them up. Throw light on theirpath; Do not expect perfection from them. Be kind to them.They are doing their best, as you are yourself doing yours. Youwill grow by helping them.Spirit of Selfless Serviceó

We all have different types of duties and responsibilitiestowards our family, our society, our spiritual life and ourDharmaórighteousness. We are one big family; we depend oneach other for our existenceówe cannot exist alone. Therefore,we should work for the good of all. That is what Dharmaessentially is, to perform our duties. We all live in this worldand if, we all follow our own individual whims and fancies,there will be clashes of interest all the time and men will bementally and physically forever fighting each other, and so thewhole of life will be a battle of fighting for nothing.

The Vedas state that it is good to have knowledge, that wemust have knowledge, but that knowledge alone is not enough,that we have to enforce some discipline on ourselves, so thatwe will become morally and ethically elevated. When we justtalk all the time, others will not follow, and we have to putsome pressure on so that they will follow. The nature of humanbeings is like that and that is why we have so many laws.Therefore, the §R¶is prescribed Dharma, which does not say thatwe must not destroy but that all is divine and when we knowthat all is divine, we will not destroy. It is as simple as that.

Selfless Service


The Highest PerfectionóInterdependence is when each of us fulfils our duties as a

father, a mother, a daughter, a son, and so on, as a part ofsociety, a part of everything. When we perform duties with theattitude of not thinking of any selfish rewards, but as anobligation, as a contribution to lifeóthat spirit will develop aninner detachment. By performing these types of duties our mindbecomes pure, our nature becomes pure and then we becomedetached from this material world. Attachment arises when weonly act for our own selfish requirements, our position, and soon. When we think of our duties towards our family, our society,our religious life and our Dharma, we do not become self-centred, but start to think more about others, trying to do thingsfor others; that is what is called Sevåóselfless service. Throughthe spirit of selfless service, we become detached and our mindbecomes purified.

The essential teaching of the Bhagavadg∂tå is to do Sevå.Lord Kæ¶ƒa said that through that spirit of selfless activities,whenwe have nothing to gain and nothing to lose by not doing,performing Sevå all the time to our family, and so on, we attainthat height of realization whereby, our mind becomes absorbedin God. So, we do not depend on anything else. Lord Kæ¶ƒaadvises us, therefore, always to performówith the spirit ofdetachmentóthat action which has to be done; then, verily, weattain to the highest perfection. Lord Kæ¶ƒa explained that whenwe think only about ourselves all the time and forget everyoneelse, we become bound to things, and as a result of thatattachment, all kinds of obstacles come into our life. Therefore,this is not the way for mankind to find peace and happiness.The only way we can find happiness is through detachment,because whenever there is attachment there is sufferingóattachment is the cause of suffering. And where there isdetachment there is peace and harmony, there is everything

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because with the spirit of sacrifice comes non-attachment. Andwhere there is sacrifice, everyone gains. But when we are self-centredóthinking only about ourselvesóno one likes us. Noone likes selfish people. Lord Kæ¶ƒa said that there is no placein this world for people who do not make sacrifices, let alonea place in the next world. Therefore, Lord Kæ¶ƒa said, ìAlwaysperform action with the spirit of non-attachment.î

Whatever great people do and accept as authority, othersfollow. Spirituality is not just talking; it must express itself inour actions and in our attitude. For it is through example thatwe can teach, not by just talking. Lord Kæ¶ƒa questioned thatif the great people also just talk and do not do anything, whatwill the others be like? The great people are an example tofollow, showing others the way they must walk. So, we mustwork for our family, for our society, for our Dharma, and byengaging in these types of activities all the time, our mind willbecome pure. When our mind becomes pure, God will help us.

Often we think that we are the people who are helping,but we are lucky that we are able to do something. To makea sacrifice is the greatest thing that we can do. As someonesaid, selfless service is like a treeówe nurture and water it,and when the tree grows, we will enjoy it because we haveseen the tree from the beginning, we have cared for it, and whenit blossoms, we feel happy. That is real Dharma. The basisof Dharma is Yaj¤aóto sacrifice. There has not been a greatman who has not made a real sacrifice. When we follow thisphilosophy of sacrifice, we ourselves become great.The Family is the Basisó

The family is the basis, the root of our society. What ourfamily is, that is what our society becomes. Particularly whenthe children are very small, we need to teach them by example,because if we do not do that when they are small, we will losecontrol. So, Lord Kæ¶ƒa said that we have multiple responsibilities,

Selfless Service


not one, but responsibilities towards our family, our society, ourreligious life and our Dharma. That is selfless service. If weare like that, our life will be happy and our society will prosper.So, the emphasis in the Bhagavadg∂tå is that when we followthe principles, the ethics and the Sådhanåómeditationóof theBhagavadg∂tå, our life will definitely become sublime; we willexperience peace and our society will be in order.Final Wordsó

Finally, think for yourself, how best you can utilise yourenergy, your intellect, your education, your wealth, yourstrength or anything you possess, for the betterment of otherswho are low-placed in life and for society in general. Whenwe help others without thought of personal gain, we can actuallygain a lot. Both givers and receivers can benefit from ìselflessîservice (even when the giver does not consciously intend tobenefit). But there is a third group outside the givers andreceivers, who have something to gain from selfless service:persons in power who want free labour or free moneyónotbecause they need it, but because they can get away with it.I am thinking of preachers who fleece their flocks, becomingultra-rich by preaching the virtue of charitable giving. I amthinking of warlords who gain power by exaggerating externalthreats and convincing patriotic young people to sacrifice theirlives in unnecessary wars. And I am thinking of any kind ofìmandatory serviceî programme because, in the words of JamesJoyner, ìthe idea of mandatory voluntarism is as creepy as itis oxymoronic.î

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They Also ServeóHarish Chandra Srivastava

There are many good voluntary organizations that areengaged in the noble work of social service. There are also somebusiness houses that run a charity department in their office tomanage or support a social work. Many affluent persons alsoin their individual capacity do themselves or promote, varioussocial welfare projects. But what about the ordinary people whowant to do some tangible work for the society?

What can an honest fellow do?Whose courage and fortune run equally low?These hand to mouth people have neither enough money

to spare for charity nor extra free time to help a social workeven physically. Still they wish to do something. What shouldthey do?

Answer to this question is provided by John Milton(1608ó74) who also wanted to serve God through his poeticability but felt his blindness as a great hurdle. Through his poetryhe wanted to justify the ways of God to men but felt depressed.Soon a redeeming idea came to his mind that God is pleasedto see the good intention of man and not the magnitude of hiswork. The realization dawned on him that they also serve whoonly stand and wait. If you have an intention to serve but arenot capable of doing something tangible and definite, do notget disheartened but wait for your turn to do whatever little youcan. Be like the little proverbial squirrel which, in its ownhumble way, helped the construction of the bridge across thesea to Lanka and earned Lord Råmaís appreciation for its work.


In order to serve one requires sympathy in heart and noblethought in mind. He should feel like William Blake (1757ó1827)who writes in one of his poems:

Can I see anotherís woeAnd not be in sorrow too?Can I see anotherís griefAnd not seek for kind relief ?Can I see a falling tearAnd not feel my sorrowís share ?No, no, never can it beNever, Never can it be.We can relieve or lessen the suffering of our fellow beings

by our sympathetic touch and sweet and kind word. Just a smilecan change the atmosphere from being boring to be cosy. Wecan support a stumbling man and save him from falling down.We may speak gently and kindly to the poor and the downtroddenas our goodwill gesture. We can also help the needy peoplein various little ways. It will be our service to them. Even smallthings done lovingly, can earn appreciation for the doer.

Little acts of kindnessNothing do they costYet when they are wantingLifeís best charm is lost.

Great things are no doubt grand but beauty lies in smallthings also. In small proportions we just beauties see and insmall measure life can perfect be. It depends on how we act.

Sometimes even a small act of charity outshines a greatsocial work. One such incident occured one day in the life ofa famous Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam. The incident wasreported in the daily Hindi newspaper Hindustan in its morningedition of 19th May, 2016. According to the report the singer,perhaps to test his admirers, took a fancy to play a roadsidebeggar-singer. Disguised as a beggar he sat down at a roadside

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in Bombay and started singing. Soon a crowd gathered aroundhim. People enjoyed his melodious songs, also showeredappreciation and praises on him but gave no charity as was dueto such a beggar. But in that crowd was a little school boywho went up to the beggar and, giving him twelve rupees, saidsweetly, ìUncle, you seem to be hungry. Please take this moneyand get something to eat.î The singer was greatly moved bysuch a charitable act of the child who had rushed homewardand was nowhere to be found thereafter. Later on the singersaid, ìThis small charity is like a great trophy for me. I willkeep it with me till my life.î

Why did the grown-up people not give anything to thebeggar though they also enjoyed his songs? Answer to thisquestions is provided by William Wordsworth (1770ó1850) inhis famous philosophical poem Immortality Ode. Here he saysthat, while a child, being innocent and pious of heart, is nearerto God and has heavenly qualities, the grown-up men, beingcontaminated by the trickeries of the world, are farther fromHim and behave differently. The same thing happend in thecase cited above.

To conclude, we should turn out attention to small acts ofservice if we canít aim high, and take it as our offering to God.Such acts shine in the world as a burning candle.

How far this little candle throws its beams.So shines a good deed in this naughty world.Shakespeare (1554ó1616)óThe Merchant of Venice(Act V. Se. 1).

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They Also Serve

Service to Elderly PersonsóPracticalProblems and Solution

óSri R. P. Singh

Childhood, adolescence, youth, fully grown-up and oldageóthese are the array of stages of manifestation of rare humanlife; combination of all these be for one hundred yearsósuchis the auspicious blessing of our sages, saints and scriptures,but irony is this that due to inclination towards enjoyments inpresent society, keeping oneís own family and downfall in thevalues of human lives, the blessing has turned into a curse andstepping forward from fully grown up to old age and utteringsuch heart-touching words thatóëIt would be better let God takeaway us while we are moving at our own.í

Now the question is that those parents, who devoted wholelife and invested all available wealth and resources to nurturetheir children, why they are made to think like this in their oldage ? In the present environment of family set-up this problemis of very serious nature but as every problem has its ownsolution, like that this problem has also practical redressal andif it is utilized, life of elderly persons can be made happy andwell contented. First steps towards this, is forsaking selfishattitude and utilise the modern resources. In this regard, I haveexperienced such situation in my own family, friends andrelatives where such steps are taken which I feel, are quiteusefulóthat are being mentioned hereó

(1) In this era of globalization, if parents have got theirchildren study high technology or management course, then itis but natural that children would be allured to earn more and

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more wealth and to fulfil this, they may go to foreign country.In such situation, initially parents may feel proud of their childrenbut with passage of time, it is apparent that they will feelloneliness and also infliction of sorrow. Forsaking their ownselfish nature, children should make arrangements for a nurseand a physician who could take care of their old-aged parentsregularly and children residing in foreign countries should alsotalk to them every day through video-conferencing.

(2) If the children are within country but quite far away,in that case they should also arrange above facilities for theirparents and they themselves should visit on any religiouscelebration or any family function and let it not be possible forvideo-conferencing, at least they should talk over phone to theirparents everyday.

(3) If old-aged parents are residing in the villages, properin-house arrangements should be made to facilitate them toattend natural call and bath. Because of old age and being inthe state of sickness, it would be troublesome for them to goout quite away. Alongwith this, they should be provided withinverter, generator, cooler, fan etc.

(4) In the winter season, if hot water is kept in a big flask,it would be of immense help to them for drinking and to usefor other purposes comfortably for quite some time. They willnot have to go to the kitchen again and again because in asingle family if the lady is service holder, she would not beable to give sufficient time to the old person.

(5) Elderly people loves to converse with their grand-children. When the children return from school and call ëDådåj∂!Today I learnt such and such thing in computer or ëDådåj∂!Today I played so and so game. Though they are not acquaintedwith meaning of these, even then they become happy, therefore,children should be advised to pass some time with them.

(6) Incapable parents remember their daughter too much.

Service to Elderly PersonsóPractical Problems and Solution


They are very eager, either to meet or to talk with them. Inthis situation if they are provided with a mobile phone and phonenumber of daughters are stored in speed dial system, then theycan talk to them by pushing one single button as they wishbecause dialing ten digits is not feasible for them.

(7) Elderly people in their advance age discharge theirnatural call in their clothing. In this condition washing of bed,bed-sheet and their wearing cloth is very difficult on regularbasis; because normal clothing may be washed in washingmachine but washing of bed is not possible and to get themdried up is also a posing problem. To escape such ordeal, adultdiaper should be used. Some standard companies are manufacturingmedicated adult diaper which are hygienic and infection-free.Night soil and urine are absorbed in it and same can be thrownin the morning. It provides quite comfort to old people and bedalso does not get wet.

(8) Elderly people pass their secluded time in readingnewspapers and magazines etc., but in old age generally theireyesight gets weakened. In this condition they feel perturbedin passing the time, viewing T.V. also becomes almost difficult.Radio set may support them as a good companion. I have seenmany elderly person enjoying news and other programme beingbroadcasted with very interest.

(9) Much elderly persons are not able to eat fruit by bitingwith their teeth. They can be served juice by using mixer-juiceror even if this is not possible then packed fruit juice availablein the market should be provided but only on the advice ofany physician.

(10) Elderly people should be made to listen religiousscriptures. If it is not possible by oneself, then it should be doneby family priest. Children should also be prompted to sit withtheir grandmother and grandfather and recite Hanumåna Cål∂såor Sundara KåƒŒa. Religious rituals should be performed posing

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as their representativeósuch as holy Ganges water and Bilvapatra,after getting hand-touch of elderly persons, should be offeredto Lord ›iva in ›råvaƒa month or lamp should be lighted nearbasil tree in Kårtika month. By this way, elderly persons willfeel their participation in religious performance and so also gainof merit.

Although in this write-up many articles have been mentionedóboth costly and cheaper for the service of elderly parents, butif we are comfortable with our salary or having good earningfrom business, then it is our duty to provide above-mentionedarticles for the safety, comfort and pleasure of our elderly parentsbecause we use so many objects for pleasure and comfort ofour own and our children then, why not a little part of it forour elderly parents ? These articles and our true serving attitude,will no doubt, add a new dimension to their life and they willbecome more enthusiastic.

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Service to Elderly PersonsóPractical Problems and Solution

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda said; ëRenunciation and service arethe twin ideals of Indiaí. These are the twin great ideals. IfIndia goes in that line, everybody and everything will bealright. The little ëIí should be renounced and by finding aplace for other individuals around us. Not only ëIí but alsoëyouí; keep ëyouí also in the picture. A little renunciation ofëIí is needed to find some place for ëyouí. Quite naturally,if I want to find a place for you, I will have to reduce theplace for myself. So, when we find place for somebody else,we practise renunciation. Then the spirit of service becomesnatural, spontaneous and automatic. So, a concern for othersis essential for all human development.


Parentís ServiceóDr. Vishnudatta Gaur

If, we go comparing the utmost love amongst relations, thenwe will finally conclude that in all social bindings of brother-sister, husband-wife, fatherís sister, her husband, motherís sister,friends etc., in this very vast world, which is full of envy,repulsion, duplicity, fraud, improbity and vanity, if real love i.e.,sincere and unselfish to be found anywhere, is that of parentsonly. This is the nature of the human beings in this age ofcompetition to grasp appearance, colour, might, wealth, promotionetc., everybody wants to be the greatest one. He does not wantto be defeated by anyone. This is also true that he is willingto see prosperity of his near and dear. He is desirous to seethem flourishing. Having availed prosperity for own-self, he mayhelp others but in no case he is willing to see others aboveoneís own-self. On the other hand parents are only part of allrelations in this vast world, who are always eager to see thatall round prosperity befall on their offspring. Nay, they are notsimply desirous, rather they take every possible steps for theirdevelopment. Remaining themselves without food and water,they keep their offspring fully satisfied.

They sacrifice their all present and future pleasures andhappiness to shield their sons from any sort of sorrow orunhappiness in future. If anyone shows and inflict disinclinationin serving such parents, no devotion or religious sacrifice willplease God. Manu Mahåråja has saidó

ÿ¢ ◊ÊÃÊÁ¬Ã⁄UÊÒ Ä‹‡Ê¢ ‚„UÃ ‚ê÷fl ŸÎáÊÊ◊˜–Ÿ ÃSÿ ÁŸc∑Î§ÁÃ— ‡ÊÄÿÊ ∑§ÃÈZ fl·¸‡ÊÃÒ⁄UÁ¬H

(Manu. II. 227)

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ìIt means, giving them birth and nurture them, the sufferingswhich are born by the parents, that cannot be repaid even inhundred years.î

In our ›åstras and Puråƒas there is a mention of thirty-three crores of gods and goddesses. Out of them almost all are,whose visible vision is never possible. Reading scriptures etc.,we assume their form, shape-up their idol and worship them.Supposingóflute and book in hands, riding on swan, wearingwhite garland, we assume goddess of knowledge, Saraswat∂.Viewing the idol of a goddess riding on lion, eight handed,holding sword, is assumed as goddess Durgå. Four-handedhuman being incarnate, who hold conch, discus, mace and lotusin hands, riding on GaruŒa, is assumed as Lord Vi¶ƒu. A crownmade of peacockís feathersówearing yellow silken cloth, flutein hand, touching lip, we recognize Him as Lord ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa.Bearing bow and arrow, matted hair, a celestial lady on Hisleft and to his right, a man holding bow and arrow, is figmentof Da‹arathanandana ›r∂ Råma, S∂tå and Lak¶maƒa. When wesee in the form of monkey with tall tail and a mace in hand,we assume Pawanaputra Hanumån. Garland of snakes, smalldrum and trident in hand, flowing Ga∆gå from his matted hair,we worship assuming as Lord ›iva. Same as these, we shapethe idol of different gods and goddesses getting their assumptionof forms in Puråƒas, worship them and according to our belief,we obtain favourable result also.

There are a few gods, we have their vision from quite adistance. But we cannot touch them such as Sun-god and moon.They are visible in the sky though daily, but we cannot touchthem, we cannot talk with them. Apart from them there are afew gods whom we can see from very near and touch themalso. They are fire-god, water-god etc.

God of a different nature whom we can talk face to face.Conveying our submission, we can get their reply. We can

Parentís Service


worship them directly. We can bathe them. We can make themdrink milk. We can offer them tray of fifty-six food items(Chappana Bhoga). We can have ambrosia after washing theirfeet. We can have their liking. We can please them easily whenthey are in wrath. We visibly see such god daily. Two suchgods are always residing in our very house and the name ofsuch greatest god is alike supreme father, our own father andalike mother of the universe, our own mother.

Disrespecting both of them (parents), if someone goes onpilgrimage to earn merit, his labour, bodily exercise goes in vain.Gods of pilgrimage are never pleased because one has cometo them by disregarding his old parents. Therefore, gods ofthe home deserves the greatest service. It is oneís first andforemost duty to serve the parents and then also to take themto the pilgrimage. In case they are unwilling or unable to go,then at least one should proceed only after taking theirpermission and blessings. Contrary to this, by hurting theirsentiments, all prayers, sacrificial ceremony (Yaj¤a), devotion,adoration or singing of religious songs are useless. After goingthrough Vedas, ›åstras and Puråƒas, it is clear that whateverwe gain through the blessings of parents, is not to be availedelsewhere. Countless examples are available in the History.Brahmå, Vi¶ƒu, Mahe‹a etc., giver of the boon of death-on-will to Bh∂¶ma Pitåmaha were not gods. That was his (Bh∂¶ma)father, ›åntanu. Duly pleased with the devotion of Devavrata(Bh∂¶ma) to his father, ›åntanu had blessed him that O son !Death will be in your authority. It is very much doubtful thatsuch boon has been given by any god to anyone. Obeying theorder of his father, Para‹uråma slaughtered his two brothers andmother. He did not even inquired from his father about theirfault to whom his father is ordering to slaughter ?

Being perturbed by the sin committed by him by way ofslaughtering brothers and mother, simply to obey the order of

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his father, Para‹uråma tried to commit suicide but his fatherJamadagni did not want to lose such an obedient son and heprevented him from his committing suicide on the condition andtold him to ask for boon, whatever he likes. Para‹uråmaj∂ repliedthatóFather! If you are pleased and satisfied with me and alsoyou want to see me alive, then bless my brothers and motherright now to be alive and also they forget for their whole lifethat I had slaughtered them. The father saying ëlet it be soí,he revived them all.

Maryådåpuru¶ottama ›r∂ Råma, abdicating coronation ofAyodhya, accepted the exile for fourteen years to go in forest,just obeying the order of His father Da‹aratha. Puru, the sonof monarchical Emperor Yayåti accepted old age, gifting hisyouth age just for satisfaction of his father.

Standing on bricks, idol of Lord Vi¶ƒu in Pandharapuratestifies the truth that Supreme Lord also professes the serviceof parents greater than his own service.

Sage Vi‹wåmitra came to the King Da‹aratha to ask for›r∂ Råma and Lak¶maƒa for some time to protect from demons,the sacrificial ceremonies performed by various sages and saintsin the forest. Being persuaded by Sage Vasi¶¢haj∂, the KingDa‹aratha obliged Sage Vi‹wåmitra by allowing him to takealong with him ›r∂ Råma and Lak¶maƒa. Vålm∂kij∂ express theconverse of ›r∂ Råma of that moment in the glory of fatheró

Á¬ÃÊ Á„U ¬˝÷È⁄US◊Ê∑¢§ ŒÒflÃ¢ ¬⁄U◊¢ ø ‚—–ÿSÿ ŸÊ ŒÊSÿÁÃ Á¬ÃÊ ‚ ŸÊ ÷ÃÊ¸ ÷ÁflcÿÁÃH

(Vålm∂k∂ya Råmåyaƒa I.32.22)ìIt means father is my Lord, only he is supremely adorable

for me. Whomsoever he will give my possession, he will becomemy master forthwith.î

Wherever there is converse of service of parents, first ofall devotee of parents, ›ravaƒakumåraís name is rememberedwith great respect, who took his blind parents carrying by seating

Parentís Service


them in two baskets by preparing a bamboo with stings at bothends, on his shoulder and he went on throughout the countryvisiting all the pilgrimages walking on foot. Hundred andhundred salutations to such parentís devotee ›ravaƒakumåra.

During the exile, tormented by thirst., PåƒŒavas sentSahadeva to fetch water from a pond. A demigod (Yak¶a) theretold himóëFirst you answer to my question and then drinkwater.í But disdaining his order, Sahadeva drank the water. Themoment he drank the water, he got fainted. Same incidentsoccurred with Nakula, Arjuna and Bh∂ma respectively. At thelast the demigod also told the Yudhi¶¢hira the same thing.Yudhi¶¢hira answered to the many questions of demigod andduly pleased, that demigod blessed and with his yogic powerhe made all brothers of Yudhi¶¢hira alive again. These are thefour questions amongst the many question asked by demigod.

Á∑¢§ÁSflŒ˜ ªÈL§Ã⁄¢U ÷Í◊— Á∑¢§ÁSflŒÈëëÊÃ⁄¢U ø πÊÃ˜–Á∑¢§ÁSflë¿UËÉÊ˝Ã⁄¢U flÊÿÊ— Á∑¢§ÁSflŒ˜ ’„ÈUÃ⁄¢U ÃÎáÊÊÃ˜H

(Mahåbhårata, Vana Parva 313. 59)ìThat isóWhat is heavier than the earth ? Who is higher

than sky? Whose speed is faster than wind ? What is the thingwhich spreads more than the grass?î

Yudhi¶¢hira replied to the question of demigod such asó◊ÊÃÊ ªÈL§Ã⁄UÊ ÷Í◊— πÊÃ˜ Á¬ÃÊëøÃ⁄USÃÕÊ–◊Ÿ— ‡ÊËÉÊ˝Ã⁄¢U flÊÃÊÁëøãÃÊ ’„ÈUÃ⁄UË ÃÎáÊÊÃ˜H

ìThat isóMother is bigger than the earth, position of fatheris higher than sky, speed of mind is faster than wind, and worryis the thing which spreads more than grass.î

There is a mention in ›ivapuråƒa that once there was acompetition between Kårtikeya and Gaƒe‹a, both sons of ›iva,to decide who is the greatest one? To decide this, a conditionwas fixed that both will go on circumambulation of the wholeuniverse and whoever returns first, he will be treated as greatest

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one. Kårtikeya, riding on peacock flew fast and returned aftera few days but on the other hand Gaƒe‹a did not moveanywhere. After offering his obeisance to the pious feet of hismother Pårvat∂ and father ›iva‹a∆kara, he completedcircumambulation of both of them and stood very easily, quitebefore the arrival of Kårtikeya. And at last it was decided thatparents are greatest than whole universe.

Mother is embodiment of compassion. The pleasure in herlap is non-comparable and it cannot be availed even in theheaven. After slaughtering Råvaƒa, ›r∂ Råma sent Lak¶maƒato Lanka to perform coronation of Vibh∂¶aƒa. At that timeVibh∂¶aƒa prayed to ›r∂ Råma to accompany him to Lanka. Hepraised the beauty of golden Lanka. Lak¶maƒa also professedabout beauty of Lanka, then ›r∂ Råma toldó

•Á¬ SfláÊ¸◊ÿË ‹¢∑§Ê Ÿ ◊ ‹ˇ◊áÊ ⁄UÊøÃ–¡ŸŸË ¡ã◊÷ÍÁ◊‡ø SflªÊ¸ŒÁ¬ ª⁄UËÿ‚ËH

That isóO Lak¶maƒa! Lanka is golden. It is also the mostbeautiful, even then it does not look so much beautiful to me;because mother and motherland is most illustrious than heavenfor me.

God saysóthat one who has devoted his parents for oneyear, one month, one fortnight, one week or even for a dayonly, that one comes to My abodeó

ÁŒŸÒ∑¢§ ◊Ê‚¬ˇÊ¢ flÊ ¬ˇÊÊœZ flÊÁ¬ flà‚⁄U◊˜–Á¬òÊÊ÷¸ÁÄÃ— ∑Î§ÃÊ ÿŸ ‚ ø ªë¿Uã◊◊Ê‹ÿ◊˜H

(Padmapuråƒa, Sæ¶¢i KhaƒŒa XLVII. 208 )❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Parentís Service

Western Concept of SewåóMohan Lal Mago

Bettering the lot of the poor together, is possibly the simplestway to work constructively for national solidarity.

Whatever its spiritual credo or dogma, every religion isknown to say that the best way to realise our humanity, is throughpractical compassion. The Bible has deeply moving words aboutthis. Perhaps the verse most famous in English-educated is ëCastyour bread on the water; for you shall find it after many daysî(Ecclesiastes 11:12) meaning, ëHelp others without thinking ofimmediate benefit and some day it will come back to you.í Thisadvice is echoed in another ëWisdom Bookí from the OldTestament: ìHe that has pity upon the poor lends unto the Lord;and that which he has given will he pay him againî (Proverbs19:17). This chapter also warns, ìWhosoever stops his ears atthe cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not beheardî (Proverbs 21: 13).

Mathew (5: 42) says in The New Testament, ìGive to theone who begs from you and do not refuse the one who wouldborrow from youî. Let us pray for mutual respect and meaningfulwork that will bring different religions together for the countryto realise our humanity through compassion towards the poorneedy.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå and Itís ForerunnersóDr. Ashok Pandya

Ignoring self, let we learn to love, to live and to die forothers is the Sewå in real sense which presents pleasureand satisfaction ever. It is not a work nor duty but the humannature purely, which perfumes, ìÃà‚Èπ ‚ÈÁπàfl◊˜”” (Nårada BhaktiSµutra 24).

ìBetterment or welfare is only the aim ëexpresses Sewå.Thatís why Lord ›iva, is called N∂lakaƒ¢ha.î He drank poisonto save the earth imagining. Sewå does not mark the result,but seems welfare only.

Actually Sewå is the feelings to surrender the selfishness.It is a matured sense in real sense, which does not differ ininfants, youngs, olds as well gods even. It may spring outanywhere. Let us be ready to see it in an infant too:

A¤janå born Hanumånj∂. She embraced him with her heart.She is loving on. Suddenly she remembers the curse. Sheshocked and tears rained forth her eyes.

ëWhat happened mom?í asked infant baby Hanumån.ëNothing my soní replied Anjanå.ìThan! Are you not happy to having me?îëOh! My child! What are you telling. How it is possible.

It is because we are assured that, ëThe sunrise will snatch youfrom me, my son. How I may........í

Hanumånj∂ replied quickly: ëOh! This is the matter. Donítweep my mother, nothing will happen, and Hanumån awaitedthe sunrise. He might have seen his motherís tears.


He did not sleep and as soon sun was to arise, he put itin his mouth.

¡Èª ‚„Ud ¡Ê¡Ÿ ¬⁄U ÷ÊŸÍ–‹ËÀÿÊ ÃÊÁ„U ◊œÈ⁄U »§‹ ¡ÊŸÍH

(Hanumåna Cål∂så 18)Hanumån stepped this because of his motherís tears hurt

him.What kind of Sewå is it? Is a different task? But how an

infant served his mother, thatís to be seen. None was in thepast and none will be in future, Hanumånís this is one of theexample.

Thus, the sole dark suffered the world and each one dared.But, when all the gods prayed, Hanumån released the Sun forthe welfare of the universal life. This is the Sewå ignoring selfego, own life and the revenge:

ŒflŸ •ÊÁŸ ∑§⁄UË Á’ŸÃË Ã’ ¿UÊ°Á«U∏ ÁŒÿÊ ⁄UÁ’ ∑§CÔU ÁŸflÊ⁄UÊ–(Hanumånå¶¢aka 1)

One more baby I would like to quote here who served hismother, even than he got die. Yes sir, he was Gaƒe‹a as weall know. Please come to Kailåsa!

Måtå Pårvat∂ was to have bathe. She ordered to Gaƒe‹a toguard and not to allow anybody inside till her bathe. Lord ›ivacame and tried to enter. Gaƒe‹a stopped him. ›ivaj∂ told, ëWhoare you and why are you stopping me? Do you know? I amthe master of the house.í

ëI do not know anything. My Mother has ordered not toallow anybody, so you may not also.í

ìIí ll kill you Bålaka!îëIt doesnít matter, but I will not allow you. I canít disorder

my mother.í›ivaj∂ became angry and Tri‹µula cuts the Gaƒe‹aís head.

What happens next, we all know it very well, but I would liketo point out the serving mode of little Gaƒe‹a only. This is the

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true Sewå. Sewå doesnít think about himself or the result.So, Sewå is not so easy as we think, it is very difficult,

hence said:‚flÊœ◊¸— ¬⁄U◊ª„UŸÊ ÿÊÁªŸÊ◊åÿªêÿ—–

(Bhartæhari N∂ti‹atakam 48)Means Sewå is too much deeper one event, even for Yog∂s

also. Sewå needs hundred percent surrendering. Let we see whatGop∂s feel:

ÿàÃ ‚È¡ÊÃø⁄UáÊÊê’ÈL§„¢U SÃŸ·È

÷ËÃÊ— ‡ÊŸÒ— Á¬˝ÿ ŒœË◊Á„U ∑§∑¸§‡Ê·È–

ÃŸÊ≈UflË◊≈UÁ‚ ÃŒ˜ √ÿÕÃ Ÿ Á∑¢§ÁSflÃ˜

∑Í§¬Ê¸ÁŒÁ÷÷˝¸◊ÁÃ œË÷¸flŒÊÿÈ·Ê¢ Ÿ—H(Bhågavata X. 31. 19)

ìYour feet are so soft even than Lotus. We place them upon our hard breasts darely, because of not to blow and you arewalking by those at night in forest, do you not feel any painby these pointed gravels! This thought only dose pinch us andwe get trance!î

So, donít move, donít go anywhere, we are for you andyours only. This called ìÃà‚Èπ ‚ÈÁπàfl◊˜”U in real sense.

Sewå is the mother of trust. The fully surrendering preventsdare. Let us go Chittor, Rajasthan. Råƒåj∂ sent a cup of poisonfor M∂rå telling it Caraƒåmæta of Giradhara with Pujår∂. Råƒåj∂disliked M∂råís Bhakti hence, he did this to kill M∂rå.

M∂råís sister in-law knows this conspire. She tried to stopM∂rå not to drink such Caraƒåmæta but M∂rå says, ìWhateveris it either poison too, I will take it because of it namedCaraƒåmæta. She seems her Giradhara in the cup and swallowedgladly.î

ÄÿÊ ◊SÃË „ÒU ÿ„U „USÃË Á◊≈UÊŸ ◊¥◊Ë⁄UÊ ŒπÃË „ÒU Áª⁄Uœ⁄U ¡„U⁄U ∑§ åÿÊ‹ ◊¥–

Sewå and Itís Forerunners


Kæ¶ƒa absorbed the poison and nothing happened to M∂rå.Her Kæ¶ƒa served M∂rå and M∂rå served Kæ¶ƒa, each other. Thistrust does express:

¡„UÊ° Á’∆UÊfl ÁÃÃÁ„U ’Ò∆Í¢U , ’Òø ‚Ê Á’∑§ ¡Ê™§–ìI will be there, where he wants, if he wants to sell me,

I would agree.î This is the real surrendering, a unique Sewå.Two pair eyes being not closed whole the night. Mahåtmå

Vidura and Dev∂ Sulabhå awaiting their Dwårakånåtha LordKæ¶ƒa is coming tomorrow at Hastinapur. ìSwåm∂! have you anyintroduction with Kæ¶ƒa!î Sulabhåj∂ asks Viduraj∂. Viduraíspleasure seems in his eyes, replies. ëYes, Devi! When I Vandanahim, He says me Kåkåí. Listening it Sulabhåj∂ retreats: ëWell, thenwould we invite Him here!í Viduraj∂ hesitates: ìI may invite Himand He will accept it but where will He sit in our hut!î Hecontinued: ìHis coming would provide pleasure to us, but it wouldpain Him. He takes Chappanabhoga. Dhætarå¶¢ra may welcomeHim better. What is here with us except Bhåj∂, what we may serveHim!î Remain silent for a moment he continued: ìDevi ! forour comfort and satisfaction, it would not be better to discomfortHim.î Oh! What an opinion is! We salute this purity and poverty.

Sulabhå says, ìWe are poor, it is true, but it is not mymistake, my husband has hesitation but I invite Kæ¶ƒa heartily.I see, how He doesnít come!î

The night passed. Early in morning as routine the coupleworships and praysó

ŒÿÊÁ‚ãœÈ’¸ãœÈ— ‚∑§‹ ¡ªÃÊ¢ Á‚ãœÈ‚ŒÿÊ–¡ªãŸÊÕSflÊ◊Ë ŸÿŸ¬ÕªÊ◊Ë ÷flÃÈ ◊H

(Jagannåthå¶¢aka 5)ëO Dayåsågara Jagannåtha! Come to our eyes.íShutting hut the couple prays their God, who is awaiting

outside. Vidura, Sulabhå do not know for whom they are praying,is knocking the door calling, ìKåkå! I came, open the door.î

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Door opened. Såk¶åt Caturbhuja Nåråyaƒa was there.Vidura and Sulabhå stranged, got statue themselves. Oh! Whata strange! It is the real Sewå.

Dwårakådh∂‹a violent jerk telling: I am hungry, give mefood. ëKæ¶ƒa went to hearth himself and took the Bhåj∂. Oh!What a scene would be that we might imagine. Whatís the realSewå, the grand affection does express the episode.

Why we should not reopen the Bhåmat∂ ís golden pageremain, which is the symbol of Sewå. She is the milestone fornew generation since eras, how to serve!

Bhåmat∂ was the wife of Våcaspati Mi‹ra, a learned personin south, as an annotator, he wrote many notes on ›åstras.It is of thousand years ago. Authored continuously for thirty-six years non-stop. Once he was working onóBrahma-Sµutra›å∆kara Bhå¶ya.

A sentence was not proper. Yet he desired so. He wasthinking on. Suddenly what does he see, that a female handis burning. He shocked out asking, ìWho are you Devi!î Whatísa strange! thirty-six years had been passed to his marriage, hedid not know his wife! What is a concentration this?

In fact Bhåmat∂ was changing the burned flame replacingit with a new one. Thatís way light be dim and Våcaspatidisturbed.

Bhåmat∂ had a cross question; ìDo you remember, you hada marriage!î Våcaspati replied, ìOh! Yes, I do remember.îBhåmat∂ says gently, ìI am she, your wife. Thirty-six yearspassed, we have got married.î A silence occupied.

Våcaspati returned, told, ìI have married you. Since thirty-six years you are serving me and did not speak a single word!You obliged me. Thanks a lot.î

ìAny wish Devi! asked Våcaspati. Bhåmat∂ replied; ìNilmy Swåm∂! Go ahead. Author more books and I would liketo spend my whole life serving you, nothing more.î

Sewå and Itís Forerunners


Våcaspati meltedówhat an opinion yours is! He releasedhis heartiest salute to Bhåmat∂ for her unselfishness andserving. He asked, ìYour name Devi! ëBhåmat∂í, repliedBhåmat∂; Våcaspati released: ìDevi! Notes on ›å∆kara Bhå¶yais being named Bhåmat∂! Bhåmat∂ is still honoured widely.

This is the Indian culture perfumes the Sewå teaching therestraintólesson to the world; passing whole life under a singleroof, wife did not prefer rights nor comfort but to serve, to serveand to serve only.

We might forget ›åƒŒil∂ too, if we converse Sewå-chapter.She is also a milestone of this field. She had a leprous husbandKau‹ika of Pratishthanpur, was erotic also but she never beensad nor sorry.

Once Kau‹ika desired to go to brothel. ›åƒŒil∂ resulted thistoo, carried him on her shoulders. Oh! What a woman is? Itis the living body of Sewå. She was hardly walking but goingon and going on weight, walk, tiredness, darkness and theobject? It was to go to brothel for her erotic husband, Kau‹ikaísentertainment. How did she does all these! But she did it.

During this, she faced MåƒŒavya §R¶iís curse too, becauseof clashing gibbet laying up on which, he cursed, ìOne whohas injured him, will be no more when sunrise. ›åƒŒil∂ said,ìIf it would be, no sun will arise! and it happened too. Morningdid not observed hereafter.î

When all the gods came with Anasµuyå to ›åƒŒil∂, sheexcused and the sunrise resulted, for the welfare of the world.This is the true Sewå and itís impact.

Such kind of Sewakas and their unique Sewå (service-mode)made them stars, shining still. No eras might dim their shining.

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Sewå-TyågaóDr. Natwar Lal Mathur

Serving people is a thought situated in the heart and mindof a man. Sewå cannot be imposed in mind of any server. RealSewå is that which is done without thinking of any positiveresult or gain from the man whom we serve. It is an internalcall from the heart of server.

Swåm∂ Vivekånandaís ideal call sentence wasóNara-Sewå,Nåråyaƒa-Sewå. Sewå is not a business. Some people used tosayówe are tired now, performing service (Sewå) to people.

Our leaders have a great thirst for Sewå, spending a lot ofmoney in elections to performs Sewå. They say vote us forgetting a chance to do your Sewå. To my mind, they can servepeople without getting any political post.

Some administrative officers and their staff take Sewåcharges for performing Sewå. Can you call this as Sewå in realmeaning?

Real Sewå needs Tyåga and friendly attitude. Sewå shouldbe done without any demand for it. While doing Sewå, oneshould not think about the man to whom he is serving. Heshould not think of caste and religion of the people whom hedesires to serve. One should not give any publicity (or pressnote) to his Sewå work.

Sewå can be performed in many ways. No Sewå work issmall or big. Time for Sewå should not be fixed. He shoulddo Sewå work whenever sufferer need. One can select Sewåwork of his choice. That is to say, it should be of his liking,capacity and time which he can afford for Sewå work.


Buddha used to sayóone who wants to perform Sewå forme, should perform Sewå to sufferers or needy people.

ëKaro Sewå Påo Mewåí is a popular saying in Indianculture, meaning is about the fruit or result which one getsperforming Sewå work.

In Råmacaritamånasa, it is saidó“‚fl∑§ ‚éÿ ÷Êfl Á’ŸÈ ÷fl Ÿ ÃÁ⁄U•©U⁄UªÊÁ⁄U”. TherebyóSewå is that path, following which, all canreach their life goal.

In ›r∂madbhågawata for Sewå and master, it is writtenóÿSÃ •ÊÁ‡Ê· •Ê‡ÊÊSÃ Ÿ ‚ ÷Îàÿ— ‚ flÒ flÁáÊ∑˜§H•Ê‡ÊÊ‚ÊŸÊ Ÿ flÒ ÷Îàÿ— SflÊÁ◊ãÿÊÁ‡Ê· •Êà◊Ÿ—–Ÿ SflÊ◊Ë ÷ÎàÿÃ— SflÊêÿÁ◊ë¿UŸ˜ ÿÊ ⁄UÊÁÃ øÊÁ‡Ê·—H•„¢U àfl∑§Ê◊SàfljQ§Sàfl¢ ø SflÊêÿŸ¬ÊüÊÿ—–ŸÊãÿÕ„UÊflÿÊ⁄UÕÊ¸ ⁄UÊ¡‚fl∑§ÿÊÁ⁄UflH

(VII. 10. 4ó6)Thereby the Sewaka who performs Sewå of his master to

get his will fulfilled, is not counted as Sewå. Because it is matterof give and take.

Sewaka, Sewå work and Sewå, if difference among thesethree is vanished, then and then only, true Sewå element isachieved. In G∂tå, it is saidó

ÃÁmÁh ¬˝ÁáÊ¬ÊÃŸ ¬Á⁄U¬˝‡ŸŸ ‚flÿÊ–©U¬ŒˇÿÁãÃ Ã ôÊÊŸ¢ ôÊÊÁŸŸSÃûflŒÌ‡ÊŸ—H

(IV. 34)In this, it is said that doing Sewå, having a will to get

knowledge, is not Sewå in its real meaning.Sewå and Mok¶aóSwåm∂ Vivekånanda said his Guru used

to sayóserving people of India is also a proper path to getMok¶a. Sacrifice and Sewå are the national qualities of ourcountry.

Keep it hideóSewå, whether it is in family or outside, itgives relief to sufferer and self-satisfaction to the server.

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ìOne who does Sewå never complaints.îìOne who complaints, is not true Sewaka.îìA good Sewaka never tires and stops his work.îIt is Ma¤julaís callóìDo Sewå of all needy people

irrespective of neighbour, relative, caste, creed and religion.î❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå-Tyåga

Ponder this deeply and well. If you make up your mind,there is no such thing that is impossible to the human soul,the J∂våtmå, richly endowed with a human birth and status.This truth is to be firmly grasped.

If you consider yourself to be a weak human being, theneverything is impossible, everything is difficult, everything isuncertain. If you consider yourself to be a divine being,everything becomes possible, everything becomes easy, everythingbecomes sure and certain.

So, whether you think of yourself in error or whether youthink of yourself in knowledge is the decisive factor. Whatdo you choose? Darkness or light? Error or knowledge?Aj¤åna or J¤åna? It is for you to decide.

óSwami Chidananda

Finding Opportunities forVarious Kinds of Sewå

óLt. General (Dr.) S. R. Mehta

Human life is the most precious gift and we must live itfully and utilise our life spans with utmost care. How to dothat and how to live well, so that there is smooth sailing aswell as no regrets in the end? The answer to this has been givenin the following:

‡ÊÃ„USÃ ‚◊Ê„U⁄U ‚„Ud„USÃ ‚¢ Á∑§⁄U–∑Î§ÃSÿ ∑§Êÿ¸Sÿ ø„U S»§ÊÁÃ¢ ‚◊Êfl„UH

(Atharvaveda III. 24. 5)ìO man you earn by hundred hands and donate (do charity

and Sewå) by thousand hands. By this way being dutiful, youdo progress in every sphere of your life.î

In the Bhagavadg∂tå, during his discourse to Arjuna, LordKæ¶ƒa assures that those who serve the mankind, are alwayshelped in their endeavours by the Almighty God.

Ÿ Á„U ∑§ÀÿÊáÊ∑Î§à∑§Á‡øŒ˜ŒÈª¸®Ã¢ ÃÊÃ ªë¿UÁÃH(G∂tå VI. 40)

ìA person who has dedicated his life to welfare and serviceof humanity, would always be immune from worldly evils.î

Even great visionary and philosopher Cåƒakya emphasisedon Sewå in his various teachings and stated that ìthose whoare filled with sense of welfare and service towards mankind,are rid of all troubles and are blessed with fame and successî.

The Holy Quran also lays down lots of emphasis on serviceto the needy.

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ìTrue worship of Almighty requires faith, the practical andhelpful love of those in need and sincerity rather than showin devotion and charityî. (Quran 107. 4ó7)

Swam∂ Vivekånanda too has said in very clear terms thatìThey only live who live for othersî.

In the sermon that God Jesus gave to his first twelvedisciples on a mountain in the area of Galilee and Jerusalem,he emphasized to serve the needy and poor. He said that youshould not take money and name as your power. With moneyand name you canít be satisfied and sit easily. To live asuccessful life, help and serve the poor and use your powersin the works of God. Service and purity are the two mainattributes which will make you great. Todayís turmoil in theworld i.e., terrorism, intolerance, hatred, hostility etc., are dueto the lack of and or not practising Sevå Dharma (selflessservice attitude) by the present generation.

If we can learn, practice and teach our children this attitudeof Sewå-Bhåva, this entire world will be a better place to livein. The family quarrels, daily fights with the neighbours, warsamong countries, road rages, black marketing, wrong practicesby some officers, businessmen, politicians, teachers, governmentservants, all these enemies of human race, are mainly the resultof not inculcating or practising the basic attitude of service tohumanity. Most sufferings of human beings can be avoided bysimply having an attitude of selfless service. We must startpractising small services for others in the form of few wordsof kindness; a helping approach towards downtrodden, weak,ill and needy persons; kind and helping attitude towards allcreatures and precaution to preserve our mother Earth andenvironment. These acts of selfless service are not only anintegral part of Sewå but also our prime duty as human beings.This will not only give peace and happiness to others but alsosuccess and solace to the person practices Sewå Dharma.

Finding Opportunities for Various Kinds of Sewå


Not having a helping attitude and unwanted attachment thatmakes every person miserable and bring every type of woe orgrief, jealousy, mean-mindedness, miserliness all these ìTamoGuƒaî which are the root causes of sufferings, can only beovercome by charitable nature, cosmic love and spirit of love.Sewå by Mother and Mother as a Guruó

The real great opportunity to service for a woman is whenshe conceives. It is a great opportunity and an ideal timeAlmighty gives her to serve her growing baby in womb. It isa known fact that the positive attitude of the mother, her goodbehaviour, good diet and not indulging in wrong habits likesmoking or drinking, is the real service to the growing life. Bythis service she looks after two lives in a Såttvika way. Themother does so many noble services and sacrifices and it is theprime and first service to the humanity. The other family-members too, should assist her in managing her good health.

This primal instinct of motherís love and attachment for hernewborn, is evident, even in animals and birds. We all arefamiliar with the way the birds sit for days together on theireggs and looks after, train and nurture their newborns.

After delivery the real service as well as the care or trouble,mother has to take to nurture her newborn, is also vital orimportant. In modern day socio-economic set-up, this act ofservice is being neglected by some mothers. This kind ofsupport is missing in some high societies and the mothers arefeeding the newborns with powder milk and formula substances.These mothers probably donít realise that the first breast milk(colostrum) for the newborn is panacea and has large amountof substances and proteins which have the capacity to protect thenewborns from deadly diseases. The close contact with motheralso gives an immense soothing comfort to the child. This Måtæ-Dharma (religious duty of the mother) is the real first Sewå

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towards her child and ideal time to nurture a decent, caring anddisciplined human life.

It is also true that the real and first Guru (teacher) for achild is the mother. If mother fails in her duties, she not onlyloses the real chance of doing Sewå for her child but also failsin making an ideal human being to serve the mankind.Childhood Service and Duties of Parents ó

The first school for a child is the home and the environmenttherein. All the big personalities of the world attribute theirsuccess to the care and guidance of their mothers. It is rightlysaid that a good mother who imparts good virtues to her child,is as good as hundred Gurus (teachers). Motherís correctteaching, pious and ideal behaviour with her children as wellas other members of the family, her husband and her friends,servants etc., has a tremendous impact on moulding the personalityof a child. If the mother is not doing her duties correctly, notbehaving well; if she is selfish and self-centred, it is unlikelythat her child will inculcate the great attributes of human service,love, kindness and respect for others. Children of such mothersare usually a failure and invariably become a source of chaosin their own and otherís lives. How can such a mother expectgood behaviour and Sewå during her old age from her children,if she has not implanted such virtues in them by doing correctSewå and demonstrating ideal behaviour while nurturing herchildren?Sewå by Family and Other Elders at Home ó

The other members of the family such as grandparents,uncles and aunts too, have to demonstrate and perform theirSewå and duties correctly. Behaviour of the family-members athome has an immense contribution in shaping childrenís personalityand their attitude towards others. The turmoil afflicting present-day societies, such as terrorism, road-rage and all other criminalactivities by the adults and even adolescents is mainly attributable



to undisciplined, selfish and self-centred behaviour of the parentsor relatives at their homes. How can we expect virtuousbehaviour from a child whose parents routinely quarrel at home,display insatiable ego, dishonesty, indulge in corrupt practicesand brawl with neighbours? These wrongdoings are the mostdangerous disservice to the future progeny. The society ingeneral will have to pay a heavy price if we neglect this serviceto our pedigree.Sewå by Teachers and Service during Educationó

The teachers have the greatest opportunity as well asprimary duty to do the noble service of imparting ideal educationto their students. Virtuous, spiritual and devoted teachers playa pivotal role in upbringing of an ideal citizen for a societythrough the moulding of impressionable minds of children.Teachers can do a great service to the nation and mankind, ifthey remember that the most important goal of education; is thepositive creative process designed to harness from within anindividual, the hidden qualities of love, unity, harmony, brotherhoodand peace. Such an individual will then be able to raise thelevel of present-day social life and enrich it with his virtues andkindness. Teachers can themselves do a great service if alongwith the traditional content of education they also teach theirstudents correct social and spiritual practices such as attitude ofservice, welfare of mankind, harmony and brotherhood, peaceand prosperity for one and all. In case these lessons on spiritualdimension can be taught by the teachers, they will be doinga wonderful service to the entire humanity. This would undoubtedlylead the mankind to unprecedented peace and prosperity in allspheres.

Additionally, the Government and society too, can do a greatservice by paying attention to proper selection and training ofteachers. As an example, teaching is one of the most covetedprofessions in Denmark, where contenders are required to

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undergo an exhaustive selection process followed by almostseven years of intense training.

By the time the students enter college, they can differentiatebetween the right and wrong but still, need guidance from goodteachers who uphold human values above all usual religiousactivities. Teachers must respect all religions and teach the realand true religion of Sevå-Bhåva, helping the needy, honesty,integrity and value of human life. Teachers who possess suchattributes are the real Gurus and they are doing true serviceto the humanity. All teachers must endeavour to inculcate theseattributes and provide their vital assistance in nation building.Opportunity of Selfless Service by Youthó

It is a matter of great concern that some of the youth thesedays get misguided leading to their involvement in antisocialand even criminal activities. However, students nurtured underthe guidance of virtuous teachers and Gurus (as highlighted inthe previous section) would never go astray during theiradolescent days. These students would in fact contribute towardsservice of humanity for the rest of their lives as well as inculcateSewå-Bhåva in lives they influence.

An honest person does the best service to his family andnation whatever field he is working in. Do your job andeveryday duty with greatest possible perfection, concentration,unflinching dedication along with joy and pleasure. Avoid alltension, hatred and disgruntlement. We can do a great serviceto ourselves and all around us, if we aim to find strengthand joy in our routine work being done honestly and sincerely.Sewå by Housewifeó

All housewives work very hard, completing all the householdchores even though most men do not realise this. However, afterthe children grow up and proceed to college, housewives maybe able to generate significant amount of spare time that canbe utilised for Sewå or service which would go a long way in



benefiting them and the society. Unfortunately, some of thesehousewives waste their spare time either in gossip or futileactivities (like prolonged periods infront of television). This isalso the main cause of obesity, depression and other avoidablelifestyle diseases in these ladies. All these ailments can beavoided if these housewives keep themselves occupied withconstructive social activities. It would benefit them mentally andphysically and also the entire society.Sewå after RetirementóDuring Old Ageó

This is the ideal time for doing service of mankind. Afterretirement one must plan to set aside at least few hours dailyor twice a week to devote to service of the needy. This servicecan be in the form of simply helping poor children with theireducation. However, choice of service will depend on a personísattitude, knowledge, expertise, hobby, opportunity and surroundingsetc. Depending on these, one can select from a long list ofoptions of service such as guiding poor students by giving themfree coaching or tuition, helping old people and spending timewith them, volunteering for some good organisations (even(NGOs) involved in charity, actively participating in activitiesof your society to keep surroundings clean and planting trees,giving free medical services to the needy (if you are a doctor)etc. These acts help keep retired professionals happy, mentallyagile, physically fit and free of ego, thus, doing more good tothemselves than those they are serving. These acts of charitywill keep them busy and happy thus, leading to long and healthylives filled with constant bliss. In fact the only way of keepingourselves happy, is to make others happy. This is the onlyMantra to achieve all pervasive and constant bliss. Be readyfor Sewå on every occasion and do not expect anything inreturnóGod blesses those involved in selfless charity witheverlasting peace and joy.

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Donít Miss the Last Chance of SewåóThe ultimate and supreme Sewå that an individual can render

to mankind in the twilight of oneís life, is of donating his organsto save and light up a number of other lives. One can evenconsider donating organs of their relatives who have beendeclared brain dead due to some unfortunate incident. This actof kindness enables an individual to continue to live as longas recipients of his organs survive. It is imperative that eachone of us considers and signs up for this supreme sacrifice.

If your religion and relatives permit, you should considerMahå-Dåna of Deha-Dåna after oneís demise. While it is avoluntary act, it is definitely a real Sewå. In my opinion alldoctors must consider this Sewå as they have learnt the art ofmedicine by dissecting number of cadavers (who too werepeople like us and performed the supreme Sewå by donatingtheir bodies for this humane cause).Who can do Sewå? (Prerequisites to do Sewå)ó

Some people are under the impression that assistance canbe given only by the rich people who have lots of money tospare and undertake welfare activities for others. Well, this istrue only to an extent. What is really needed, is the attitude,commitment and an overwhelming desire to help others.Through these virtues some of the most humble, uneducatedand under-privileged people have done enormous service tohumanity which even the most affluent individuals could notaccomplish.

Some people have plenty of money and wealth but theylack the kindness, honesty and zeal to serve others and hence,cannot do any service to the needy. One can only give otherswhat he possesses. Hence, one needs to first prepare himselffor doing service to others by being kind to himself, byrespecting himself, by acquiring correct spiritual attitude andhaving an earnest burning desire to do something good in life.



These attributes will automatically compel an individual toundertake welfare of the needy if he first serves himself byacquiring these qualities. Money will come automatically to aperson who possesses these attributes. Most of the sages arefull of these qualities and thatís how they have done a greatdeal of service and charity. Even the most affluent and powerfulpeople of the world bow down at their feet because these sageshave dedicated their lives to the welfare of the entire mankind.

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ìAfter so much austerity, I have understood this as thereal truthóGod is present in every J∂va; there is no other godbesides that.î ìWho serves J∂va, serves God indeed.î Aftersome pause Swåm∂j∂í addressing the disciples said, ìWhat Ihave told you today, inscribe in your heart. See that you donot forget it.î

óSwami Vivekananda

SewåóPathway to DivinityóRamanuja Minakshi Agarwal

Sewå and Tyåga are always complimentary to each other.Providing Sewå (selfless service) to someone essentially encompasseswithin itself the fact that the Sewå-provider (Sewaka) issacrificing his own comfort and relaxation (Sukha) whileperforming Sewå.

The Bhåva of Sewå cannot emerge in oneís heart unlessand until the person is willing to sacrifice his own Sukha. Whatreally happens is that, any person willing to provide Sewåassociates his own happiness with the happiness of the Sewå-receiver. Once you feel happy in the happiness of the otherhuman being, you start thinking selflessly and this is how Sewå-Bhåva is born!

The relation between Sewå and Tyåga is that of onenessóìYe hamåre hain aura inake sukha mein h∂ hamårå sukhahai!îóthis is the basic thought behind the providence of Sewå.While providing Sewå, the person providing it, feels happy andcontented in doing whatever he is doing but in the absence ofthese two feelings, (happiness and contentment) the serviceprovided takes the form of mere duty.

In Hindu religious scriptures we come across a number ofSewå-providers who have selflessly and earnestly provided Sewå,though the motivating and encouraging factors behind suchSewå may have been different.

The feeling of total submission and devotion were the causalfactors in the Sewå-Bhåva of Hanumån and Lak¶maƒa. WhileHanumån draws inspiration from the words of Jåmbavånó


““⁄UÊ◊ ∑§Ê¡ ‹Áª Ãfl •flÃÊ⁄UÊ–”” (Månasa IV. 29. 3) ëYou are born toperform the works of ›r∂ Råma.í Lak¶maƒa himself says thathe knows nobody else in this world other than ›r∂ Råmaó

ªÈ⁄U Á¬ÃÈ ◊ÊÃÈ Ÿ ¡ÊŸ©°U ∑§Ê„ÍU – ∑§„U©°U ‚È÷Ê©U ŸÊÕ ¬ÁÃ•Ê„ÍUH¡„°U ‹Áª ¡ªÃ ‚Ÿ„U ‚ªÊß – ¬˝ËÁÃ ¬˝ÃËÁÃ ÁŸª◊ ÁŸ¡È ªÊß¸H◊Ê⁄¥ ‚’ß ∞∑§ ÃÈê„U SflÊ◊Ë – ŒËŸ’¢œÈ ©U⁄U •¢Ã⁄U¡Ê◊ËH

(Månasa II. 71. 2-3)Such is the feeling of oneness with ›r∂ Råma that both of

them feel blessed in providing Sewå to their beloved ›r∂ Råma.The case of Bharata is quite similar; the only distinguishing

factor is ëGuiltí. Bharata feels guilty for not accompanying hisbeloved Råma Bhaiyå in his Vanavåsa and for being the root-cause of all the troubles that He (›r∂ Råma) is going through.This feeling of guilt enhances his Sewå-Bhåva to the highestdegree.

The feeling of guilt in the heart of Sukanyå had motivatedher to perform righteously all her Sewå towards her husband§R¶i Cyawana. The dedicated Sewå of Sukanyå not only securedher ëPåtivrataí but also won back the lost youth of her husband!

The appearance of ›r∂ Vi¢¢hala and Dev∂ Rukmiƒ∂ inPaƒŒharapura is also indicative towards the fact that when oneperforms Sewå of his Parents, not only out of love andcompassion but also with the feeling of guilt, his Sewå takesthe form of Divinity, forcing even the Almighty to mark HisDivine Presence!

Whatever be the relation behind the performance of selflessSewå, the result is always positive. Sewå is bound to give birthto Unending Happiness, Total Contentment and AbsoluteDivinity!

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Service to All Living BeingsóDr. (Mrs.) Prabha Singh

Service to animate beings is the service of God. One shouldserve all without longing for any result of service. Thus, serviceshould be without expectations. According to Manu, if onealways serves and pays regard to elders, one obtains long life,education, fame and energy.

•Á÷flÊŒŸ‡ÊË‹Sÿ ÁŸàÿ¢ flÎhÊ¬‚ÁflŸ—–øàflÊÁ⁄U ÃSÿ flœ¸ãÃ •ÊÿÈÌfllÊ ÿ‡ÊÊ ’‹◊˜H

(Manusmæti II. 121)Service of parents, Åcåryas and guests gives peace of mind.

Body, mind, wealth and speech are with everyone to serve theanimate beings. Mental peace is the result of service to animatebeings by these means. Thus, each and every person can getpeace of mind if he so intends. So it is very easy to reach theGod by the above-mentioned means. Cool mind adds to thepersonality of a person. Impressive personality makes a personhonourable in the society.

Service is the outcome of good impressions of various lives.Service without ego is counted as great service. Through service,one is liberated thus, service is the source of liberation. Servicecontributes to the welfare of the animate beings, their upliftment,development and liberation. One liberates all and is liberated.One gets supreme peace and self-satisfaction through service.

Selfless service to needy persons is true service of God. Oneshould serve helpless persons. God is pleased by such service.We should never backbite others, should be well-wisher of all,


should please others and should not torture others. If we afflictothers, we displease the God.

In history, there are examples of persons who gave selflessservice to others. Gautama Buddha was pitiful towards theanimate beings. King A‹oka thought about the welfare ofanimate beings. Gåndh∂j∂ served the needy persons and believedthat the service of needy persons was the worship of the God.Welfare of others is the synonym of service (Sewå). If one isdedicated to the service of animate beings one becomes favouriteof God. Sewå turns a person humble, tolerant and well-wisher.Ahi≈så is also equal to service to animate beings. If there ispeace of mind, a person becomes happy and a good citizen.When a person is enthusiastic to uproot the trouble of others,then it becomes clear that the desire of doing service is at itspeak. To make the unhappy persons happy, to uplift the fallenpersons, to provide food to hungry persons, to give water tothirsty persons, to give clothes to persons in need, to help thehelpless persons, to educate the uneducated persons, to light upthe dark places. All the above actions are the forms of serviceand show the belief in God. A person is said to have goodcharacter if he serves others. Doing welfare to others gives onehappiness.

Selfless service gives the true happiness in life. No othermaterial is required for such service, only the liberal mind isneeded for it. Death is always with us. One should always beready to serve others.

“•Êà◊flà‚fl¸÷ÍÃ·È”óOne should serve others like oneself. If weserve the creatures of God, we please the God. When one isgrieved by the grief of others, one serves others and gets peaceof mind. A true servant never does or thinks bad or ill of others.

The feeling of “fl‚ÈœÒfl ∑È§≈Èê’∑§◊˜” gives rise to service of afflictedpersons in the society. To serve the afflicted persons, is trueworship of God. Sewå destroys ego and gives birth to the feeling

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of humility, self-satisfaction, forgiveness etc. Through service,even an enemy becames favourable. A person whose wealthis used for the welfare of others, is always successful in life.Feeling good of all is also equal to service. God lives in thepoor and the needy persons. If we help them, we become dearto God.In ∫‹opani¶ad, it is saidó

ß¸‡ÊÊ flÊSÿÁ◊Œö‚flZ ÿÁà∑§Üø ¡ªàÿÊ¢ ¡ªÃ˜–Thus, all the animate beings are pervaded by God. If we

serve them; we serve God. If we use ill-words to someone,it disturbs our mental peace. If we do not hurt the sentimentsof others, it is also called service. Service of poor people isthe service of God. We should never make the fun of thepersonal deficiency of someone. If someone is hurt, we shouldunderstand that God is hurt. To quarrel with someone loosesour peace of mind. Each and every animate being is the creationof the Almighty God and the service of the creation of the Godis worship of the God which brings peace of mind.

If we serve others, there is no need of going to templesfor worshipping the God. We should never cut the green trees,should never cut the plants with flowers because they also havelife. If we do so, God is afflicted. Service to trees and plantsgives peace of mind. Giving moral support to someone duringthe period of trouble, is also a kind of service and one becomespeaceful by doing so. One should never disturb peace of mindof others, it is also a kind of service. Service is our duty whichgives relief to mind.

Service is the difficult duty. One should be mentallyprepared to perform service, then only one can get mental peacewhich leads to God-realization.

A person who bows down and is humble, can renderservice. Service gives non-worldly pleasure. A person becomescalm and cool if he renders service and his heart is satisfied.

Service to All Living Beings


If we render service to someone, we remove our mental affliction.Through service we go into our heartís depth, we clean ourmental dirt. We should live for others then there will be nofear of war, no fear of non-safety, violence, attachment, enmityetc. All this will lead to new path. One who thinks only foroneself, is selfish and is left alone in life. He is away fromperfection.

Service to needy persons, is the worship of God. One getsmental peace automatically if one serves the poor and the needypersons. One is liberated through service. One who nevertortures others, serves in real sense. A person who has no feelingof non-attachment and humility, is not doing service. A persondoing service to others is really happy. A person doing service,is always perfect and has no sense of ego. A true doer of serviceis proficient of pure heart and devoted to others. One shouldserve others unattached to worldly pleasures as lotus remainsin bloom not wetted by water.

Attaining peace of mind should be oneís aim of life andthis aim can be achieved through service to others. Serviceshould always be without expectations. The lifestyle of a persondedicated to Sewå should be simple. Through Sewå one reachesthe goal of God-realization. Sewå of needy humans is the Sewåof God. One should serve all in a friendly manner which givesmental peace. One should serve all humbly for happinessaround. One should help others abandoning self-comfort. Bodilycomfort should not be the goal of oneís life.

Peace of mind is the outcome of selfless service. One feelscool and calm through service without expectations. One shouldnever be selfish. If one is selfish, he is absolutely away fromGod. God showers His blessings on the person serving others.One becomes spiritually uplifted by serving others. Servingothers should be in the nature of a person. A person servingothers always attains the highest position in the society. A person

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who remains away from service is never happy. Mental peaceis the gift given in lieu of service done to animate beings. Onebecomes free from tensions and worries of life by serving others.Mental peace makes the soul satisfied and one attains proximityof the God. God blesses the person who serves others.

Peace of mind is the result of dedicated service to animatebeings. It is said, ì¬⁄UÊ¬∑§Ê⁄UÊÿ ‚ÃÊ¢ Áfl÷ÍÃÿ—–”” ëThe riches of goodpeople are for the welfare of others.í In return these people getpeace of mind. If one does good to others one becomes self-satisfied. One who makes the service of others, his habit onebecomes self-satisfied and this self-satisfaction leads to peaceof mind.

One attains supreme bliss by doing service to others. Toget peace of mind, one should be compassionate to oneís fellowbeings. One should help others whenever they are in need. Oneshould never use harsh words to others only then one gets peaceof mind. Thus, service to animate beings should be the mottoof oneís life.

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Service to All Living Beings

Truth alone can liberate us. Falsehood cannot liberate us.Deluded thinking is a trap. Mind is the seat of delusion. Mindis the seat of erroneous thinking. We do not realise it, butit is so. Mind is, therefore, the main barrier between you andHe who is nearer to you than your nearest, the indwellingReality, God. Therefore, with humility and simplicity we mustapproach God in true faith, in absolute trust, setting asidecontrary notions that are created by the Mind which is Måyå.

óSwami Chidananda

Sewå or ServiceóS. Kothandaraman

It is said, ìParopakåråya ida≈ ‹ar∂ramî. This human bodyis meant for the service of others. It is prescribed that one mustserve the ëPa¤ca Bhµutasí.

Sewå is not the kind understood nowadays as a mere socialservice, help, but it was practised as one coupled with extremekindness, compassion and more particularly with detachment.The scope was narrower then. To serve means to renderassistance sans any reward or recompense. Månava Sewå isMådhava Sewåóis what Gåndh∂j∂ said. Service to humanity isservice to God. Vivekånanda always preached service. Sewåhas no gender, time, place or Varƒas, it has got only humaneness.It is considered part of the process of God-realisation andspiritual upliftment. It is universal in application and anyone whohas the right mindset, aptitude and attitude, can alleviate theneedy. Lord Kæ¶ƒa said while teaching Karmayoga, ìTo attainJ¤åna one must do Sewå among other Karmasî.

The best form of service is the one that is done withoutbeing asked voluntarily and spontaneously, without being madepublic and to those who are in need. ìKi¤cit na karomi itiîóìEven this little I do not doîóis the mindset that one shouldhave, while doing the service. This is what Bhagavadg∂tå teachesus. The moment you think that I am doing itóìAha≈ Kartåî,not only the purpose is lost but service loses its value and sense.

Selfless service without expectation is the best. It may ariseout of devotion, compassion, kindness, sympathy and friendliness,some has the urge to serve. Some people dedicate themselves

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in the service of others as whole time servant of God. Somepeople do it as part time and some others as past time.Nonetheless they serve.

The purpose of human creation is to serve others, who areless fortunate, in all possible ways and to the extent possiblewithout expectations. A Tamil Saint had said, ìMy duty is todo serviceîóìEn Kadan pani seithu kidappathe.î

Sewå or service being of several kinds, particularly to oneísparents, spouse, Guru, to God, to the needy, plants and animalsetc., stem from the moral code of conduct evolved from thedays of yore. The concept of service has undergone metamorphosison account of changes in the lifestyle of people. Changes haveonly widened the scope. It is good. Social service concept wasnot prevalent in those days as it was family centred. Nowadayssocial service is predominant.

Of these the services, service to God is the holiest and thehighest, and only a chosen few can do it, services to parents,(mother and father) and to the needy are the most laudable andcherished ones, not that other services are of lesser importance.The former is the bounden sacred duty while the later is outof kindness and compassion to reach out others.

The service must be one that is done without any pompor publicity and it must be done to those who are really needy,otherwise it becomes a mere help. Compassion with detachedfeeling while doing it, renders the service praiseworthy andexemplary. What you do in the form of service to others, isyour concern and why others should know. Others may cometo know of it, even without your own publicizing it, for thegood service you do, is often remembered and passed on.

The parents, the cause of our birth, are the ones who areto be served first and foremost. Especially the mother who toiledhard despite several obstacles, hindrances, personal sufferings,handicaps and disabilities, to make you what you are today,

Sewå or Service


is ranked higher than gods. The adage is Ma¢ha, P∂¢ha, Guruand then only God comes and in that order is to be served.The mother who bore the brunt in bringing you up, the painand suffering, while in the womb or subsequent ecstasy on yourgrowth from boyhood to youth, is phenomenal, to be adored,worshipped and served gratefully with joy and overwhelmingkindness, without any hesitation, unmindful of anything else.

There cannot be any conflict of interest, divided loyalties,even if there are changed circumstances, like serving others andeven if there are obstacles in the way, and no other serviceis greater than the service to parents. They require special careand attention especially in their old age. Nothing can be at thecost of the mother. When older the parents become, the greateris the responsibility of one to bestow on them, all the care andattention required. It is the primary and sacred duty cast on themwhich cannot be shirked except on oneís own peril.

It may be gratifying to note that even in small towns andvillages despite, they being the marginalized segments of thesociety, even today, the parents are very well taken care of andthey are the contented lot. They share the moments of joy andgrief with children and grand children. Everyone in the familytakes care of the requirements of the elders. It is only in bigtowns where the so-called educated, who seem to feel that theyare a distinct lot, of course there are exceptions, venturing intogreener pastures, lured by economic affluence, giving a go byto the tradition-bound duty cast on them, leaving the parentsto fend for themselves.

It is said in these days of the fast moving life, exigenciesof service, economic constraints, divided loyalties, volatiledomestic front, compelling circumstances, and the feasibility ofreally taking care of the parents in their old age, is neitherpossible nor practicable and in order to buttress their stand, theysay that the parents can be taken care of by someone on their

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behalf like old age homes, caretaker homes, orphanages, etc.,where on payment, as much care and attention are being given,it cannot be justified. It is no doubt true, some homes are reallyhomes-away-from-homes, and certain amount of physical comfortis available, but where is the fondness and affection to be shared,where is the happiness and joy to be shared and where is thecomfort to get the sorrow and grief shared. It is a commercialproposition, not expected of a dutiful son, for all he did, allthe years gone by to all. It is a sad thing to know that thereis price tag for everything including affection. I consider it asthe height of ingratitude. Old age homes are no substitute fora dignified living of our beloved parents, who long for sharingthe joy and affection. It is disheartening to see mushroom growthof old age homes all over cities, where old people, some withoutanyone to take care of them, some voluntarily, some withoutoption, some under forced circumstances, to take shelter. Thatis not good. Many consider parents a burden especially in theirold age and would not mind paying someone to take care ofthem. It is true that old age comes with it all discomforts,physical infirmities, ailments, age related problems etc., thatcannot be helped. Our society is not like the western countries,where the boys or girls are totally freed from the family circleand they do not take care of the parents nor the parents expectthe children to take care of them. They have a social securityto fall back. We are trying to ape the western system, whichis not good and it is to our detriment. To send parents to oldage homes, is a blemish on Indian culture. The services doneto his aged blind parents by ›ravaƒa, the Råmåyaƒa character,is worth recalling. ›ravaƒa, an young lad used to carry his parentsfrom place to place and serve them in all possible ways. It iswhen tragedy struck in the form of a mortal blow from KingDa‹aratha, when ›ravaƒa was filling a pot with water to quenchthe thirst of his blind parents. We learn from the grief-stricken

Sewå or Service


parents the yeoman services rendered by him all the years andhow they were deprived of the same.

Service by the young to the elders in the family, especiallyby the housewife to all the elders and particularly to her husbandare proverbial. Respect, regard, reverence, obedience to parentsand other elders were the order in those days. Even now thereare a few who emulate age-old custom of treating their parentswith devotion and affection and serve them.

The social service has been adopted by many nowadays toalleviate the suffering of others. There are innumerable personsin the society who need assistance. Even in a small way wecan do service.

You may lead a blind person across the road, a passerbymay suddenly fall sick, requiring immediate relief, you may takehim to a nearby hospital, inform his relatives, and render otherservices required, as spontaneous instant service. If some patientrequires blood, you may donate blood or arrange for thedonation. You may arrange medical camps, eye camps for thebenefit of villages near your place. You may provide to theextent possible means of livelihood to destitute. Serving the poorby feeding, is the best form of service we can think of. For,it cures and satisfies hunger, the worst disease. You may educateboys and girls by paying their school fee, pay medical bills ofsome needy patients et al, are all service to the needy.

I have known a person, who in the dead of night goes withhis driver during peak winter season, and distributes shawls tothe several shivering platform dwellers and quietly goes home.What an exemplary act !

Serving those affected by natural calamities, disasters likefloods, earthquakes, etc., are exemplary and will give you asense of satisfaction. In the recent Chennai floods and torrentialrains, several persons, individuals, NGOs, did yeoman service,spontaneously braved all dangers and helped the marooned

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people on all those fateful days, which received unsolicitedaccolades and encomiums all over. They are the unsung heroes.

Doing service with media glare, though service, cannot beconsidered as of a very high order. It must be bereft of pompand fanfare. Commercialization has rendered service a questionableone. Organized service is not service organized.

In a country like ours, where there is still poverty, rampantilliteracy and backwardness still at large, there is scope forservice, if only we have the will. In our own way, we canserve in a chosen field for their upliftment.

Sewå (service) done sans selfishness, arrogance, vanity,pomp, publicity and reward, but done with humility, affection,kindness and compassion are laudable. Let us serve.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå or Service

When we take the first step in spiritual life, we developthe attitude of service. Arrogant people cannot understand thisphilosophy. A little spirit of service must be there; ëI am hereto serve you, I am here to help youí, what a beautiful attitudeof mind! That shows that we are not this tiny organismólimited and separate from all others. We are something morewhich need not be limited by this body. We can feel onenesswith other bodies also. With that awareness, we find our lifeexpressed in its inter-human relations in the form of spirit ofservice. We are something more than ourself. That becomesthe natural trait of a person when he or she rises above thisbody. This genetic system is limited, why should my mindbe limited? It can be unlimited. With that knowledge comesthat expansion of sympathy and understanding. And that spiritof service later becomes natural and spontaneous.


SewåóA Sådhanå for God-realisation

All spiritual exercises (Sådhanå) like Japa and Dhyåna areefforts to control the mind and prepare it for the journey to theDivine. Knowing the way is not enough. The path must betraversed to reach the destination. That journey is service tosociety. This service must be done with the awareness that theDivine dwells in every heart, in every individual and in everyliving thing. The eternal Self resides in the temple of the bodyas Divine that sustains the J∂va. The body is not primary. Whatis important, is the indwelling spirit. Keeping the goal of Self-realisation in view, you must engage yourselves in service tillthe destination is reached. Selfless, dedicated, pure-heartedservice is the means. When the entire life is devoted to thispurpose, direct experience of the Divine can take place.Lesson on Sevå-Sådhanåó

Society is the coming together of people. Co-operation,among people in society, motivated by spontaneity and by pureintentions is the hallmark of Sewå. Sewå can be identified bymeans of two basic characteristics: Compassion and Willingnessto sacrifice. The first lesson in Sewå has to be learnt in thefamily circle itself. Father, mother, brothers, sistersóin thislimited group, which is well knit, one must engage in lovingservice and prepare for the wider Sewå that awaits outside thehome. The spirit of service eradicates egoism and selfishness.Sewå broadens the heart and widens oneís vision, promotes unity,drives out all the evil qualities and fills one with joy. It proclaimsthe truth of the spirit. It must be regarded as a great spiritual

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discipline. Rendering service selflessly with a compassionateheart is alone true service.

One is bound to attain peace if he serves in a friendly spirit.This is the truth. You have to recognise that life is meant forselfless service and not to be lived for selfish purposes. Onlythrough such service can the oneness of mankind be experienced.Unselfish service is the sheet-anchor of Karmayoga, discipliningthe mind and the body through disinterested service. Societyhonours only the persons who serve society. Such persons earnthe grace of God. Every individual has to realise the paramountimportance of selfless service. The spirit of service should becoupled with readiness for sacrifice. Only then it can be calledselfless service, free from any taint of self-interest. Such servicelends savour to life.Love and Serviceó

Universal love sustains life by its nourishment. Love is thelife-breath of man. However eminent a person may be, he hasto realise that the main purpose of life is to render dedicatedservice to oneís fellowmen. The relationship between motherand child, preceptor and disciple, God and devotee, is based onmutual dependence. There cannot be a child without a mother,a disciple without a teacher, a devotee without God. Each isassociated with the other in an inextricable bond. One shouldbe prepared to serve others than choose to be served by them.Moreover, there is nothing meritorious in serving those who arehigh above us. For one thing, they can command the servicesof attendants. Rendering service to those who are in the sameposition as ourselves, is not also commendable. Service shouldbe rendered to those who are worse off than ourselves and whoare neglected by the world. Being a good example is the bestform of Sewå. Service of man is the only means by which youcan serve God. You must render service out of spontaneousurge from within, with a heart filled with love. You must have



physical strength, mental strength and spiritual strength and onlywhen you have these three, then you can really do service. Donot expect any returns for your acts of service. Satisfactionwhich you derive from rendering service, is itself a reward.Whatever talents a person may possess, they must be dedicatedto the service of humanity, indeed of all living beings. Thereinlies lifeís fulfilment ëParopakåråya ida≈ ‹ar∂ramí. If you liftyour hands to serve, to help, to console, to encourage anotherman, you are lifting it for God. Månava Sewå is Mådhava Sewå.Maintain your body not to show off your beauty but to serveothers.Sewå is the Essence of Devotionó

Man when engaged in Sewå for the good of society, isbound to encounter many hurdles. This world is full of dualcharacteristicsógood and bad, joy and grief, progress andregress, light and darkness; do not get upset by all this. Doyour duty as best as you can with prayer to God. Work hardand sincerely, and leave the rest to His hands. What exactlyis Sewå? It is the very essence of devotion, the very breathof a devotee, his very nature. It springs from the actualexperience of the devotee, an experience that convinces him thatall beings are Godís children, that all bodies are altars whereGod is installed, and that all places are His residences. Sewåis the highest of paths of devotion which wins the Grace ofGod. It promotes mental purity, diminishes egoism and enablesone to experience, though sympathetic understanding, the unityof mankind.

The Sådhanå of Sewå is quite distinct. In Sewå you devoteall your energy and attention to the task at hand, for it is adedicated task. You forget the body and ignore its demands.You set aside your individuality and its prestige and perquisites.You pluck your ego by its roots and cast it away forgettingyour status. Hands that serve, are greater than the lips that pray.

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Real humanness consists in dedicating oneself to the spirit ofservice. Quantity does not matter, quality of service counts.Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly and spontaneously.All Acts of Service are not Equally Sanctifyingó

All acts of service are not equally sanctifying or uniformin the benefits they confer. When service is undertaken bypower-hungry people, or under compulsion, or with a desireto imitate, it can result in more harm than good. Self-aggrandisement competition or ostentation are motives that willpollute the sacred Sådhanå of service. In doing service, oneshould avoid all egoism, exhibitionism and favouritism. Beforeembarking on a service project, one should examine whetheroneís heart is full of selfless love, humility and compassion.Think too, whether the head is full of intelligent understandingand knowledge of the problem and its solution, if oneís handsare eager to offer the healing touch, whether one can gladlyspare the time, energy and skill to help others in dire need.Little Acts of Serviceó

Little acts of service can confer on you great spiritual benefit.Firstly it will destroy your egoism. Pride will transform friendsinto enemies, will keep even kinsmen afar, and will defeat allgood schemes. Service will help develop in you the quality ofhumility. And humility will enable you to work in happy unisonwith others.Sewå is True Sådhanåó

What is Sådhanå? Service is true Sådhanå. Serve thesociety. Treat everyone as your brother and sister. Only throughselfless service, your life will be redeemed. Consider serviceunto others as service to God. Unfortunately, today man takesto service expecting something in return. The G∂tå advises thatservice to the Sa∆gha or community is the highest Sewå, aswell as most beneficial Sådhanå. You cannot run away fromthis obligation; you have to use the community of men wherein



you are born for sublimating your egoism and saving yourself.Sewå taken up as Sådhanå teaches Sahana (forbearance). EvenAvatåras demonstrate in their lives the supreme importance ofSewå. When Dharmaråja performed the great Råjasµuya sacrifice,on the advice of the Sage Nårada, Lord Kæ¶ƒa attended thesacrifice and asked to be allotted some service. He preferredthe service of removing the leaves on which food was servedfor the thousands, who were fed everyday. Since service wasso dear to Him, He was revered as the king-maker of the age,the Law-giver for all. Know that Sewå is a better form ofSådhanå than even Dhyåna (Meditation). How can Godappreciate the Dhyåna you do, when adjacent to you, you havesomeone in agony, whom you do not treat kindly, for whomyou do not make all efforts to help? Do not keep yourself apart,intent on your own salvation, through Japa or Dhyåna. Moveamong the people, looking for opportunities to help; but havethe name of God on the tongue and the form of God beforethe eye of the mind. We must consider that we have taken birthonly to render service to society as a sacred duty. Merit gainedthrough service is greater than what can be got through religiousobservances.

Ÿ Ã¬Ê¢Á‚ Ÿ ÃËÕÊ¸ŸÊ¢ ŸÊ ‡ÊÊSòÊÊáÊÊ¢ Ÿ ¡¬ÊŸÁ¬–‚¢‚Ê⁄U‚Êª⁄UÊûÊÊ⁄¢U ‚Ö¡Ÿ‚flÊŸÊ¢ ÁflŸÊH

ìNeither by penances nor baths in sacred waters, the studyof scriptures nor through meditation can the ocean of Sa≈sårabe crossed without rendering service to the good.î

ìOffer service and receive love.î This is the recipe forexperiencing Divinity. But today service is not offered whole-heartedly. Few render service with love and hence few receiveGodís grace. Even their love is self-centred and is not all-embracing. It must extend beyond the family to society as awhole, then to the nation at large and finally embrace the wholeworld.

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Sewå and God-realisationóService is also the path to God-realisation. God is the

embodiment of Love, Truth and Peace. Therefore, to realiseGod, one has to develop Love, adhere to Truth and experiencePeace within oneself. All service should be regarded as anoffering to God and every opportunity to serve anyone in needshould be welcomed as a gift from God. When service is donein this spirit, it will lead in due course to Self-realisation.

óCompiled by Dr. Subhas Chandra Mahajan❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


The life of the aspirant is one long series of renunciationand daily sacrifice. He lives to serve others and make themhappy. He forgets all about himself. He has no selfishness andego.

Lord Kæ¶ƒa, the ruler of the three worlds, allotted to Himself,and actually performed the task of washing the feet of the guestswho assembled in the Råjasµuya Yaj¤a. O aspirants! follow theexample of the Lord, O proud lip-Vedantins! Open your eyesnow. Serve and purify your heart first.

Build your life on the great ideal of selfless service. Allother ideals will manifest in life through this ideal of selflessservice.

Be actively pure, helpful and self-sacrificing. Discipline thebody and the mind again and again for fiery service. Disciplineof the body and the mind is the first stage in practical Yoga.

See God in every living creature and within you. Feel Hispresence everywhere. You will experience immense bliss,strength and indescribable joy.

Ni¶kåmya Sevå is the keystone to Karmayoga. Cultivatehumility, love, truth in thought, words and deeds. Abandonpettiness, narrow outlook selfishness, jealousy and anger.

óSwami Sivananda

Sewå by Swåm∂ VivekånandaóDr. Amulya Mohapatra

A man cannot be great only by material affluence or bypower or money or muscles or modern education but by theselfless service and sacrifice. Swåm∂ Vivekånanda was a greatspiritual person who worked for the service of humanities withlove and sympathy. The great monk had dedicated his life forthe welfare of the masses. The idea of social service came tothe mind of Swåm∂ Vivekånanda by his spiritual teacher (Guru)›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa Paramaha≈sa. ›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa used to say, ë›ivajåne j∂vasevåíóService to mankind is service to God. ›r∂Råmakæ¶ƒa was thus, instructing Swåm∂ Vivekånanda, to communewith God with eyes open, that is to say, through the serviceof the poor, the sick, the hungry and the ignorant.

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda spent two years wandering in India.During his travels he was overwhelmed by the misery andsuffering of the poor and oppressed. He realised that the pursuitof God through the practice of meditation and contemplationis vain effort unless complemented by the worship of God inman through service and compassion. The right kind of attitude,according to ›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa, should be to serve J∂va as ›iva,to serve humanity as the manifestation of Divinity. Swåm∂Vivekånanda learnt from his master to treat every man, eventhe fallen one, with respect. He used to say God the wicked,ëGod the sinnerí. He said one can bring a little joy and peaceeven for a day into the heart of a single person, that muchalone is true, this I have learnt after suffering all my life. He

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also repeatedly said that a Sa≈nyås∂ is born to love for others.He is there to redress the worldly sufferings of mortals as wellas to take care of their spiritual need.

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda asked us to follow our national idealsof renunciation and service. Without renunciation none can pourout his whole heart in working for others. Service for thewelfare of the people should be the motto of mankind. Heaffirmed his attitude by saying that I am the worshipper ofDaridranåråyaƒa and the best way to reach God, is by theservice of man. Swåm∂j∂ said that you cannot help anyone, youcan only serve the children of the Lord, serve the Lord himself,if you have the privilege. Do it only as worship. He also saidthat the poor, the downtrodden, the ignorantólet those be yourGod. God is present in every J∂va.

Swåm∂j∂ said that he who sees ›iva in the poor, in the weakand in the diseased, really worhip ›iva and if he sees ›iva onlyin the image, his worship is but preliminary (C. W. III. P. 142).He also said, ìMay I be born again and again, and sufferthousands of miseries, so that I may worship the only God thatexists, the only God I believe in, the sum total of all souls andabove all, my God the wicked, my God the miserable, my Godthe poor of all races of all species, is the special object of myworship.î

Service without renunciation, is a body without a soul.Service without renunciation, therefore, is no service at all.Service and renunciation are in reality one and the same. Themotto of ›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa Mission, is based on the principle ofservice and renunciation (Tyåga) viz., the ëÅtmano mok¶årtha≈jagaddhitåya caíówhich means the liberation of self and thebetterment of the world.

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda was the worshipper of the living God.He said, ëLook upon every man, woman and everyone as God.You cannot help anyone, you can only serve the children of

Sewå by Swåm∂ Vivekånanda


Lord, serve the Lord himself. The only to worship is the humansoul in the human body. I should see God in the poor, themiserable, the weak, the illiterate. So also we must see Godin every human being, ì‚flZ πÁÀflŒ¢ ’˝rÊÔ””. Swåm∂j∂ also saidó ìThewife love the husband the more when she thinks that thehusband is God, Himself. The husband also will love the wifemore when he knows that the wife is God, Himself. The motherwill love children more who thinks that the children are God,Himself. That man will love his greatest enemy who know thevery enemy is God, Himself.î (My India, The India Eternal)

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda once wrote to a disciple, ëI do notbelieve in a God or religion that does not bring a piece of breadto the orphanís mouth or wipe away the widowís tears.íRemember that the nation lives in the cottage. But alas! nobodyraise them? This is to be done and we will do it. The onlyservice to be done for our lower classes, is to give themeducation first, to develop their lost individuality. He also saidthe miseries of the world cannot be cured by physical help only.Until manís nature changes, these physical needs will alwaysarise and miseries will always be felt and no amount of physicalhelp will cure them completely. The only solution of thisproblem is to make them educated. Ignorance is the mother ofall the evil. Swåm∂j∂ wanted to provide man-making and spiritualeducation to all.

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda made us understand that spirituality isIndiaís soul, philosophy her head, culture her heart and societyher body. And therefore anyone intending to work for thesociety, must give emphasis equally to head, heart and hand.He believed in giving equal opportunities for both men andwomen. He pointed out that unless the women are raised, giveneducation and freedom, there is no salvation for India. Womenmust be put in a position to solve their own problem in theirown way.

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The distinctive feature of Vivekånandaís method for socialupliftment, was to have as its watchword ëEvolutioní rather thanëRevolutioní. He wanted the social reformers and workers tohave positive approach with constructive mind only. Swåm∂j∂said that purity, patience and perseverance are the three essentialsto success. These three qualities that every social worker needsto have for successful activities of social service (Sevå).

When one thinks of Swåm∂ Vivekånanda, what comes tothe mind immediately is his boundless love for humanity. Thislove for humanity manifested in his call for serving them. Hesaid, ìLet each of us pray day and night for the downtroddenmillions in India who are held fast by poverty and ignorance.Let these people be your Godóthink of them, work for them,pray for them incessantlyóthe Lord will show you the way.î

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå by Swåm∂ Vivekånanda

What a great blessing, what a great privilege this life is!It would be a pity not to see it as such. Make up your mind,therefore, that each day, every moment, at every step, yourchoice will be to manifest the Truth within you, and neveranything else but this. Choose always to be the best, thehighest. Choose to be what you really are. Choose to be thesource of blessedness.

óSwami Chidananda

Live to ServeóRukmini Ramamurthy

The Vedic vision saw society as an integrated whole. Everyperson had a dutyóa service to render. Society was based onthe Varƒå‹rama Dharma. Varƒa Dharma divided the societyon the basis of birth and professional service. Å‹rama Dharmawas based on state of lifestyle adopted by the individual. Hecould be a studentóa Brahmacår∂, a married man who wasresponsible for the maintenance of the householdóa Gæhastha,he could also be a Vånaprastha, a man who adopted a retiredlifestyle, and lastly a Sa≈nyås∂óa renunciate.

Each of the above had a role to play, but when it cameto service, it was vested with the Brahmacår∂ and Gæhasthaómore particularly with the Gæhastha.

The Brahmacår∂ís lifestyle was that of a student, apprentice.His study genrally revolved around his family vocation andtrade. Hence, he was expected to render all possible servicesto his teacher or Guru. He would wash his Guruís clothes, keephis premises clean, help in the kitchen and garden, look afterthe Guruís children and assist the Guru in the practice of thevocation. The greater the service, the greater the sincerity, greaterthe occupational expertise. Not only occupational expertise wasto be anticipated, but inner growth, purity and maturityóbecausework has always been worshipped in this land. This servicethat the student rendered, was focused upon one pointóhisGuru, whereas, he saw more dimensions when he entered thestage of a Gæhastha.

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The Vedas encourage the young man who had completedhis studies to enter into the Gæhastha state life. Here, no doubt,he had the pleasure of seeing his family grow, but mostimportantly, this Gæhastha was the pillar of society and it washis duty to sustain and serve the society at large. The Gæhasthawas no longer a student. He was now a professional. He earned.He was not expected to maintain his family alone but the societyas well.

Sanåtana Dharma laid maximum emphasis on the value ofëAhi≈såíó““•Á„¢U‚Ê ¬⁄U◊Ê œ◊¸—””óthis was to avoid inflicting pain orharm on any other life form. Now, the Gæhastha cannot maintainthis value to the maximum extent. He has to observe cleanlinessin his home and in the day to day functioning of theestablishment, he could kill and disturb a lot of little germs.

πá«UŸË ¬·áÊË øÈÀÀÊË ©UŒ∑È¢§÷Ë ø ◊Ê¡¸ŸË–¬Üø‡ÊÍŸÊ ªÎ„USÕSÿ ¬ÜøÿôÊŸ √ÿ¬Ê„UÁÃH

When he chopped vegetables, he could chop worms as well.Similarly, when he ground his flour and lit his stove, he couldkill insects in his mortar and firewood. When he warmed water,germs perished. When he swept his house and dusted thecobwebs, the spiders were displaced. For this he attracted fivetypes of Påpa (sin) called ›µuna-Påpån. Now, he could not setthe clock back. Harm done was done. In order to compensatefor these five Påpas, he was to perform five types of servicescalled Yaj¤as. These Yaj¤as areó (1) Deva-Yaj¤a (2) §R¶i-Yaj¤a(3) Pitæ-Yaj¤a (4) Manu¶ya-Yaj¤a (5) Bhµuta-Yaj¤a.

(1) Deva-Yaj¤a: daily worship of godóreligious lifestylewhere his prayer ritual was a part of everyday life. He wasto offer his prayers for the welfare of the entire world. Thismade his outlook more sensitive and expansive and impartedto him a beautiful value system.

(2) §R¶i-Yaj¤a: was the service in remembrance of greatsages who had dedicated their entire lifetime to the preservation

Live to Serve


and propagation of knowledge and tradition in various ways.The Gæhastha was to perform a §R¶i Tarpaƒam and §R¶ipatn∂Tarpaƒamóthe latter to propitiate the wives of the sages.Thesewomen dedicated their entire life to the service of their husbandswith total self effacement so as to allow their husbands to offerthemselves totally to study and propagation of knowledge. Themain service the Gæhastha rendered to the §R¶is, was to teachthe learning he had learnt as a Brahmacår∂ to deserving youngchildren. That way, he kept the knowledge and tradition alive.

(3) Pitæ-Yaj¤a: propitiation of the forefathersóthe Pitæswere the ancestors in the family. It was because of their love,care and sacrifice, Gæhastha was what he was then. Therefore,the service he rendered unto them was twofold. One was tocare and cherish them in the last years of their life. In additionto this, he was to perform their funeral rites and annualceremonies called ›råddha and Tarpaƒa with great care. Theresult of these Karmas are not tangible, but they are mandatoryóa service rendered to three generations before him. With this,not only did he receive the blessing of the Pitæs, but so didthe offspring for three generations after him. In addition to theseceremonies, he could, if he so desired, offer food to the needy.

(4) Manu¶ya-Yaj¤a: Manu¶ya-Yaj¤a was service to mankind.The Taittir∂ya Upani¶ad says, ““•ÁÃÁÕ ŒflÊ ÷fl””óëbe a person forwhom an Atithi is god.í The word ë•ÁÃÁÕ—” is to be split up as,ëŸ ÁfllÃ ÁÃÁÕ— ÿSÿ ‚—”óëa person who had made no prior appointment.íIn our country, food was not sold. Food and water were thebirthright of all beings. We had no concept of hotels, motelsor inns. In keeping with our tradition, each Gæhastha consideredhimself blessed to be able to share food and extend hospitalityto a weary wayfarer who stood much in need of food, waterand rest. The Gæhastha was asked to cook an ample quantityof food in keeping with the size of his wallet. When he sharedwholeheartedly with love and care, nature was bountiful towards

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him. These wayfarers generally travelled by foot and more oftenthan not, they were on their pilgrimage. In ancient India, therewas no tourism apart from visits to sacred shrines, usuallysituated on the banks of rivers, lakes, seas, mountains and hillyterrain. Such travellers were looked upon with great reverence.The Gæhastha served them food and water and the facility torefresh themselves. The very architecture of the average Indianhouse was designed to suit this hospitality. There would be araised platform, in front of the house which was a part of thehouse and yet distinct from it. The overhanging eaves of theGæhasthaís roof would cover this platform and provide the Atithia safe shelter for the nightís stay. This way, the Gæhastha couldextend hospitality and at the same time segregate his family fromthe curiosity of a rare onlooker. The Atithi in general, wouldnot overstay his welcome. He would leave after a nightís stay.

The Gæhastha usually lived in the midst of his extendedfamily. The widows, orphans and other helpless members ofthis family tree were accommodated in the very household.Politics apart, they had the security of a home. There were noorphanages nor homes for the aged in India.

The Gæhastha looked after the sick and the infirm. It wascommon for Gæhasthas to take on what is called PµurtaKarmasó““¬ÍÃ¸∑§◊¸””. This was community serviceó to dig publicwells and tanks, to build temples which were the hub of religiousand cultural activity, create parks, ëAnna K¶etramsí or fooddistribution centres and so on. If a man did not have thewherewithal to make monetary contributions, he would offer hislabour as service. Each man moulded society into a cohesivewhole.

(5) Bhµuta-Yaj¤a: care given to all the other life forms. Last,but not the least is ëBhµuta-Yaj¤aíservice rendered to other formsof life, to make life easier and comfortable for animals and birds.People would leave tubs of water outside their homes for the

Live to Serve


animals to quench their thirst. Every Gæhastha was to feed thebirds before he partook of his lunch. This was a daily ritual.Cows were worshipped. Elephants and horses were tended to.All other life forms including plants were nurtured.

In India, the Vedas themselves ask men to render serviceas selfless service. Service could lead a man to tangible resultslike wealth, fame or recognition. But man, especially theGæhastha was asked not to be calculative about the results. Sincethe Gæhastha reared his children, if he set a noble example,they would in turn flower into a responsible, upright, newgeneration. This selfless service, with no anticipation of anyparticular result, is in itself surrender to God, for this Gæhasthaaccepted life as the gift, God has given him for his Karma.

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If you happen to see a man in distress and you becomecompassionate towards him, and you look at a happy man,you yourself also become happy by seeing him. Both will feeltheir oneness with you. This is real Sevå and every man cando this type of Sevå.

SevåóSelfless ServiceóDr. Bharat B. Gupta

Sevå is a Hindi word which means helping others in needwithout the thought of receiving any reward or repayment inreturn. Sevå is translated into English asóHelp, Service, Care,Charity, Volunteer work. Helping each other is the core principleof association and society. We help another person to fulfil hisneeds or to seek his service for our needs. This help, service,Sevå may be prized or may be selfless. As a member of a family,one has many duties and responsibilities towards oneís family.Similarly are the duties and responsibilities towards the society,towards the nation, towards the universe. In fact we are a bigfamily, we depend on each other for our existence. We cannotexist alone. We intends to work for the good of others.

Essential teaching of the Bhagavadg∂tå is to do selflessservice. Lord Kæ¶ƒa explained the spirit of selfless activitieswhen we have nothing to gain and nothing to lose by doingor performing an activity. He further emphasizes that by suchselfless activities we attain that height of realization wherebyour mind becomes absorbed in God.

In simple words a selfless activity is demonstrated by ourbody. This body is made up of millions of living cells, formingnumber of organs of different shapes and performing variedfunctions but all are coordinated. No organ or cell has an ego.Even a pinprick of a tiny part of the body, is immediatelyresponded by the whole body. Look at a tree growing near you.It provides shade and shelter to so many creatures, its flowersspread fragrance, it provides fruits and even itself is sacrificed


to the need of the others. But for all these tree has no desirein return. Let us look at a river, carrying water from mountainsto the ocean passing through various human inhabitant towns.Always giving to everyone without distinction of caste, creedor religion since eternity. In healthy society we cannot be self-centred. We should think about others, we should do things(selfless service) for others. Lord Kæ¶ƒa in G∂tå explains thatwhen we become bound to things, we develop attachment anddue to these attachments many obstacles come into life.Attachment destroys the peace and happiness. Only way to findhappiness is through detachment (detachment from self). Oneshould be useful to the society. Our aim should be giving andsharing. The more one gives, more one shares, more joy onegets. Our aim should be to give, give, give.....

Sevå is thus, the Karmic life preserver that keeps yourspiritual head above water by helping others stay afloat. Sevåis part of the duties and responsibilities of human. Knowinglyor unknowingly every individual is performing Sevå to othersand at the same time others are doing Sevå to him. We aremore concerned about the selfless Sevå. As the dominant animalon this earth, man is responsible to all the activities and forthe maintenance of the universe. Unknowingly man first destroyedthe nature and natural products and then is trying to find meansto save them. We have to serve not only our family, society,nation, but the whole of universe if we desire to live. We haveto provide selfless service to all living creatures, small or big.Even non-living earth needs manís service. We owe much moreto the earth, the Bhårata Måtå then to anyone else.

Since everything has been created by God, so our help tothem is like sharing Godís work. In return God will take careof us. When one does any kind act without any expectationand keeps otherís interests before his own, God loves him andtakes care of him in every respect. One should aim to developunconditional love.

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ìLiving creatures are nourished by food and food isnourished by rain, rain itself is the water of life which comesfrom selfless worship and service.î (G∂tå III. 14)

Gautama Buddha was once sitting with his disciples on aplatform outside a city (as he used to avoid hospitality of thecity). Citizens were coming and making offers. Buddha was notpaying much attention to them. Suddenly he got up and walkedup to an old lady, accepted a few coins offered by the ladyand sat back. A disciple asked Buddha why he personallyaccepted the offer of a few coins from the old lady while heis not meeting any other citizen who are offering him lot ofmoney. Buddha smiled and answered that this lady has offeredher lifelong saving while others were offering only a fractionof their earning.

Look at a doctor in a small town. He was having lunch.Suddenly there is a knock at door. Doctor leaves the Thål∂ andopen the door. There is lady who needs doctorís help. Doctorexamines the lady, gives her medicines. The lady says, ìI donot have money to payî. The doctor smiles. Lady leaves. Doctorenjoys his lunch. This is the selfless service. Selfless serviceto others is one of the most prized virtues of all time. Blessednessof giving rather than receiving, is one of the most popular andmost quoted verses in the holy books of all religions of theworld.

Is it really possible for an ordinary person to serve otherswithout expecting reward or recognition or does one have tobe a saint to engage in such service? Answer is that we allhave the capacity for selfless service. Helping out is not somespecial skill. It is not the domain of rare individuals. It is notconfined to a single part of our lives. We simply heed the callof that natural impulse within and follow it where it leads us.Nearly every person has a natural impulse to help another humanbeing who is in need. Yet there are substantial individualdifferences in the strength of this impulse to help others and

SevåóSelfless Service


the likelihood of acting on this impulse consistently. One at thevery least feel good about oneself after helping someone.Expecting to feel good or to avoid feeling bad is the anticipatedreward that motivates most charitable acts. People sometimesmakes enormous sacrifices of time, energy and resources to assistothers, way beyond what they might receive in return. In themost dramatic cases people sometimes even give their lives tohelp other people. Selfless service is one of the core values ofour army. A soldier who dies to protect others, is not goingto hear a thank you in return for the ultimate sacrifice.

Each and everyday we seek to have a better world, a bettersociety, a better generation or a better family, yet we fail tochange our mindset about how to treat people around us, ourenvironment and the eco system, and the organisms that existaround us. For us to get the best out of life and the environment,we have to make up our minds to change the way we reactto basic issues in our life which have negative impact on others.

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Selfless service can reveal to you the identity of humanity,can expand your heart and take you to the door of intuition.Therefore, do unceasing selfless service and thus purify yourheart.

Have a definite aim. Live with a definite purpose. Realisethat life is meant for service and not for self-seeking.

Absence of work or occupation is not rest. Change of workgives rest. A vacant mind is ever distressed. It is the devilísworkshop.

óSwami Sivananda

Elements of Sevå in BuddhismóK. V. B. Sastry

In Buddhism, stress is laid on removal of sorrow, miseryand poverty. Suffering is there in the world in many forms. Toremove the existing suffering is the main aim of Buddhism.

After enlightenment, Buddha found solution to this. Heproposed A¶¢å∆ga Mårga. This has eight constituents. They are:Right Understanding, Right thought, Right speech, Right Act,Right livelihood, Right Endeavour, Right Mindfulness and RightConcentration.

He has mentioned about path of virtue. The constituents ofthe path of virtue areó(1) ›∂la, (2) Dåna, (3) Upek¶å,(4) Ni¶kåma, (5) V∂rya, (6) K¶ånti, (7) Succå, (8) Adhi¶¢håna,(9) Karuƒå, (10) Maitr∂ .

(1) ›∂la means fear of doing wrong.(2) Dåna means without expecting anything, to give oneís

possessions, blood, limbs and even oneís personal thingsfor the benefit of others.

(3) Upek¶å is detachment. It does not mean indifference.(4) Ni¶kåma is renunciation of the pleasures of the world.(5) V∂rya is the right endeavour to do whatever one has

undertaken to do. No question of turning back shouldbe there.

(6) K¶ånti means forbearance. Not to meet hatred by hatred.(7) Succå is truth. A person must not tell lies.(8) Adhi¶¢håna is firm determination to reach the goal.(9) Karuƒå means loving kindness to human beings.

(10) Maitr∂ is extending friendly feeling to all.


These in Buddhism are known as Paramitas. These arestates of perfection. Buddha has preached a more practical wayin removing the suffering from the world. Thus, he has shownto the world that existence of suffering and reasons therefor.Similarly he has shown the world the way to remove sufferingby showing a way which is known as A¶¢å∆ga Mårga.Senior monks, ordinary monks and followers of Buddhism musthave to explain in detail about how to make men and womenfollow the way shown by Buddha. Thus, every element inA¶¢å∆ga Mårga, through monks and other followers plays a roleof Sevå. It means understanding well, Bhikkhus can serve thesociety for its welfare.

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Grace pursues the sincere seeking soul, sometimes evenin spite of itself. And grace does not always appear in niceand beautiful clothing. As the poet put it; Not perceiving whatit is, the seeking soul is sometimes even frightened and triesto run away. But when God has chosen, there is no way ofman escaping. When at last, not able to run further, the fearful,panting, escaping soul drops down exhausted, it feels theprotective proximity of That which was pursuing it.

Thus, the grace of the Divine has been pursuing you anddrawing you in the direction of God, not with dire intent, butwith the greatest love, compassion and goodwill and for yourhighest good. It has been drawing you in the direction of Godwhich is the only good. Mother is good, father is also good,and your relatives are good to you, but God is father, mother,relative and friend. He is all this and more too. That is thetruth about your life, whether it is sweet or bitter, tender orhard.

óSwami Chidananda

True Sevå is Services of Pooró Shivratanji Morolia

Basic impulse of life is salvation and thoughtful self-surrender for goodness of all human beings. Human society isdependent on the helping hands of one another. From the timeof birth, spending life till the end, men need reciprocal co-operation. Being devoid of this, it is not possible to lead thelife. If nothing is taken in return in any form for good deedsdone for others, it is called Såttvika benevolence.

This truth must be inculcated by all that whatever education,knowledge, intelligence, wealth, riches, land, edifice, body, heartand organs one has, all should be used for the goodness ofothers who are in such need and have no means to supportthemselves. This is merit. This is virtue.

If we make our motto of our life to help those who haveno means, are destitute, helpless, we become blessed ones.Service to poor is as good as service to God. While servingpoor, we should have the spirit of dedicating to God Himselfwith his gifted materials. It should be our nature that the wealthwe have, is neither for our own enjoyment nor for amassing.Our capability and materials are meant for safeguarding distressedand needy persons. It is our moral obligation to spread a rayof hope in those who are disappointed, to guide the right pathto one who is misguided, to salvage who is drowning, to wipeout the tears of a weeping one. Grossly, conclusion of this isthat if we have no material to part with as a saviour of sorrowor sufferings of afflicted person, at least we can present ourselvesbefore any such destitute and inquire about his sorrow andsufferings and sympathize with him. This will eradicate his


suffering to a great extent. This is also a kind of Sevå. Doerof such type of Sevå is rightly to be called a human. To honourthe destitute, incapable, orphan is also as honour to God. Poorfeels exalted if we talk to him affectionately and reverently. Godlives in the heart of penurious. Therefore, wherever suchpoverty-stricken is seen, he should be served by being devoidof haughtiness or arrogance.

Our scriptures say, if someone comes, irrespective of hiscaste and creed, while we are dining, he should be treated asmanifestation of God Himself and should be revered accordingly.Sufferings of the poor should be realized by sinking into theirminds and visualizing oneself in that very state thinking whatwe would have done or how we would have felt if we happenedto be in such adversity.

To help others by all means should be the prime objectiveof humanity. To relieve others from suffering is a great virtueand contrary to this, to afflict others is a great sin, as such weshould not torment the poor. He could feel much relieved fromhis suffering by talking with him sweetly and lovingly.

Essence of life and mystery of happiness lies in serving thedistressed one. It is common that we seek pleasure, the fruitof merit without performing meritorious deeds and likewise wedo not want sorrow, the fruit of sin, without renouncing sinfulacts. Therefore, one does not obtain pleasure and one has tobear sufferings. Therefore, who seeks pleasure, should performvirtuous deeds. To slander others, think ill for others, to hurtothers, to torment others, is like disdaining indweller God. Todo good, to remain devoid of malice and to do friendlybehaviour with the doers of evil, is the ideal of humanity.

He commits a great mistake who wants good for himselfby harming others. Our real goodness and real welfare lies indoing good and welfare for others. The spirit of service andbenevolence leads us to the progressive path.

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God-realization by Sevå of Devotees

Name of great devout ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂ is famous. Janåbå∂was working at his house as a maidservant. She had turnedas the God-devotee after coming in touch of ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂.No matter which work she was doing, she was doing K∂rtanaof Godís name. She was virtuous. She had to do the work atthe house of God-devotee. Her every action was as good asservice to God.

›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂ was organizing continuous K∂rtana at hishouse on Ekåda‹∂ night (eleventh day of every fortnight of theHindi months). As soon as the sun moved on the horizon,Janåbå∂ used to reach there and do K∂rtana for whole night,sitting in a corner. Tears of love were rolling down from hereyes.

One day it so happened that after attending K∂rtana for thewhole night on Ekåda‹∂ day, she went to her house. Sitting inmeditation of God, in the dawn one hour elapsed. She reachedto the house of Nåmadevaj∂ duly perplexed that she was latein her masterís duty. A lot of work was to be done. She hurriedlytook the cloth and went to the bank of river. Before she couldget the cloth drenched in water, some urgent work of ›r∂Nåmadevaj∂ strike her mind. Leaving the clothes behind, shedeparted to the house of ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂ almost running. Butshe was worried about the cloth. ëWhere are you going,daughter?í An old lady holding border of her cloth told inmotherly affectionate words.

ëToday I am late and Sevå to the devout is still to be done.í


Saying this, Janå got herself free from the old lady and ranaway.

ëDaughter you donít worry ! I will wash the clothíótoldthe old lady very lovingly.

Though Janåbå∂ went to the house of ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂, butfor unknown reasons her mind was remembering the old ladyagain and again. She had tested the nectar of motherly loveand affection for the first time in her life.

After finishing the work of ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂, Janå reachedat the bank of the river and saw that old lady has cleaned allclothes very neatly. She was not aware of the fact that the oldlady has not only cleaned the cloth but also the body and heartof one who wears the cloth and so also who washes them, havebeen purified and made spotless.

ëYou took so much pain. I am really grateful to youíóJanåbå∂ told the old lady very meekly.

ëThere is no matter of being grateful, daughter !í Saying this,the old lady departed from there.

ëI will also serve the old lady, if necessity so arisesíóthinking so, to know the identity of old lady, Janå went runningto search her but she was astonished; not to find her and thus,returned.

Janå narrated the entire episode to ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂. ëJanå!You are the most fortunate. God Himself manifested in the guiseof that old lady. Praising the virtue of devotee, ›r∂ Nåmadevaj∂told.

Tears of love rolled down from Janåís eye. Thinking aboutpain taken by God for herself, her heart was tearing apart.

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Medicinal ServiceóVaidya Sri Balakrishnaji Goswami

Medicinal Sevå has obtained supreme position in Ayurveda.It is said in ›åstras that one who perform service to elders,he himself is begetter of sound health forever. Medicinal serviceis never unfruitful. Somewhere it brings friendliness, somewherereligion, somewhere prosperity, somewhere glory and somewhereexpertise in duty.

ÄflÁøh◊¸— ÄflÁøã◊ÒòÊË ÄflÁøŒÕ¸— ÄflÁøŒ˜ ÿ‡Ê—–∑§◊Ê¸èÿÊ‚— ÄflÁøëøÊÁ¬ ÁøÁ∑§à‚Ê ŸÊÁSÃ ÁŸc»§‹ÊH

A physician must be alert at every moment and be readyto attend immediately on hearing the merciful cry of a patient.It is his first and foremost duty to bring regular smile on thelips of a patient by wiping out his tears.

Defining the Ayurveda, Sage Caraka has said that ›åstrawhich signify the worthiness and unworthiness and oneíslongevity of life, is Ayurveda. According to composer ofvolumes the life of a man, desirous of goodness of all beingsand Sevaka of elders, whose life is called life-beneficent.A∆girå, Jamadagni, Vasi¶¢ha, Bhægu, Åtreya, Gautama, Så≈khya,Pulastya, Agastya, MårkaƒŒeya, ›aunaka, Bharadwåja, ›åƒŒilya,Så∆kætya, Bådaråyaƒa, Maitreya etc., all sages have beenpresented as seekers of universal goodness.

One crorefold merit than the merit of donation of one croreKapilå cows is earned if a sick person is treated according tothe dictum of the knower of Ayurveda.

∑§Á¬‹Ê∑§ÊÁ≈UŒÊŸÊÁh ÿà»§‹¢ ¬Á⁄U∑§ËÁÃ¸Ã◊˜–»§‹¢ Ãà∑§ÊÁ≈UªÈÁáÊÃ◊∑§ÊÃÈ⁄UÁøÁ∑§à‚ÿÊH


Sages have advised that physicians should treat an ill person,irrespective of whatever gravity or even on the point of death is, withconcentrated mind. There is possibility that he might be cured.

ÿÊflÃ˜ ∑§á∆UªÃÊ— ¬˝ÊáÊÊ— ÿÊflãŸÊÁSÃ ÁŸÁ⁄UÁãº˝ÿ◊˜–ÃÊflÃ˜ ÁøÁ∑§à‚Ê ∑§Ã¸√ÿÊ ∑§Ê‹Sÿ ∑È§Á≈U‹Ê ªÁÃ—H

Gift of life by treatment is the greatest gift and nothing isleft to be gifted after that.

•åÿ∑¢§ ŸËL§¡¢ ∑Î§àflÊ Ÿ⁄¢U ÿÊŒÎ‡ÊÃÊŒÎ‡Ê◊˜–•ÊÿÈfl¸Œ¬˝‚ÊŒŸ Á∑¢§ Ÿ ŒûÊ¢ ÷flŒ˜ ÷ÈÁflH

It is not very easy for a common individual to treat a sickperson. An attendant of a patient must be well conversant withthe trait of Sevå work. Nature has imbibed such trait in veryfew persons. An attendant is also a part of Ayurvedaís ëCikitså-Catu¶pådaí.

Åcårya Caraka in his Sa≈hitå (composition on Ayurveda)has said that person who are full with intelligence, knowledge,quietness, disposition, tranquility, memory-power and adept inmeditation who serves elders, knower of otherís instinct, devoidof any doubt, composed, parting supreme knowledge to othersand having virtuous souls, such persons are worth befriending.Servitude physicians occupies a very respectable position inAyurveda.

Attitude to remain devoid in servitude, has put a questionmark in our pride of culture. The future society, that will benot better than animal society, if our culture remain devoid oflife-principle. No ideal, no power of character will be on thescene. There will be no purity in disposition of nature and motiveof co-operation in Indian culture either, which call for goodnessof all. That will become humming only when we are deependowed with service to others and think good for the prosperityof one and another.

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Some Inspirational Instances of SevåóShivakumar Goyal

(1) Sevå is Religion

Saint Båbå Bhµumaƒa‹åha was feeling greatly contented byfeeding and offering water to whoever happened to pass throughthe village, right from his childhood. Dipalpur Nagar (Punjab)was famous for its hospitality that anyone passing through there,had to take his food. While feeding fodder and grains to muteanimals and birds, Båbå Bhµumaƒa‹åha chanted the name ofGod, his followers became very much active to serve the animalsand birds. Many lepers were cured by Sevå and medical helpof Båbå.

Hearing about Båbåís Sevå, a few rich people from Lahorereached to his hermitage with enough wealth. Having Dar‹anaof Båbå, they offered the money at his feet. Båbå told, ìI donítneed your wealth, go and start free distribution of food in yourregion. See that no one is left hungry and thirsty. Only servingattitude should be your religion.î Preaching so, Båbå returnedtheir money.

By the command of Båbå free distribution of food startedin many villages surrounding to Lahore. Thousands of peoplegot involved to feed the hungry people, treating it as a truereligion of humanity.

(2) Selfless Sevå

King Dev∂ Si≈ha was roaming in the villages of hisdominion. He saw an old man intending to plant mango tree


in his garden. The old man was digging a hole with the scraper.Due to extreme hot weather, his body was drenched in sweatbut his face was glowing duly contended. Reaching near himand getting down from his horse, the king told very meeklyóìO old man, you are putting so much labour to plant mangotree in your such old age. Do you think that you will survivetill this plant will grow enough to give fruit and you will taste it ?î

The old man keeping his scraper aside, told with foldedhandsóìSire! Other people who planted trees, which aregrown up now, I am enjoying their fruit. Then is it not myduty to plant the tree so that the coming generation could enjoythe sweet fruit ? Apart from this, there are mentionings in ›åstrasand scriptures that human being should do some kind of Sevåregularly with selfless spirit.î The king was overwhelmed tohear this reply of the old man. He bowed down to the duty-bound old man by his heart.

(3) SevåóA part of Devotion

A desireless social worker, Bhåskara Råva had dedicatedhis life for the service of poor inhabitants of forest and fishermanliving near seashore of Kerala region. He was residing in anordinary hut. Having inquired about problems of the peopleliving in the forest, he used to solve them. Calling a gatheringof ladies and gents, he related inspiring stories of ›r∂Råmacaritamånasa and other religious scriptures. He wasinspiring them not to be addict of wine, gambling, smoking andother bad habits and instead to educate their children and tokeep their houses clean. To develop a village, Bhåskara Råvahad established ëVanavås∂ Kalyåƒa-Sevå Å‹rama.í On the veryday of ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒajanmå¶¢am∂ an old lady suffered with cholera.Bhåskara Råva readily got engaged to serve her. Some of hisfriends came to him and toldóìBrother, today is birthdaycelebration of Lord ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa, let us go to temple and have

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Dar‹ana of God.î ›r∂ Råva asked themóìIs the Sevå of thissick and helpless mother of less importance than the worshipand Dar‹ana of God? Sevå of pauper, needy, crippled and oldperson is also a part of devotion.î

Standing near him the eyes of his friends and inhabitantsof forest became moist. They all bowed their head before servingspirit of Bhå¶kara Råva.

(4) Sevå is also Prayer

Duly impressed by Gurudeva Ravindranåtha §Thåkura,D∂nabandhu Andrews living in ë›åntiniketanaí became activein meditation and study. One day an old acquaintant ChristianPope came to meet him. After conversing for sometime the Popeasked him that when there is a temple near to this, then a Churchalso must be somewhere here.

D∂nabandhu Andrews toldóìChurch is not here.îìThen you must be devoid of visiting Church on Sundayîó

told the Pope.ìMy prayer is Sevå, Sådhanå and study. On Sunday I visit

the place of poor and lepers, living near to this hermitage. I servethose suffering people. Whether I would be able to do betterprayer than this in Church ?î D∂nabandhu Andrews replied toPope.

(5) Protection of Hundreds of Villages

This relates to 1917. The great saint ›r∂ Haribåbåj∂ Maharåjahad come to propagate the glorification of Godís name in thevillages situated on the bank of Ga∆gå near Anµupa‹ahara. Hecame to know from the villagers that this year hundreds of smallvillages were swept away in the flood and also thousands ofcows and oxen were left dead.

Reverend Båbå took a vow to find out a permanent solution

Some Inspirational Instances of Sevå


to protect the villages from flood of Ga∆gå by constructing adam by the side of the river in Gawån (Badåyun). ›r∂ Haribåbådemonstrated the divine sport of Setubandha (as mention madein ›r∂ Råmacaritamånasa) before the villagers and goaded themto construct the dam. ›r∂ Haribåbå with bell in his hand andchanting loudly the glorious name, ëHari BolaóHari Bolaí, hisfollower villagers were putting soil on the dam, taking inbaskets. Thousands of villagers started coming and giving theirvoluntary services. Once or twice Båbå himself used totake spade in his hand and fill the soil in baskets. Throughchanting loudly name of God and collective arduous efforts ofvillagers, ›r∂ Haribåbå succeeded in his mission. Within a fewyears big dam was ready and lakhs of villagers felt a sigh ofrelief from flood.

(6) SevåóSupreme Dharma

In the pious company of great religious saint ëDharmasamrå¢aíSwåm∂ Karapåtr∂j∂ Maharaja, ›atacaƒŒ∂ Mahåyaj¤a was beingheld in Kolkata. Suddenly due to the earthquake in some partsof Odisha, lakhs of people were left homeless. On the day ofBhaƒŒårå (Free distribution of food as Bhoga Prasåda),Swåm∂j∂ ordered to all devotees engaged in the work that entirefood materials collected for BhaƒŒårå be taken to the earthquakeaffected part of Odisha and be distributed amongst them.

In his discourses, Swåm∂j∂ told that there are mentioningsin our scriptures that to do Sevå to those, suffering fromcalamities, helpless, crippled and needy, is supreme Dharma.Sanåtana Dharma exhorts us to have vision of God even inant, animals and birds, then Sevå and help to afflicted personswith natural calamities, is just like having visible vision of LordNåråyaƒa. Such was the outcome of the discourses of Swåm∂j∂that within no time a few lakhs of rupees were collected forthe help of affected people of earthquake. Swåm∂ Karapåtr∂j∂himself reached there and got engaged in Sevå work.

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(7) Blessing of Hungry Man is Immortal Fruit of Sevå

Once the resident of Chennai, Råmånujam, giving somemoney to his son, sent to the market to fetch fruits. Aftersometime the son returned empty-handed. The father askedóìSon! You did not bring fruit ?î The son repliedóìFather,instead of fruit, today I have brought immortal fruit for you.î

Hearing about the immortal fruit, the father was amazed andaskedóìSon! What immortal fruit is all about?î

The son toldóìFather! While I was on way to purchasethe fruit, I saw an old man was smarting with hunger. Withthat money I fed him and also gave some fruits. Now you tellme that blessings of that hungry person in lieu of food is ofless importance than the immortal fruit .î

Seeing the merciful spirit of his son, Råmånujam wasoverwhelmed. The same youth became famous saint Ra∆gadåsain South India.

(8) Help the Afflicted Ones

There was a grave famine in Punjab. Due to scarcity offood grain and other eatables, thousands of people were dying.A rich Bengali gentleman came to meet Swåm∂ Vivekånandaj∂.He was desirous to give a few lakhs of rupees for the purposeof renovating Dak¶iƒe‹wara Temple in west Bengal to give ita grand look.

Swåm∂ Vivekånandaj∂ asked himóìDo you know thatpeople in Punjab are dying due to famine?î

ìYes Swåm∂j∂, I have read in newspapers about horriblefamine.î He replied.

ìInstead of spending this money in temple, you utilize thisto save the life of godlike human beings. At present to helpthe afflicted people of famine, is above all Dharma.î Swåm∂j∂



exhorted him. That gentleman along with his friends reachedPunjab and got engaged in service.

(9) Real Wealth is Kind Heart

Famous English novelist Dr. Kronin was born in a middleclass family. Even with limited income, he was always readyto help the poor people. He used to be moved with compassionseeing anyone in distress.

Later on he earned a lot of wealth and naturally he becameluxurious and forgot to take care of poor. His wife was veryreligious and benevolent. She smelt the arrogance of wealth inher husbandís heart.

One day the wife told to her husbandóìIt is not knownwhich sin has caused us penurious.î Hearing the word penurious,Dr. Kronin shivered. He toldóìGod has blessed us withunbounded wealth, then how do you say penurious?î

Wife toldóìWealthy is not who has enough wealth, instead,one who has kind heart, is wealthy in real sense. One whois devoid of kindness, morality, he is the biggest penurious. Haveyour heart melted seeing sufferings of any poor during last fiveyears ? Have you served anyone ?î

Hearing the words of wife, Dr. Kronin came to senses.He gifted more than half of his wealth to orphanage andhospitals.

(10) Service of the Orphan

This is the incidence of 1922. In those days great revolutionaryPt. Råmaprasåda Bismila was busy in propagating the glory ofÅryasamåja in Shahjahanpur and its nearby area. On behalf ofÅryasamåja an appeal was made for wealth for Årya Orphanage.Many speakers and preachers requested ladies and gents to comeforward and donate generously but no one put even one rupeein donation box.

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Pt. Råmaprasåda took a small orphan child in his lap andtoldóìThis child has no parents. If arrangements for his propercare is not made then this small bud will fade before it becomesflower. You are performing Yaj¤a everyday as a religious rite,give oblation. Is it not your duty to part some money to fosterthis orphan?î

Hearing the heart-touching speech of Bismilaj∂, all ladies andgents present there, started sobbing. Rain of tears and currencynotes started raining simultaneously in the donation box.

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Chief among leaders is the persons who inspires the bestin others by his own acts of selfless service. Persons whoequate greatness with the gratification of their desire for praiseand approval from people receive only a superficial status andlittle sincere admiration. But he who gives of himself inministering to all, sits as a king on the throne of love in theirhearts.

Importance of Sewå(Selfless Service)

Man has been endowed since birth with the triple facultiesof power to do work, power to think and discriminate betweenright and wrong, and the power to have belief and faith in onewhom one cannot see or understand. Three fundamental pathsfor spiritual progress have been propounded on the basis of thesethree inherent powers of man (Karmayoga, J¤ånayoga andBhaktiyoga).

The power to do work, can be utilised either for fulfilmentof desires and obtaining objects for personal pleasure or forrendering service to others. Working for fulfilment of desiresand for personal pleasure leads to attachment and dependenceon objects and persons for personal happiness. This no one likes.Further, it is everyoneís experience that while some desires ofeveryone are fulfilled, all of oneís desires are never fulfilled andthe result of this is that one gets into the bondage of experiencingshort spells of happiness and much longer periods of unhappinessconsequent upon the fulfilment or non-fulfilment of desires.Indulgence in pleasures also makes one weak and prone tovarious diseases. In view of the above undesirable consequencesof working for fulfilment of desires, the only proper use of oneísability to do work is, in rendering service to others.

Work done selflessly for the welfare of others is called Sewå.True Sewå can be done only when we regard others also asour own and have the same regard for their happiness andwelfare as we have for our own self and those related to us.It is a fact of life that everyone in the world is related to each

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other in one way or the other. From materialistic point of view,all of us live in the same world, share the same air, light andwater with others in the world, and are in fact an integralconstituent of the world body. From spiritual point of view, theself (Åtmå) of each living being is one, while from the pointof view of faith in God, we are all the children of one God.

The natural result of regarding others also as our own willbe that one will not think of harming others in any case andwill think of their welfare only. Not only this, one will feelhappy on seeing happiness of others and feel sorrow andcompassion at the sorrow of others, and do whatever one canto alleviate their sorrow. We can physically serve only thosewho are close to us but can wish for the happiness and welfareof all living beings. In fact, this is all that the world expectsus to do.

One thing more which is essential for being able to do Sewåin the real sense of the term, is that one should not only expectnothing whatsoever in return for rendering service but also feelno pride of having rendered selfless service. There are manypeople who serve and help others for the sake of money orfor earning name, fame, honour or gratitude of people, and feelproud of their selfless service. It is nice to perform good actionsbut bad to feel proud of rendering selfless service.

Selfless service performed in this manner is very helpful inoneís spiritual progress and in attainment of goal of oneís life.It also helps in establishment of an ideal society free fromconflict and strife and this helps in preservation of world peace.By not harming anyone and having goodwill for everyone, oneísmind becomes pure. By rendering selfless service to the bestof oneís ability one gets free from attachment to work as wellas attachment to the person served. By sharing the happinessof others oneís own life becomes happy and the great benefitthat accrues from this, is that fresh desires for personal pleasure

Importance of Sewå


do not arise in oneís mind. Similarly, compassion experiencedon seeing sorrow of others leads to elimination of existing desiresfor personal pleasure and thus, one becomes desireless and freefrom attachments. The natural result of this is that one attainspeace and freedom from the bondage of the body and the worldand this entitles one for eternal life of bliss. Even from mundanepoint of view, the bodily needs of one who serves selflessly,are amply provided honourably by the grateful society. It is alaw of nature that what one gives selflessly, comes back in amuch greater measure, and so it is in oneís own interest toselflessly serve those who are in need of help, specially thechildren, the aged, the sick and those engaged in search of Truthor immersed in love of God. By not feeling proud of renderingservice, oneís ego becomes attenuated and this helps in comingcloser to God. Finally, if service is rendered with the objectof pleasing God, then each act of such a devotee becomesworship of God which increases oneís love for God andultimately leads to union with the Divine.

In conclusion, it may be stated that from spiritual point ofview, Sewå is the practical method for removal of attachmentto objects and individuals and this gives one the necessarystrength to renounce the world. From materialistic point of view,Sewå provides proper outlet for oneís work energy in the serviceof those in need. It also helps in creation of an ideal societyand preservation of world peace and this symbolises the unityof individual life with world life. From the point of view offaith in God, Sewå is practical worship of the Divine for thelove of God. Thus, Sewå should be an integral part of the lifeof all seekers of truth.

Although performance of Sewå does require bodily effortas well as help of others, it does not bind but actually releasesthe individual from attachment, and thus, helps one to attainimmortal life, provided it is performed selflessly with the object

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of achieving non-attachment and cleansing of mind as well aslove of God. In view of the above considerations Månava SewåSa∆ghaî has given Sewå a very important place in its schemeof spiritual practices.

Many spiritual aspirants have attained salvation by adoptingSewå as their principal Sådhanå. The life of ›abar∂, an ignorantand uneducated devotee of low caste, may be quoted brieflyto illustrate how one can attain salvation by selfless servicealone. The only Sådhanå done by ›abar∂, was to collect firewoodfrom the forest and deposit it secretly in the cottage of Mata∆ga§R¶i and other saints living in the hermitage in DaƒŒakåraƒyaforest. She also used to remove the pebbles and thorns andsweep the path leading from the hermitage to the lake wherethe saints went for bath so that their feet may not be hurt. Herselfless, prideless and loving service purified her heart andattracted the attention of Mata∆ga §R¶i who wanted to know theperson rendering this secret service to the saints. So they keptawake one night and saw ›abar∂ engaged in her work. Thesaint felt very happy but ›abar∂ felt very small and unworthybecause of her low caste, without realising that selfless serviceof saints had purified her already. Judging her worth, the §R¶iadmitted her in the hermitage and gave her initiation also. Healso assured her that when Lord Råma comes to this forest,He will Himself come to the hermitage to bless her.

The §R¶i could give this assurance because he knew thatSådhakas who serve saints with wholehearted devotion, are verydear to the Lord. ›abar∂ had full faith in the words of the saintand so she was obsessed with this sweet and continuousexpectation of coming of God. The natural outcome of physicalservice is that, one who renders service, becomes one with thebeloved, and this is what happened in her case. On reachingDaƒŒakåraƒya forest, the Lord did go to ›abar∂ís cottage tosavour her love for Him. The Lord so much relishes the love

Importance of Sewå


of prideless devotees that for tasting it He forgets His owngreatness. God did not feel as if He has blessed ›abar∂ withHis vision. On the contrary, He said that by offering such sweetfruit you have removed my weariness from walking in the forest.Blessed is God and fortunate are His devotees!

óRevelation of the Spiritual Path❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

In the context of Sanåtana Vaidika Dharma, the ideal ofParopakåra (doing good to others) has been raised to thehighest point. It shines as the supreme ideal of life and theliving of it. So much so that they even said to the individualsoul, ìO man, you have been given this body in order thatyou may engage it in doing good to others.î

Vyåsa reveals this secret in the brief aphoristic saying,ìParopakåra¨ puƒyåya, påpåya parap∂Œanam (doing good toothers is virtue and harming others is sin).î

óSwami Chidananda

SevåOnly that person can render Sevå who does not want ill

of any body. One who does not want evil of anyone, seeingthe suffering ones, he becomes quite compassionate and seeingthe happy ones, he exults. In other words compassion andexhilaration becomes his very nature. His compassion devoursattachment and his joy eats into his passion for happiness withthe disappearance of attachment and desire of happiness, materialand physical Sevå automatically flaws towards three types ofpersons who are worthy of Sevåópatients, children and thedispassionate who are dedicating their lives in the search ofTruth.

It must be borne in the mind that true Sevå does not endin enjoyment rather it ends in detachment. Detachment leadsto eternal peace and divine love. It is a principle that we getrid of the sense of mineness with the instruments with whichwe resort to Sevå. With disappearance of the sense of possessiveness,we become free and we become humans of high character. Thus,a society of high character persons automatically get built.

Thus, real Sevå leads to oneís salvation and the formationof a beautiful society of high character persons.

Utilization of materials in the service of individuals and suchSevå of individuals makes them discriminative and thus,discriminative life results in our redemption and rendering thegood of all.

óJ∂vana Dar‹ana❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

A Selfless ServiceóChilukuri Venkateswarlu

In sanctity the river moves,With a spirit to removeThe thirst of the living beings on earthís bed,It takes the cloud form and, by air led,Sprinkles rain everywhereTo find the earth covers with green wear.

The cow, an embodiment of holiness,With its virtue of mildness,Tries to feed the kids of its ownAnd the children of our ownWith its milk, purity mixed,To find all grow strong in body and mind twisted.

A tree, with its broad mind,Spreads its branches wideBends low with its weight in shy,Gives shade to the passers-by,Feeds them with its ripe fruitAnd stands for its next guest.

Neither the river nor the cow,Nor even the tree that breeds with loveSeeks not any remuneration,For their goodness, in reciprocation.

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They are but examples in natureTo learn and lead life in futureWith a pure thought in MindAnd selfless service abide.

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A Selfless Service

A king donates fifty lakhs,A poor man donates fifty paise,And starves himself for two days;Who has done the best charity?God likes the poor man.

Cheer a man when he is in distress,Sympathise with the afflicted;Give a cup of milk to the sick,Encourage a man who is in trouble.

óSwami Sivananda

Selfless Sevå of HanumånóR. Subrahmanian

The very first impression that both Hanumån and LordRåma had of each other developed into mutual attraction,binding them together for life in a saga of selfless service,attraction and devotion. Absolute knowledge, dauntless courage,total abstinance and purity, infinite faith, superb sense of loyalty,prowess, strength and valour coupled with humility, are someof the salient aspects which are associated with Hanumån. Someof his most striking qualities are his joyous enthusiasm in everyaction, his stupendous strength and dynamism, his explicitdevotion to his Lord and his act of intelligence. Life is meantfor the achievement of a very exalted and beautiful goal. Theperfect way of performing actions, the way of turning devolutioninto evolution, the way of invoking the best in us, is calledthe Karmayoga. Let us see some of his activities, statementsand find out as to what exactly his attitude and vision duringactions that constituted to call him a Karmayog∂.

First and foremost he considered himself a servant of theLord. The attitude of being a servant to the Lord eliminatesmost of the obstacles that stand in our way. When we havea proper relationship with our body then most of the obstaclesfade away and the qualities that are natural to the mind, surface.The mind by nature, is pure and perfect and this attitude goesa long way to our own fulfilment. Every situation indicates whatthe Lord wants us to do. Not only does the servant accept eachsituation as a command of the Lord but he acts without any

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expectations whatsoever.The satisfaction of the servant comes out of the fact that

the master has given him an opportunity to serve him. Theservant has no other means to express his devotion. When theservant does his job properly, then it is the masterís job to lookafter him. Devotion to the Supreme not only eliminates mostof the obstacles by integrating the personality but also increasesour inner strength. It was the devotion of Hanumån for LordRåma that was the secret strength and by Sa∆kalpa he couldmove mountains. Hanumån knew that Lord Råma, who isimperishable in his real nature, appears to have incarnated for thepurpose of protecting the world. ““flÊ‚ÈŒfl— ‚fl¸Á◊ÁÃ ‚ ◊„UÊà◊Ê ‚ÈŒÈ‹¸÷—H””(G∂tå VII. 19)óis the considered opinion of Hanumån.

We find qualities of Sthitapraj¤a, a man of steady wisdomof truth. He has himself pointed out to the Lordó“Œ„UŒÎc≈KÊ ÃÈ ŒÊ‚Ê „¢U¡ËflŒÎCÔUKÊ àflŒ¢‡Ê∑§—–” At no moment was he disturbed or influencedby external circumstances. While crossing the ocean, he refusedthe hospitality of Mainåka. Hanumån was equanimous, both inhonour and dishonour; he was not ashamed of being bound byRåk¶asas as he was interested only in the service of the Lord.He appeals to Råvaƒa with all the love of a friend or fatherto entrust S∂tå to the Lord, despite being repeatedly insulted.In all his activities, Hanumån does not have the sense of agency“∑§ÃÎ¸àfl.” Again he said to the Lord, ““ŸÒfl Á∑§Á@Ã˜ ∑§⁄UÊ◊ËÁÃ ÿÈQ§Ê ◊ãÿÃÃûflÁflÃ˜–”” When the latter praised him for his adventurous deedsof finding S∂tå, as also burning La∆kå.

While conversing with Råma for the first time, his minddwells on not only the protection of Sugr∂va but also thekingdom for Sugr∂va. In turn, Sugr∂va is aware of the potentialof Hanumån and chooses him for S∂tå. He says, ìNeither onearth nor in the air, nor again in the sky, nor in the heavens,nor in the waters do I find any obstruction to your movement;O best of monkeys.î Besides the Lord Himself seeing his

Selfless Sevå of Hanumån


worthiness as an emissary, gives him the signet-ring andmessage. He achieved success due to total devotion, surrenderand dedication to his master. He has only one thought in hismind i. e., how to do the job with best manner and so maintaineda high degree of alertnessóApramatta¨.

Hanumån is the ideal messenger sent by Råma to conveymessage of succour and courage to the languishing S∂tå inLa∆kå. The manner and method of Hanumånís flight over thehundred Yojanas of the ocean, surmounting various obstaclesand presenting himself as a humble messenger of Råma beforeS∂tå, who speaks volumes appreciating his sagacity, boldness andhumility. His sagacity shines forth in a way in which henegotiates in the gynaeceum of Råvaƒa. He remains silent whenhidden in the tree top, Råvaƒa wooing S∂tå, surrounded byharassing demonesses and threatening her vehemently. Heintroduces the skeletal chanting of Råma-Kathå upto the abductionof S∂tå in A‹oka grove. He instils full courage and faith in S∂tåthat Råma shall soon set her free and shows the signet-ringof Råma. The degree of confidence instilled in S∂tå, is fullyevidenced and justified by her action in entrusting the CµuŒåmaƒi(crest-jewel) to be given to Råma. No wonder when Hanumånreturned after his successful mission in La∆kå and handed overthe CµuŒåmaƒi (crest-jewel) to Råma, he embraced him. That isthe glory of Hanumån. It is believed that good sense, fame,strength, courage, fearlessness, freedom from physical andmental ailments, and proficiency of speech, will all embrace onewho remembers Hanumån with devotion. ë’‹¢í strength isdisplayed by him while tackling the Råk¶asa hordes and thatwon him the terror of La∆kå. When he advised that Vibh∂¶aƒashould be admitted into the Vånara fold, he earns the titleëSacivottama.í Hanumån is a life saver in the Råmåyaƒa. Hesaved S∂tåís life from deep depression and attempted suicide byhis masterly recital of the story of Råmåyaƒa to her. He saved

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Lak¶maƒa and the lives of the entire Vånara army struck bypoisonous weapons of the enemy by bringing Sa¤j∂van∂ fromthe Himålayas within a couple of hours. Again he savedBharataís life when the latter prepared to end his life when Råmadid not return at the stipulated expiry of fourteen years, by therecital of the story of Råma.

Hanumån is the hallmark of humility. Ego does not arisein the heart of the person who is humble. That which makesone forget ego, is humility. He ran in reverse order facing LordÅditya at a speed far exceeding that of sunís chariot itself, learnedthe Vedas and won his Guruís blessings. Hanumån is the modelexample of all noble qualities of valour, prowess, faith, devotion,sacrifice, strength, righteousness, truthfulness and compassionsince his self confidence surpasses all qualities; he never feltany sense of diffidence to act even the most critical moment.He lived his entire life for the sake of others. He conqueredthe whole world fighting for the victory of Truth and Dharma.He attained immortality by his total sacrifice to the Lord renderedthrough absolute devotion and sincerity. When Lord Råmachooses to drop the curtain over his earthly drama, Hanumånstands before him with folded hands. His voice gets chokedand he chooses to stay back on earth instead of going to theSåketalokaó

ÿÊflŒ˜ ⁄UÊ◊∑§ÕÊ flË⁄U øÁ⁄UcÿÁÃ ◊„UËÃ‹–ÃÊflÃ˜ SÕÊSÿÊÁ◊ ◊ÁŒãÿÊ¢ ÃflÊôÊÊ◊ŸÈ¬Ê‹ÿãÊ˜H

Lord Råma blesses Hanumån to become Cira≈j∂v∂ó onewho can live eternally in embodied form.

A careful reading of the Epic will clearly show that theentire life of Hanumån after his first meeting with Råma, wasa life of prolonged Sådhana for the total integration of hisphysical, mental and intellectual personalities. He could bringabout his triple integration so effectively only because he lookedupon Råma as his perfect master, his beloved Lord and his ideal

Selfless Sevå of Hanumån


Guru. His ëDåsa Bhåvaí, the service attitude at the physicallevelóripened into ëDåsa Bhaktií at the mental level, whichculminated into non-dual realisation of the self at intellectual andtrans-intellectual levels. Thus, Hanumån is a Karmayog∂, Bhaktiyog∂,and J¤ånayog∂, all rolled in one. May his divine grace be everwith us.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Rare souls sometimes serve the world by remainingprimarily in transcendent meditation sending forth powerfulspiritual vibrations to balance the worldís evils, but these soulsseclude themselves in remote haunts and seldom never appearbefore ordinary men.

óThe Second Coming of Christ

Selfless Service of Vulture Ja¢åyu

The great warrior Råvaƒa of Tåmasika nature was goingby kidnapping mother S∂tå. The very old Ja¢åyuóthe king ofbirds, heard the piteous cry of S∂tå. He chased with evil-mindedRåvaƒa to release S∂tå from his clutches. The king of birdsattacked heavily upon Råvaƒa in the combat and continued tofight till he sacrificed his life. In the long run shearing off hisboth the wings, Råvaƒa felled him on the earth in a death-nearstate and he ran away with S∂tå. After sometime in the searchof S∂tå, Lord Råma along with Lak¶maƒa reached there.Looking Ja¢åyuís sacrifice of his life for Him; Råma felt choked.Råma, while streaming forth tears in affection, relieved him ofhis pain by fondling his forehead. Further taking him into hislap, he started wiping off his dust.

The king of vultures became a blessed one. Donning a four-armed divine form, he started eulogizing Lord Råma.

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Great Tyåga of ›r∂ Caitanya

In those days ›r∂ Caitanya Mahåprabhu was known asNimå∂ in Nawadw∂pa. He was only sixteen years old. Aftercompleting the learning of Grammar, he studied Nyåya‹åstravigorously. He was also writing a volume on this Nyåya‹åstra.Around same time, his classmate Pt. ›r∂ Raghunåthaj∂ was alsowriting his famous volume ëD∂dhitií on the same subject. It isrecognized as a great volume on this subject.

Pt. ›r∂ Raghunåthaj∂ came to know that Nimå∂ is also writinga volume on Nyåya. He expressed his willingness to see thatvolume. Next day Nimå∂, carrying his volume, while on wayto school, both friends sat in a boat, Nimå∂ started reading hisvolume. After hearing that volume Raghunåtha Pandit felt agonyand tear rolled down his eyes.

Amidst reading, Nimå∂ saw Raghunåtha was weeping andsurprisingly toldóëBrother ! Why are you weeping?í

Raghunåtha told with simplicityóëI was writing a volumewith a hope that this volume will get recognition as the greatestvolume on Nyåya; but my hope is shattered now. In comparisonto your volume, who would like that volume of mine?í ëYouare feeling distressed for such a small matter !í Nimå∂ laughedfrankly like child. ëThis volume is worthless which has causedagony to my friend!í ëBefore Raghunåtha could understandanything, Nimå∂ threw his volume in Ga∆gåj∂. Leaves of thevolume were floating in Bhagawat∂ Bhåg∂rath∂.

For few moments Raghunåtha was senseless and not a singleword came out of his mouth and he bowed down at the feetof Nimå∂, but the expanded arms of Nimå∂ embraced him.

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Glory of Association with Saints

Once Mahar¶i Vasi¶¢haj∂ went to the hermitage of Vi‹wåmitraj∂.Vi‹wåmitraj∂ welcomed him most heartily. In his hospitality, hepresented reward of his penance of one thousand years. Aftersome time Vi‹wåmitraj∂ became the guest of Vasi¶¢haj∂ who alsowelcomed him in befitting manner and presented merit of hisassociation with saints for half Gha¢∂ (12 mts.). On thisbehaviour of Vasi¶¢haj∂, Vi‹wåmitraj∂ felt perturbed, though hedid not tell anything but he could not hide the reflection of angeron his face. Seeing this, Vasi¶¢haj∂ toldóìI feel that to you,presentation of the merit of association with saints for half Gha¢∂(12 mts.), does not seem equal to your presentation of onethousand years of your penance. Why should not we go to some-one and get the judgement?î

Both were Brahmar¶i, hence no sage could muster courageto pass on any judgement over their dispute, then how a kingcan do. They reached Brahmaloka. But Brahmåj∂ thought thatif anyone of them is displeased and cursed me, then I will bein trouble. He toldóìYou go to Lord Vi¶ƒu; because beingbusy in creation work, I am unable to give any judgement withhealthy mind.î

ìI offer my salutation on the pious feet of both of you. Onlyhe can judge the greatness of penance and merit of associationwith saints, who himself has experience of both things. I haveno such experience. You please ask this query from, Lord›a∆kara.î Saying this Lord Vi¶ƒu took the leave.

Both §R¶is reached Kailåsa; the moment I consumed thedeadly poison, since then my mind is not stable for giving any


judgement, told Lord ›a∆kara. He also told that ›e¶aj∂ is alwaysholding the earth on his head and in penance for all the time,and providing benefit of Satsa∆ga to all Muni-folk from his onethousand mouths, he can satisfy you about your query.

They reached to ›e¶aj∂. He heard both the Mahar¶is andtoldóìIf any of you hold the earth without any support overmy head for few moments then I will have light weight overme and can think over and being of healthy mind, I can giveverdict.î

ìI surrender the reward of my penance for one thousandyears, O Earth! stay in sky.î Mahar¶i Vi‹wåmitra resolved withwater in his hand; but the earth did not even shake.

ìI surrender the reward of my association with saints forhalf Gha¢∂ (12 minutes), O Goddess Earth! stay in the sky forfew moments.î Mahar¶i Vasi¶¢ha resolved and the earth wasup in the sky above the hood of ›e¶aj∂, without any support.Now, nothing remained to be decided or in other words, theverdict was clear. Vi‹wåmitraj∂ clasped the pious feet ofVasi¶¢haj∂óìLord ! You are ever great.î The glory of Satsa∆gawas evident.

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Reward of Gurusevå

Upamanyu was another disciple of Mahar¶i Åyodadhaumya.The Guru had entrusted him the work of grazing and tendingof his cows. According to the rule of the Brahmacaryå‹rama,a celibate student has to serve the Guru, living in the hermitageitself. He has to seek alms from nearby villages and town andkeep that before the Guru. He was to be contented partakingof whatever Guru gives. Upamanyu was also following this rule;but Dhaumya §R¶i would keep entire foodstuff with him. Hedid not give anything to Upamanyu. Upamanyu also did notsay anything.

One day the §R¶i askedóëUpamanyu! I keep entire food-stuff that you get as alms, what you partake of then? Your bodyis well-fed.í

Upamanyu toldóëLord ! I seek alms for second time.í§R¶i toldóëThis is not good. This way householders are put

in straits. This is a sin of harming the livelihood of other alms-seekers.í

Upamanyu accepted not to do this again. After a few daysthe §R¶i again askedóëUpamanyu ! What are you partaking ofnowadays ?í

Upamanyu toldóëLord ! I take the milk of these cows.í§R¶i scolded himóëCows are mine, it is wrong on your part

to take the milk without my permission.íUpamanyu stopped drinking milk too. After a few days

when §R¶i asked again, then he told that I drink the froth, drippingfrom the mouth of calves. In fact, Gurudeva wanted to testhim. He toldóëDo not repeat such mistake in future. Calves


are very kind-hearted, they must be giving more milk in theform of froth to satisfy you and thus, they might have beenhungry without milk.í

All the means of food of Upamanyu were stopped. He hadto run behind the cows for the whole day, he was feeling stronghunger. When he did not get anything, then he ate the leavesof Oak. Due to the heat of those poisonous leaves, his eyesightwas gone and he became blind. As he was unable to seeanything, one day he fell down in a dry well in the forest.

Sun was set, cows returned without their herdsman, Upamanyu.§R¶i was worriedóëI stopped all means of food of Upamanyu.Whether he has fled somewhere duly enraged?í With some otherdisciples, §R¶i reached in the forest calling himóëSon Upamanyu!Where you are?í

Voice of Upamanyu was heardóëLord ! I am here in thewell.í

§R¶i went near the well. Upamanyu told the reason of hisfalling in the well. §R¶i ordered Upamanyu to pray to theA‹win∂kumårasóphysician of gods. Upamanyu followed theorder of Guru. If a pious and devout Brahmacår∂ prays, andgods remain unmoved, how long their godliness will remainintact? Pleased with prayer of Upamanyu, A‹win∂kumårasmanifested themselves in the well itself and toldóëTake thissweet cake and eat it.í

Upamanyu told with modestyóëI do not want to take sweetcake without offering to Gurudeva.í

A‹win∂kumåras toldóëBefore this, your Guru had alsoprayed and ate the sweet cake, given by us, without offeringto his Guru. You also follow the same.í

Upamanyu toldóëA true follower should not look at theshortcoming of his Guru. You please pardon me, I cannotpartake of sweet cake without offering to my Gurudeva.í

A‹win∂kumåras toldóëWe are very happy with your devotion

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towards your Guru. Teeth of your Guru are of iron but yourteeth will turn to be of gold. You will regain your eyesight.í

A‹win∂kumåras took out Upamanyu from the well. Upamanyupaid obeisance at the pious feet of his Guru. Mahar¶iÅyodadhaumya hearing all the conversations between them,blessed himóëYou will memorize all Vedas and scripturesautomatically. You will understand their meaning. You willknow the essence of all the religious scriptures.í

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Reward of Gurusevå

In addition to its life-saving qualities, salt gives flavourto food; without it, meals would be tasteless to most humanbeings. So, just as salt is an important commodity worldwide,similarly, man himself is the ìsalt of the earthî for amongall creatures the human being has the highest capacity fordoing good to others.

Knowledge of Brahma from Cow Serving

There was a virtuous Bråhmaƒa lady, Jabålå. Satyakåmawas her son. When he was ripe to start study, one day he toldto his motheróëMother ! I want to live in a Gurukula; whenGuruj∂ will ask for my name, lineage, what I will tell aboutmy lineage?í Then she toldóëSon ! I did not get an opportunityto ask your father about his Gotra; because those days, I wasbusy serving guests. Therefore, when the Åcårya asks you aboutyour Gotra, then you tell this much only that I am Satyakåma,the son of Jabålå. With the permission of his mother, Satyakåmawent to Håridrumata Gautama §R¶i and toldóëRevered Sir, Ihave come to your honour to serve you as a celibate.í Åcåryaasked, Vatsa! What is your lineage?

Satyakåma told, ëLord! I do not know what my lineage is.I am Satyakåma Jåbåla, that is all I know about it.í ThenGautama toldóëVatsa ! Except Bråhmaƒa, none else can speakthe truth with so much modesty. Go, bring some fuel (materialfor sacrifice in fire). I will initiate you with sacred thread.í

After his thread ceremony, Gautama brought four hundredfamished cows before him and toldóëYou take them in theforest for grazing. Do not bring them back until they are onethousand in number.í He toldóëLord! I will not come backuntil they are one thousand in number.í

Satyakåma went to forest with cows. He made a hut andstarted living there, serving cows with his heart and soul. Thecows became one thousand in number. One day a bull cameand told to SatyakåmaóëVatsa, now we are one thousand in

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number, you take us to teacherís house. Let me sermonize youabout one foot of Brahma. This foot is called ëPrakå‹a itselfíóëThe shiningí.

Agni (fire) will speak about another foot. Satyakåmaproceeded with cows. At the fall of the day, he halted the cows,arranged water for them and also for his night stay there. Thenafter he brought wood and ignited the fire. Fire told, ëSatyakåma!I am telling you about the another foot of Brahma; that is theunlimited. Swan will tell you about another foot of Brahma.

Next evening, he halted near a beautiful water reservoir andarranged for night stay of cows. In the meantime a Swan cameflying down and sat near Satyakåma and toldóëSatyakåma !íSatyakåma toldóëLord ! What is instructions please ?í I amtelling you about third foot of Brahma, that is ëluminousí, fourthfoot will come to you from a water fowl (a kind of water bird,swimming over water).

Next evening Satyakåma made arrangement for cows undera Banyan tree. He was about to sit after igniting the fire, awater fowl called him and toldóëVatsa ! I am sermonizing youfourth foot of Brahma, that is known as ëÅyatanavaníóthesupport.

In this manner after obtaining knowledge about characteristicsof Supreme God, Saccidånandaghana from all those gods,Satyakåma reached the Åcårya Gautama. Seeing his anxietyless,glorious face, Åcårya toldóëVatsa! You look like one who hasknown Brahma. Satyakåma told, ëLord! I have obtainedknowledge from other than human beings. I have heard thatthe knowledge acquired from an Åcårya like you, is best,therefore, you sermonize me fully.í Åcårya was very pleased andtoldóëVatsa! What you have acquired, that is Brahmatattva.íAndhe sermonized the entire essence in similar manner.

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Knowledge of Brahma from Cow Serving

RantidevaóBrahmalina Sri Jayadayal Goyandka

King Rantideva was the son of King Sa∆kæti. A powerfulruler, Rantideva was extremely compassionate by nature. Observingthe woes and sufferings of the poor, he gave away all hepossessed in charity. Having been thus reduced to straits, hecould maintain himself and his family with great difficulty. Evenin that state he gave away to the poor whatever he got, andremained without food himself. Reduced to utter destitution, theking thus, led a life of extreme misery with all the membersof his family.

On a certain occasion the king had to go without food andwater for full forty-eight days. Oppressed by hunger and thirst,his limbs began to tremble. On the morning of the forty-ninthday he got some ghee, rice boiled in milk, porridge and water.Forty-eight days, complete fast had rendered the king and hisfamily extremely weak. The limbs of all were shaking.

When Rantideva was about to partake of this food, aBråhmaƒa who was quite unknown to him appeared on thescene. Out of a crore it is very easy to give away a lakh ofrupees in charity for nameís sake; but it is most difficult fora starving person to part with his food. The great devoteeRantideva, however, who saw God present everywhere, gaveaway a share of his food to the Bråhmaƒa with due respectand reverence. Satisfied with the kingís hospitality, the Bråhmaƒawent away.

After entertaining the Bråhmaƒa, the king was about to

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share the remaining food with his family, when another strangerbelonging to the ›µudra class made his appearance. With thethought of ›r∂ Hari foremost in his mind, the king gave awaya part of this food to that destitute. Meanwhile a third strangerappeared with a number of dogs and begged food for himselfand his dogs on the plea of hunger.

The devout king received this stranger also with due attentionand reverentially placing the whole of the remaining food at thedisposal of the newcomer and his dogs, bowed to him.

There was now left only a small quantity of water barelyenough to appease the thirst of a single individual. The kingwas about to quaff it, when an outcaste appeared before himand made the following submission in a pathetic tone, ìO greatking! I am extremely tired and exhausted. Low and impure asI am, please favour me with a little water to drink.î

Hearing this piteous appeal of the pariah, and knowing himto be really exhausted, the king was moved with greatcompassion, and he uttered the following nectar-like wordsó

ìI crave not from God the highest form of destiny with theeight superhuman faculties, nor freedom from rebirth. My onlyprayer is that dwelling in the heart of all beings, I may undergotheir suffering, so that they may be rid of all sorrow. This manis dying of thirst, and he is piteously seeking water from mein order to save his life. By offering this life-giving drink tothis humble creature who is anxious to live, my hunger, thirst,exhaustion, bodily suffering, lowness of spirit, languor, grief,depression and infatuation, all have disappeared.î* (›r∂madBhågavata IX.21.12-13).

With these words on his lips the tender-hearted KingRantideva, though half-dead himself due to thirst, reverentially

* Ÿ ∑§Ê◊ÿ „¢U ªÁÃ◊ËE⁄UÊà¬⁄UÊ◊CÔUÌhÿÈQ§Ê◊¬ÈŸ÷fl¢ flÊ–•ÊÏûÊ ¬˝¬l˘Áπ‹Œ„U÷Ê¡Ê◊ãÃ—ÁSÕÃÊ ÿŸ ÷flãàÿŒÈ—πÊ—HˇÊÈûÊÎ≈˜üÊ◊Ê ªÊòÊ¬Á⁄UüÊ◊p ŒÒãÿ¢ Ä‹◊— ‡ÊÊ∑§Áfl·ÊŒ◊Ê„UÊ—–‚fl¸ ÁŸflÎûÊÊ— ∑Î§¬áÊSÿ ¡ãÃÊÌ¡¡ËÁfl·Ê¡Ë¸fl¡‹Ê¬¸áÊÊã◊H

Rantideva


and cheerfully gave the whole of that water to the pariah.The aforesaid strangers were no other than the three Lords

of creation, Brahmå, Vi¶ƒu and ›iva, who confer boons ofvarious kinds on those who seek them, and who appearedthrough their delusive potency in the guise of a Bråhmaƒa andothers in order to test the piety of the great king, Rantideva.They were supremely delighted to observe the power ofendurance and depth of devotion exhibited by the king, andappeared before him in their actual form. Obtaining thus, a directvision of the three Lords all at once, the king bowed beforethem, but did not ask for any boon, even though called uponto do so.

For, renouncing all forms of worldly attachment and desires,the king had fixed his mind exclusively on God. In this wayRantideva, who was exclusively devoted to God, completelymerged his thoughts in God and God alone; and he being thusidentified with God, the veil of Måyå, consisting of the threeGuƒas, lifted like a dream from before his eyes. Due to hisassociation, the other members of his family too wholly devotedthemselves to Bhagavån Nåråyaƒa, and attained the supremestate to which Yog∂s alone are entitled.

The use of the compound adjective ëBhaktyupahætamí isintended to convey that the Lord refuses to accept things thatare offered to Him with a cold heart. Where there is love, andthe devotee feels genuine delight, both in offering a thing toGod and in its acceptance by the Lord, He not only acceptssuch an offering, but may even force His way into the houseof such a devotee and eat things from his store, as He did inthe case of the blessed Gop∂s of Vraja. For in reality Godhungers and thirsts for love, and not for things of the world.

By the words ëAhamí and ëA‹nåmií the Lord indicates thatappearing in person before such a devotee He eats the articlesoffered by him with a pure and loving heart. That is to say,

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when He is present in the world in a human or other garb,He goes to the devotee in person, while at other times Hemanifests Himself before the devotee in the form desired bythe devotee, and fulfils the object of his existence by eatingwhatever is offered to him.

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Rantideva

After their meal, the Santals went for rest, and Swåm∂j∂addressing the disciple, said, ìI found them the veritableembodiment of Godósuch simplicity, such sincere guilelesslove I have seen nowhere else.î Then, addressing the Sa≈nyås∂sof the Ma¢ha, he said, ìSee, how simple they are. Can youmitigate their misery a little? Otherwise, of what good is thewearing of the Geruå robe? Sacrifice of everything for thegood of others is real Sa≈nyåsa. They have never enjoyedany good thing in life. Sometimes I feel a desire to sell theMa¢ha and everything, and distribute the money to the poorand destitute. We have made the tree our shelter. Alas! thepeople of the country cannot get anything to eat, and howcan we have the heart to raise food to our mouths? WhenI was in the Western countries, I prayed to the Divine Mother,ìPeople here are sleeping on a bed of flowers, they eat allkinds of delicacies, and what do they not enjoy, while peoplein our country are dying of starvation. Mother, will there beno way for them! One of the objects of my going to the Westto preach religion was to see if I could find any means forfeeding the people of this country.

Seeing the poor people of our country starving for food,a desire comes to me to overthrow all ceremonial worship andlearning, and go round from village to village collecting moneyfrom the rich by convincing them through force of characterand Sådhanå, and to spend the whole life in serving the poor.

óSwami Vivekananda

Tyåga of a Great SoulóDr. Mukunda Pati Tripathi ëRatnamaliyaí

∑§áÊ¸Sàflø¢ Á‡ÊÁ’◊Ê¸‚¢ ¡Ëfl¢ ¡Ë◊ÍÃflÊ„UŸ—–ŒŒÊÒ ŒœËÁø⁄USÕËÁŸ ŸÊSàÿŒÿ¢ ◊„UÊà◊ŸÊ◊˜H

(Subhå¶ita RatnabhåƒŒågåra, Udåra Pra‹a≈så 11)Nothing is not worth giving for noble and great souls. Kind-

hearted Karƒa afforded his Kavaca to Lord Indra, presentbefore him in the guise of a Brahmin, despite the warning oflord Sµurya, King ›ibi offered his flesh to the hungry hawk(Indra), compassion-incarnate J∂mµutavåhana sacrificed himselffor the well-being of the Någas and Sage Dadh∂ci offered hisbones for making a potent Vajra (thunderbolt) for killingVætråsura.

The present article aims at giving a glimpse of the superbsacrifice of J∂mµutavåhana.

J∂mµutavåhana was a kind-hearted Vidyådhara prince. Hewas the son of King J∂mµutaketu. He was a compassion-incarnate.His heart melted to see the misery of anyone and everyone.One pleasant morning, while on his usual tour, he took up theroad to the endless, rippling blue sea, instead of going toAmaråvat∂ . He was travelling through the aerial way. Soaringhigh-up in the sky, he passed over the Ramaƒaka Dw∂pa, thehabitat of the Någas. The youngsters of the Någas were makingfun and frolics. Crossing the island, his eyes fell on a narrowcape leading to the seashore. His eyes became wonder-struckto see a heap of something shining like a silver-mountain. Hehad never seen or heard of anything, so shining near the sea. Hethought, ìHas any new mountain of silver risen here recently?î

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Out of curiosity, he approached the shining place but to hisconsternation, he saw a heap of skeletons placed one afteranother. He shuddered to see the dreadful sight. He thoughtand thought, ìWherefrom has this heap of skeletons come?îGazing all around, he came across a young Någa, at somedistance. He approached him and made a query about thedreadful sight. The young Någa raised his head. He yelled, ìOh!Donít ask anything about that sordid place. None of us likesto look into that direction. The heap of skeletons plunges usinto panic and remorse. They are the remanents of our kithsand kins.î Before, J∂mµutavåhana could make any further enquiry,the Någa had disappeard. Kind-hearted J∂mµutavåhana could nothelp the desire for making a thorough enquiry. He had bracedhis mind to do something to avert that misery. He gazed aroundand his eyes fell on an old ëNågaí. He rushed to him and askedpolitely about the abominable emergence of the heap ofskeletons. The old one heaved a sigh and started the tale there-of. He said, ìDear sir! Your enquiry kindles the memory ofan ignoble and never ending tale of misery. The heap of bonesis the resultant of our animosity eaten by GaruŒa, the king ofbirds. You might be knowing about the age-old odd conflictbetween Kadrµu and Vinatå, which made GaruŒa hostile toour race. Formerly, he used to cause a great havoc to us bylaunching a mass massacre. On our repeated requests, he tookpity on us and it was decided that on every auspicious occasionweíll offer him a dainty feast with one of our kinsmen. Thecustom continues. Every now and then there is an uproar ofpain, panic and remorse and some of our clan becomes his prey.îMagnanimous J∂mµutavåhana mused over the problem anddecided to do something tangible in this direction soon, he heardsome doleful shouts from a distant corner. He flew thither andwas full of compassion to see the situation. The oldest memberof the family was saying to his son, ìWell dear! Iíll carry the

Tyåga of a Great Soul


present to the king of birds myself. You are potent enough toprotect the family after me.î The wife of the old man wasrequesting to send herself with presents for ëValií. The masterof the family retorted, ìNo, no! I canít send you so long asIím alive. You should just look after our offsprings.î The youngson, on the other hand, was presenting himself for ëValií, sayingthat it was his pious duty to sacrifice himself. Meanwhile,J∂mµutavåhana turned up there just like putting a comma to theirhot discussion. He offered himself for carrying the feast materialsto GaruŒa. Overwhelmed with this kind gesture, all of themfelt amazed. They yelled, ìNo sir, no sir! How can we throwyou into peril. Precious life is dear to all. We canít offer a guestlike you to be devoured forever.î ““¬˝ÊáÊÊ— ÿÕÊà◊ŸÊ˘÷ËCÔUÊ ¡ËflÊŸÊ◊Á¬ ÃÃÕÊ–””

The decision of J∂mµutavåhana was quite unflinchible. Heinsisted on his proposal and denied to accept any hospitalityuntil they acceded to his request. Half-heartedly, they madepreparations for the feast. The young Någa and J∂mµutavåhanamarched to the ëVali placeí. When they drew near, J∂mµutavåhanapersuaded the young Någa to turn back. On the fixed time, aflutter of wings was heard, the psalms of ëSåmavedaí resounded,the sea became a bit upsurged. GaruŒa descended on an adjacenttree. J∂mµutavåhana lay down on the earth facing downwards.The king of birds ate to his fill and devoured him too, but tohis dismay, he felt quite restless and dizzy today. He sprangupon the heap of skeletons and tried to vomit outright, as hewas feeling an inflammation in his throat. He jumped down andvomited the devoured body. He said, ìWho are you, O mighty,noble soul! Only a devotee of my Lord Vi¶ƒu or a penancefulBrahmin can make me dazed like this. Tell me the truth. I amoverpenitent to devour a creature like you. Please ask any boonfrom me.î J∂mµutavåhana said, ìPardon me Sir! Iím none butJ∂mµutavåhana, the Vidyådhara. I am an humble votary of you.

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If you are really pleased with me, do grant me the assurancefor killing the Någas no longer. This much is my cordial desire.Itís not difficult for you. To grant justice, must be temperedwith pity. Nemesis is not a proper solution.î

Noticing the Vidyådhara, GaruŒa praised him again andagain. He said, Iíve often heard of your benevolencebefore hand. I feel fortunate to meet you. Who can overrideyour noble gesture? I put a final full stop to this traditionhenceforth. Not only myself but no other eagle will disturb theNågas of the Ramaƒaka Dw∂pa. J∂mµutavåhana bowed down tohim reverentially. GaruŒa flew away. There was a great rejoicingon the island. Everyone felt a fresh lease of life. They criedout, ìMay our saviour live long! May his sect thrive!î

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Tyåga of a Great Soul

A real Tyåg∂ is who is sincerely engaged in offering thepublic the highest service, that of inspiring goodness in them;lives very honourably even though he exists by alms and thegoodwill of those, he serves.

Ideal Spirit of Service of St. Francis

There is an epithet of St. FrancisóëBrother of Lepers.íOnce he was going to his cave, riding on horse. He saw aleper on the road at some distance. He immediately recognizedhim, because in those days lepers were subjected to wear aspecial dress so that recognizing a leper from quite a distance,passersby can change his route. St. Francis wanted to turn hishorse, but his kind heart was much moved and up-roared, doingthis, is sin. Leper is also our brother and a brother is after allbrother, to hate such person is like turning the face from service.Francis proceeded towards the leper. He was hesitant to go nearhim; leperís face was in deformed state, all parts of his bodywere cracked. From some parts of his body, either stinky bloodor pus were oozing. Very bad smell was coming out from thepus. St. Francis was standing before him and was looking athim. He thought that he should serve him. And he put his entiremoney before the leper. He was about to go, the horse hadalmost turned, in the meantime, his heart cursed him. Suchservice to a brother cannot be recognized as a noble one. Hedoes not need money. He needs service. Each and every partof his body is in tremendous pain, he is eager of a soothingtouch of soft fingers.

Francis could not control himself and got down from thehorse.

ëBrother ! You taught me the way of servitude. I hadforgotten. You have obliged me so much.í Francis kissed hishand. He fondled his every part of the body and purified his

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fingers. His wounds were looking like as they have beendrenched in nectar. How pious and noble was the disinterestedspirit of service of St. Francis. The title ëBrother of Lepersí ismeaningful for him.

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Ideal Spirit of Service of St. Francis

Service (Sevå)The spirit of service must deeply enter into your very

bones, cells, tissues, nerves, etc. The reward is invaluable.Practise and feel the cosmic expansion and infinite Ånanda(Bliss). Evince intense zeal and enthusiasm in work. Tall talkand idle gossiping will not do, dear friends. Be fiery in thespirit of service. Serve everyone with intense love, withoutany idea of agency without expectation of fruits or reward.A Sevå-Yog∂ does not expect even a return of love, appreciation,gratitude and admiration from the people whom he is serving.Service of humanity is service of God.

óSwami Sivananda

The Lady with the Lamp: Florence Nightingale

óSrishtirupa Srivastava

Whenever we visit any hospital or nursing home, we aresure to come across the nursing staff. Dressed in spotless neatwhite uniforms, these smart ladies are always ready to solvethe problems of patients or their attendants. One even wondershow can they manage to perform their rigorous and exhaustingduties without ever raising a voice in protest or complaint. Aneminent Canadian physician has very justly remarkedóìThetrained nurse has become one of the great blessings of humanity,taking a place beside the physician and the priest, and notinferior to either in her mission.î (William Osler 1849ó1919)

But these trained medical nurses were not always there tocomfort the sick. This rather started with the tireless servicesof a lady named Florence Nightingale. She was born in Florence,Italy on May 12, 1820 and raised in Derbyshire, England.Generally all girls are soft and kind-hearted by nature. ButFlorence Nightingale was specially moved by the sufferings ofthe sick people.This young lady encountered many such scenesduring her European tour with her parents (1937ó39).

The condition of sick and injured people aroused in her astrong desire to help and serve such suffering persons. Shestrongly wanted to comfort such people in any possible way.Whenever she had time, she used to visit hospitals. She tookcare of such persons who desperately needed medical treatment.She decided to devote her life in serving sick people. In 1849

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she travelled to Italy, Greece and Egypt, and finally stoppedin Germany in 1850. By now she had realised that she hadto acquire proper nursing knowledge. Despite the initial disapprovalof her parents, she somehow completed her study of medicalnursing in the Nursing Institute in Kaiserwerth. Thereafterequipping herself with proper nursing skills, she embarked uponthe path of serving humanity! She was appointed as thesuperintendent in the hospital for Invalid Gentlewomen, a smallprivate hospital in London.

The Crimean war broke out in 1854. Through newspapersand other sources, reports of inadequate and insufficient nursingfacilities for sick and injured soldiers and fighters reached toNightingale. She wrote a letter to the British Minister of thewar, volunteering her services in this regard. She got approvalfrom the Ministry to go ahead.

Strange are the ways of this world. While there are somepersons who indulge in inflicting brutal injuries upon humanity,there are also persons who apply soothing balm on these injuries,in shape of their selfless service for mankind.

Florence Nightingale with 38 Roman Catholic and AnglicanSisters and some lay nurses set out for Uskudar. They foundthat the military hospital lacked supplies, the wounded soldierswere unwashed, diseases like typhus, cholera and dysenterywere rampant. She established efficient nursing departments atUskudar and Balaklava in Crimea. Her tireless efforts resultedin greatly reducing the death rate among the sick and thewounded there. Although she herself contacted a severe illnessin Crimea. She continued her services at the hospital, till theend of the war in 1856.

The wounded and sick soldiers, fondly called her ëThe Ladywith the Lampí as she approached them in their tents to comfortand console them. One of such soldiers has written, ìWhat acomfort was to see her pass. She would speak to one, and



nod and smile to as many more; but she could not do it toall. You know we lay there by the hundreds, but we couldkiss her shadow as it fell, and lay our heads on the pillow againcontent.î

This noble lady ìThe Angel of Crimeaîócontinued herjourney on the path of serving humanity. After returning toEngland, she reorganised the Army Medical Services, establishedArmy Medical School. She founded the Nightingale School andHome for Nurses at St. Thomas Hospital in London. Theopening of this school marked the beginning of professionaleducation in nursing. The graduates of this school also foundedanother such schools at different places. Her advice was soughtnot only on nursing matters but also on construction andmanagement of hospitals.

Her writings include, ëNotes on Nursingí (1860) which wasthe first text book written for nurses and translated into manylanguages, ëNotes on Hospitalsí (1859), ëNotes on Nursing forLabouring Classí (1861), etc.

This Goddess of Service (Sewå K∂ Dev∂) died in Londonon August 3, 1910. After which the Crimean Monument waserected in her honour at Waterloo Place in London (1915). Shereceived many international honours and was the first womanrecipient of the British Order of Merit in 1907. Famous EnglishPoet H. W. Longfellow has aptly written about her:

ìA Lady with a Lamp shall stand.In the great history of the land.A noble type of goodHeroic womanhood.îHer birthday is celebrated around the globe as the ëWorld

Nursing Dayí, and nursing trainees take their professional oathin her name!

Confucious (551ó479 B. C.) has said, ìIf we are not ableto serve man, how can we serve spiritual beings?î Of course

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Florence Nightingale served God through service of humanity(Månava Sewå). Her conception of God was certainly notorthodox, in some of her speculations she seems hardly todistinguish between the Deity and the Drains (device to removefluid from the wound).

ëMay her tribe increase!í❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑


One who unconditionally loves and obeys God and servesGod in all, receives immortal honour. Human fame elicits onlyempty words of praise and perhaps a statue for the passingbirds to roost on and soil. The God-known devotee securesa living monument in peopleís hearts. That is the true shineof honour for every great one of God who has graced thisworld. He is moved neither by the accord nor condemnationof man.

Go-Sevå of a German Gentleman

A gentleman in Germany read in some Indian Scripturesabout importance and dignity of cow. He was attracted towardsworshipping of cow in India and he sold out his entire propertyin Germany and came down to India. While touring in India,he reached Agra. He also went to Mathura and told a guidethere about his desire to purchase a beautiful and auspiciouscow and mentioned about goodness of serving her. Thereafterthe guide introduced him to a priest of Mathura who arrangedto purchase a good quality cow. The German took the cowto Agra and started grazing her in nearby areas and was veryattentive in caring her. He appointed a cook who was aMohammedan, to undertake charge of household activities andalso to cook the food. The cook used to cooking food andfeeding him alongside discharging other related works. He wasstaying with German itself. With passage of time, German wasfacing a lot of problems to feed and worship the cow in Agraand its suburbs. Then he purchased a small forest land far awayfrom Agra and also at some distance from Mathura on the bankof river Yamunå. He started living in forest with cook and cowcomfortably.

Seeing his intense dedication towards cow and his servicefor her day and night, not doing any other work, the cookthought that this man has gone mad because for the sake ofan ordinary animal, leaving everything behind, he is busy thewhole day with cow in the forest. The cook was curious toknow the reason for his being busy the whole day with cow.Therefore, one day, with cooked food, he reached secretly the

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place where German was grazing his cow and sat down hidinghimself in a dense shrub. He saw that German was prayingfor something to the cow with kneeling down and folded hands.This activity continued for some time and the cook kept justlooking and hearing all. German was weeping, repeating hisprayer and asking for something to cow. Now the cow sat downunder shade of tree but the German kept weeping bitterly. Thenthe cook went there and he consoled and fed him. After a fewdays a female calf was born to the cow but in the meantime,the mother cow left for her heavenly abode.

By the time newborn calf turned as young cow and startedgiving milk, entrusting his entire belongings, including cow-turned calf and forest to the cook, the German gentlemanbreathed his last. Observing all this, the cook, though aMohammedan, shaped himself a profound Go-Bhakta.

After some time, ›r∂ Jamanålålaj∂ was on a holy trip to haveDar‹ana at Mathura-Vrindavan, reached there and heard fromsomeone all about the German fellow and the cook. He alongwith his T∂rtha-Guru went to the forest of the cook with a viewto have Dar‹ana of the holy cow. The cook gave them a heartywelcome. The cook took them where cow was grazing. Whileon way, the cook prepared eight or ten cups formed by foldingleaves of œhåka tree and handed over one each to them afterreaching near cow. The cook told them all with folded handsóëI am a Mohammedan and I believe, you will not take anythingeatable from my hand, therefore, I am requesting mother cowto grace you all. He whisperedóìO mother! they are myhonourable guests and it is up to you to welcome and satisfythem.î The cook requested all to drink the nectar-like milk.After washing the cups in the nearby flowing river Yamunåj∂,first of all Jamanålålaj∂ going around the holy cow with his handsfolded and prayed and sat down with his cup under the twoudders. And the nectar-like milk started dripping automatically

Go-Sevå of a German Gentleman


and he satisfied himself with fresh milk. Others followed himand had the nectar as Prasåda in the form of milk. HavingDar‹ana of such wondrous celestial cow, all were delighted.

Viewing these, all were extremely impressed. After hisreturn to his native place, ›r∂ Jamanålålaj∂, the very first workhe undertook to construct a Go‹ålå (cow-shed) in his owngarden and worshipped cow throughout his life and used to tellabout the importance and dignity of Go-Sevå to all, whoevercame in his contact.

Therefore, with this instance of a German Gentleman, it isproved that we all should have profound reverence and devotionto holy mother cow. By this way, we can have the experienceof the vision of all gods at one place in cow.

SenderóSri Mithalal Joshi❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

A street lamp sheds light in all directions except directlybeneath its housing, where there is shadow. Similarly aprophet illumined with God, sheds light unto all and is widelyappreciated except often by those who are near to him in afamily or social, but not devotional relationship. Short-sightedoveremphasis on the human relationship blinds them to thespiritual greatness in a divine personage.

Story of a Foreigner in SewåóK. Subramanian

Sewå means service or help to human beings, livingcreatures and the environment anticipating something in return.Many people today will not help others without expecting somekind of favour. Self interest is being placed before service toaccumulate wealth, material possession, power and fameóallmotivated entirely for individual benefit.

Ni¶kåma Sewå, however, refers to the services or helprendered without any thought of reward or personal benefit.One need to be desireless (Ni¶kåma). When one does Sewå,he should just do it without any thought for the returnóthinkof it as a duty to society. Sewå helps oneís spiritual growthand, at the same time, contribute to the improvement of acommunity. Service rendered to humanity (i.e., God in man),is indeed considered a form of worship. Sewå is the art ofblessed action. One who performs Ni¶kåma Sewå (selflessservice) without desire for reward, will certainly attain liberation.

Swåm∂ ›ivånanda says, ìLove of God and service of man,is the secret of true lifeî. By doing Sewå to the poor people,the heart is purified. Egoism, hatred, jealousy, idea of superiority,all will be vanished. Humility, pure love, sympathy, tolerance andmercy are developed. Thus oneís selfishness is eradicated. He getsknowledge of the Åtman realisingóìOne in all and all in one.î

There are many inspiring life stories of men who by theirown unaided efforts fought their way up from poverty andhardship to success and became Millionairs and Billionairs. Butthe story of William Quarrier, the founder of a great orphanage


near Glasgow that has risked thousands of poor orphan childrenand started them in life, motivates us to be selfless and emulateto follow his footsteps. His father died when William was onlya few months old, leaving his widow and three children. Thosewere hard days of grinding poverty. He never went to school.At the age of six, he was earning Shilling a week at pin-making;and he was apprenticed to a shoemaker when he was only seven.

It was at that time that he made the great resolve of hislife. One night he crept out of his poverty stricken home wherethe family had scarcely any food for 36 hours. He was too proudto beg, but as he stood by a lamp-post, he wistfully hoped thatsome kind soul would see his poverty and help. But none did.In his childish bitterness he vowed that when he was a manand had money of his own, he would help poor and hungrychildren. From now onwards he started doing Ni¶kåma Sewå.

He kept his vow. As a lad, he worked hard at hisshoemaking, educating himself in his spare time. He becamethe support of the family. When he was 23, he set up a businessof his own. His business prospered. But his aim was not tobecome a rich man, but to carry out his scheme for rescuingpoor homeless children.

He was deeply religious man and he made his scheme amatter of prayer. He wanted £ 2000 to start a home for orphans.True to the saying, ìGod helps those who help themselvesî, hisprayers were answered. He began by taking in 3 ragged childrenbut in a few years he had a home sheltering 200 homelesschildren. The work grew rapidly until he had built a modelvillage of cottages sheltering nearly 2000 orphans, besides manyother supplementary centres of rescue work.

If Quarrier had simply worked for himself, he could havebecome one of the wealthiest men in Glasgow, but he choseto devote his business ability to higher ends.

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Service of Saint

This is the instance of the life of a famous saint MaharajaSarayµudåsa of Ahmedabad town and related to his Pµurvå‹rama.He was immensely enjoying to serve saints. If by any chancehe came to know about arrival of any saint, he used to go therefor Dar‹ana, leaving behind all work.

One day he was sitting in his shop, suddenly he got to knowthat some saints are resting under a tree, on outskirts of thevillage. He ran away for their Dar‹ana in midday shutting downhis shop. Temperature of the midday sun was too high. As hewas walking fast, his body got fatigued and sweating profusely.

ëMaharaja ! This servant has come. This village is fortunatethe most that you have put your pious feet here. Dar‹ana ofdevout saints like you, is the reward of meritorious act.íSarayµudåsa touched their pious feet and became healthy afterhaving bath alike their Caraƒa-Dhµuli-Ga∆gå.

Midday was downing. Around this time, to go for alms wasnot proper. Saints were too hungry but due to shyness, theywere not telling anything. This did not remain hidden fromdevout person, Sarayµudåsa. He immediately went to his home.He saw only two to two and half seers of flour was in thekitchen. He thought it would not be proper to disturb otherfamily-members and he himself sat to grind flour. With all otherrequired items of food he presented himself before the saints.They ate with great eclat . They were also happy withSarayµudåsa for his reverence and profound service andappreciated his affection towards saints.

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Opportunity of Service is Blessedness

›r∂ ∫‹waracandra Vidyåsågara was going with his friend›r∂ Gir∂‹acandra Vidyåratna to Kålanå village in Bengal. Onthe way he noticed a labour is lying. He was suffering fromcholera. His bulky bundle had rolled by his side. Stink wascoming out of his dirty clothing. People were going alonghis side hurriedly without even seeing at his face. Poor labourwas unable to sit even.

ëToday we are luckyóí Told Vidyåsågara.ëWhat kind of good luck?íAsked Vidyåratna.Vidyasågara toldóëNo service is more fortunate than to

serve a distressed person. This poor man is lying here on theroad. Had his any kinsman been near him, how could he remainin such position? Both of us can turn his relatives today.í

To become a relative of a penurious, dirty, poor labour, inthe claw of cholera, when even his relatives are defying himóVidyåsågara was actually ocean of mercy and his friendVidyåratna could not lag behind . Vidyåsågara took him on hisback and Vidyåratna carried his heavy bundle on his head. Bothreached Kålanå. They made proper arrangement for his lodging,called a doctor for his treatment and after two-three days, whenthe labour was able to sit and stand ownself, they returned aftergiving some money to him.

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Spirit of Service

Någa Sirís mode of service was peculiar. One day he sawthat a poor man is lying on the ground in his hut. He wentto his house and brought his own bed. He himself spread thebed and laid the sick man on it.

Once he saw a sick person is shivering in cold. He coveredhim with his woolen shawl and he himself spent the whole nightserving him, sitting by his side.

Plague was widely spread in Kolkata. Except Någa Sir, nonewas there, even to peep in the huts of poor people. He wentin a hut and saw a sick man lying on death-bed and weeping.He wanted to give him assurance (or console him); but he wastellingóI am sinful man and not fortunate enough to have eventwo drops of holy Ganges water. Today, no one is my kinsmanwho could take me to the bank of the river Ganges (supposedlyfor last rite).

ëDo not weep. I am taking you.í Någa Sir took him onhis shoulder alone and went to the bank of Ganges. He kepthis head on his lap till the last moment and when the sick mandeparted, he performed his last rite and returned to his house.

One day a guest came to Någa Sirís house. It was winterseason and raining heavily. There were four rooms in his house;but rain water was leaking in three rooms and no space wasleft even to sit. Only one room was dry. He accommodatedhis guest in that room and he himself, along with his wife satin corridor. He told to his wifeóëToday we are very lucky.Come, let us spend the night remembering God.í

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Some Great Tyåg∂sóAncient and ModernóR. Sridharan

Tyåga is renunciation or sacrifice. We have to live a lifeof Tyåga only and not a life of Bhoga alone. If we see theancient and modern history of India, we can find umpteennumber of personalities who lived a life of Tyåga only. Theyare remembered ever for their Tyåga or Sacrifice.

In Råmåyaƒa and Mahåbhårata Epics, we find manycharacters who had made sacrifices and Tyågas. For exampleVibh∂¶aƒa is a Tyåg∂. He pointed out boldly the mistakes doneby Råvaƒa in the open court. When Råvaƒa did not heed tohis advice, Vibh∂¶aƒa boldly quit La∆kå-Råjya and came andsurrendered unto the feet of Råma. He knew the dangers facedby him. Despite that, he made ìLa∆kå-Tyågaî and joined withRåma. But luck favoured him and without his asking, he gotìLa∆kå-Pråptiî in concept before the great war and real Pråptiafter the war. This is one example of the sacrifice or Tyåga.

Before Råma, both ›abar∂ and ›arabha∆ga made Pråƒa-Tyåga or life sacrifice without any asking for the same.Similarly Bharata made Råjya-Tyåga before Råma and ruled asa regent of Råma only for the fourteen years at Nandigråma.Bharata is a great Tyåg∂ and he did not enjoy the kingship eventhough he is entitled for it. Lak¶maƒa is a Tyåg∂ as he sacrificedìYuvaråja-shipî in favour of Bharata. Why? Råma himself isa Tyåg∂. He made ìS∂tå-Tyågaî in order to satisfy the ordinaryfolks of his kingdom. He sacrificed his dear wife, knowing fullywell that she was blemishless. He did so to satisfy the wishesof his subjects. Råma did ìS∂tå-Tyågaî voluntarily only. Thus,

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in Råmåyaƒa, we can see many many Tyågas.Similarly, in Mahåbhårata also, we see many Tyågas or

sacrifices.Rantideva was a great king. In his kingdom, there was a

severe drought once upon a time. People were starving anddying. Luckily, one day Rantideva got a little food to eat. Atthat time some guest came suddenly to him with hunger.

Rantideva gave that little food to them and they weresatisfied. When he was about to drink a little bit of water toquench his thirst, God appeared as a beggar before him andasked for water. Rantideva gave that little water to the beggarand he started starving smiling. God was pleased with his Tyågaand blessed him with prosperity. Rantidevaís name is permanentlyetched in our memory for his sacrifice.

We know about ›ibi, a great emperor. He sacrificed hisentire body for the sake of a Dove and Vulture. In Bhårata,›ibi is hailed as a Tyåg∂.

In Bhågavata, we see the story of Mahar¶i Dadh∂ci.Devendra wanted to make a thunderbolt or Vajråyudha in orderto kill Vætråsura. For making Vajra, human backbone is required.When Indra approached Muni Dadh∂ci, he gladly sacrificed hislife and left that body. Then Indra took backbone from it andmade a Vajråyudha. Dadh∂ciís Tyåga is praised like anythingin the ancient lore. There are many stories of Tyåga in Bhårataand all are not listed here. These Tyåg∂s live in our memoryalways.

Åyurdåna or life-giving is the greatest sacrifice that a humanbeing can make. We have seen such an Åyurdåna in this Kaliage in the 18th Century A. D. at Karnataka. That Tyåg∂ís nameis ›r∂ Gopåla Dåsa and now, let us contemplate on the Tyågamade by him.

Mosarukallu is a small hamlet in Raichur District. Therelived a pious Brahmin by name Murår∂ Råya in 18th Century.

Some Great Tyåg∂sóAncient and Modern


To him, Bhaganna (later Gopåla Dåsa) was born. He livedbetween (1722 A. D. to 1762 A. D). He had three brothers.Murår∂ Råya died prematurely and his wife and children weredeserted penniless. They were leading an abject life of poverty.Luckily, Bhaganna attained proficiency in Astrology and wealthstarted accumulating slowly. At that time, there was a great saintby name ›r∂ Vijaya Dåsa in Karnataka. He was a Saint-composer. He converted Bhaganna from worldly profession intodivine Dåsa-hood. He was named as ›r∂ Gopåla Dåsa. He alsostarted composing a lot of songs on Gods and spiritual matter.›r∂ Vijaya Dåsa and ›r∂ Gopåla Dåsa started moving togetherteaching noble things through their songs. At that time therewas a Pundit by name ›r∂nivåsa Åcårya. He only became as›r∂ Jagannåtha Dåsa, a disciple of ›r∂ Gopåla Dåsa. ›r∂Jagannåtha Dåsa lived between 1727 A. D. to 1809 A.D. Tothis Dåsa only, Gopåla Dåsa made an Åyurdåna.

Once, Saint ›r∂ Vijaya Dåsa visited ›r∂nivåsåcåryaís countryand invited him for a Prasåda. But ›r∂nivåsåcårya did not attendit and uttered a lie for his absence. Because of that, ›r∂nivåsåcåryawas affected by a stomach ache. All treatments and Sevås didnot give any cure for the ache. Finally as per the instructionsof ›r∂ Råghavendra Swåm∂, ›r∂nivåsåcårya surrendered to ›r∂Vijaya Dåsa and Gopåla Dåsa. At that time, Gopåla Dåsa gaveJwåra Ro¢∂s to ›r∂nivåsåcårya and as per the instructions of›r∂ Vijaya Dåsa gave forty years from his age to ›r∂nivåsåcårya.This is an intangible and divine Dåna. By this Åyurdåna›r∂nivåsåcåryaís health improved and in due course he became aHaridåsa by name ›r∂ Jagannåtha Dåsa. He lived upto 82 yearsin a healthy way and composed his magnum opus ›r∂ HariKathåmæta Såra Grantha. But ›r∂ Gopåla Dåsa died prematurelyat the age of forty years. This Tyåga of forty years is the greatestTyåga and ›r∂ Gopåla is recognised as the greatest Tyåg∂ in theKali Age. He lives in our memory for his grand sacrifice of life.

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Even in 19th and 20th Centuries, many people like BhagataSi≈ha sacrificed their life for Indiaís independence and freedomfrom British Regime. They are called De‹a Tyåg∂s or Martyrs.Even Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ is a De‹a Tyåg∂ as he sacrificed hislife for National unity and Hindu-Muslim amity.

Tyåga is far far better than Bhoga.›r∂ Kæ¶ƒårpaƒamastu.

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Some Great Tyåg∂sóAncient and Modern

The spirit of service is a wonderful idea. By that thesepsychic energies are refined and purified. They becomesocially oriented. And that is the product called character. Aperson of character will only scatter peace, happiness andwelfare all around. This is a possibility for every person.


Guest-service by a Pigeon Couple

A gruesome Hunter was living on Brahmagiri near Godåvar∂.He was killing Bråhmaƒas, saints, ascetics, cows, deers andbirds regularly. He did not have a bit of mercy in his heartand was very cruel, wrathful and untruthful. His wife and sonwere also of similar nature.

One day at the instigation of his wife, he entered in a denseforest. There he hunted many animals and birds. He also cagedmany of them alive. At the fall of the day after hunting, whilereturning to his home, suddenly the sky was filled around withthick cloud and thundering terribly. Rain came down accompaniedby wind and water ball in the form of ice. Since it was rainingcats and dogs, he was in deep trouble. He was tired of walking.Due to excessive water, path and the pits thereon, were similarwith water all around. ëWhat to do and where to go !í Thatsinful was thinking.

In his contemplation, he saw a big tree at a little distance.He came there and sat down. He was completely drenched andshivering with cold. He was thinking about many matters andby then the sun was set. Now, he decided to stay there itself.A pigeon was also living on that tree. His pigeon wife wasa chaste one. That day she could not return after picking foodgrain. The pigeon was much worried. He toldóëI do not knowwhy she has not returned till now. Today it rained heavily withstorm. Whether she is safe or not. Without her this nest looksdesolated. Actually, the house is never called a house unlesswife is there and it is like a forest. If she does not return, whatis the use of my being alive ?í

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The female pigeon was also in the cage of the hunter. Whenshe heard the lamentation of the pigeon, she toldóëMy lovedone ! Today I feel fortunate that you are praising me so much.But please accept a prayer of mine today. Just see, this hunteris your guest today. He is senseless with cold, therefore, makehim healthy. Bring some grass and fire.í

Looking that his wife is there itself, he came to his senses,hearing his wifeís entreaty, he thought of doing piety. Hebrought some grass and fire in his beak and ignited the fire andwarmed the hunter. Then she toldóëMy dear please put mein fire and greet him with food because he is burning with fireof hunger.í

The pigeon toldóëMy loved one! This is not righteous actfor you, so far I am alive. Allow me for this sacrifice andhospitality of the hunter.í Saying this, he went around fire forthree times and jumped in fire remembering Bhaktavatsala four-armed Mahåvi¶ƒu. By this time the hunter was in sense andsuddenly toldóëOh ! What I did this ? I am very menial, crueland fool. Aha! This high soul pigeon had laid down his lifefor me. He disdained himself again and again.í Saying this, hefirmly decided and left for penance, leaving behind his stick,spike, net and cage.

Now, the female pigeon also performed three rounds ofpigeon and fire and toldóëFor wife it is meritorious and piousto put herself in pyre with husband. There is a provision inthe Veda and also praise in world.í With this wording, she alsojumped in the pyre turned fire. The sky was reverberated withcheers and the couple (pigeon) went to heavenly abode in acelestial chariot. Seeing them, the hunter asked with foldedhands, the means for his salvation.

Pigeon couple toldóHunter, ìYou be blessedî. You, go onthe bank of the River Godåvar∂. Having bath for fifteen days,you will be free from all the sins. After getting free from sins,

Guest-service by a Pigeon Couple


again when you will bathe in Gautam∂ (Godåvar∂) Ganges, youwill attain the merit of performing A‹vamedha Yaj¤a.

Hearing them, the hunter followed. He also left for hisheavenly abode in celestial chariot. For these, all three, pigeoncouple and hunter went to heaven. On the bank of Godåvar∂,the place where this happening took place, became famous asKapota-T∂rtha and even today it reminds that high-souled pigeonand sanctifies the mind.

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Manís duty to help his fellow beings does not necessarilyconsists of material aid. To give physical help to a neighbouris good, to give him mental and moral help so that he canhelp himself is better, and to give him God-consciousness andfreedom from ignorance through spiritual upliftment is best.

Guest-service of Dåmodara Couple

A poor Bråhmaƒa couple were living in Kanchi town.Except husband and wife none else was in the family. Bothwere generous by nature. They were uttermost self-contentedand God-devotee. Dåmodara used to beg from the village andhis wife used to cook the food. If any guest would come, hewas served well; otherwise taking out share of animals and birds,both would sleep peacefully after partaking of Prasåda. Even,if there is no alms, discontentment and unrest was never seenon their faces.

ëWho is in the house, brother ?í Most decrepit and old personcalledóëI am a guest. I am standing at your door.í

ëLord! What is the order for this servant?í Dåmodara boweddown at the pious feet of the decrepit old person and offeredprostration.

ëI have heard that you give food to a guest with muchrespect! Told the old man. Knowing that you are reverent, Ihave come to your house. I have no strength to walk but justto have a handful of food grain, I have come here.

ëMaharaja ! This is your house.í Dåmodara helped him withhis hand and palpitating heart. ëPlease come in the house.í

ëLord ! There is nothing except rags and broken earthen pot.íWife of Dåmodara clarified the condition of the house. ëTwodays have gone without food and today also nothing has beengot.í

Being quite worried Dåmodara saidóëSat∂!í We are fortunatethat a quite decrepit and totally infirm guest has come to our


house. ëDevi! Whether we will be not able to serve the guest?íSaying so, Dåmodara became restless.

ëGovinda ! Why such a hard test ?í The wife entreated Goddistressedly in mind itself. The very next moment she becamehappy. She told to her husband. ëLord ! We will serve the guestwith much fervour. Bring a scissor from the neighbour.í

ëI have brought the scissor, Devi !í Dåmodara ran out inone breath and came running with scissor.

ëCut the hair of my headí, wife told lovingly.Dåmodaraís hand shivered but heart was overwhelmed with

emotion. ëDevi ! You are most blessed.í Saying this, he cut thehair from the middle portion of her head, leaving the hair allaround the head.

His wife prepared string of those hair. Dåmodara went tomarket. Fortunately the string was sold immediately. Dåmodarabrought very happily all necessary items such as rice, pulse,flour, ghee, sugar and vegetable etc. The ingenious wifeprepared the meals with purity and love.

The guest was be-seated on wooden bed with much respectafter washing his feet. Knowing Sadhu of ëold ageí Sat∂ servedsmall quantity of food. But he was a peculiar old man. Hefinished the entire food asking for ësome more and some more.íAnd came out, chewing betel leaf.

Spreading himself on a mat, made of Ku‹a, the sage told,ëBrother ! I enjoyed your service immensely.í I have grown old.Today it is impossible to walk. For the evening, one potful ofrice will suffice.í

As your bidding! Told Dåmodara, bowing his head.ëSat∂! Guest is unable to walkí. Told Dåmodara to his wife.

ëHow will we arrange for evening food?íëDeva! Nothing to be worried. Sat∂ replied quickly, ëenough

hair is still there.íScissor was moved and hair landed on the ground. String

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was twisted. Food items were brought from the market. Foodwas prepared. The guest sat to partake of. Båbåj∂ ate to thelast morsel, repeating ësome moreí and ësome more.í

There was a mat made of grass. The guest slept on it.Nothing was left there to satisfy the hunger of Dåmodara andhis wife. They started serving him with modesty. Anguish ofappetite was minimal in comparison to the pleasure of pressinghis pious feet. The night was passing. Both, the couple fellasleep holding the feet of the sage.

The sage was an extraordinary. He was K¶∂råbdhi‹åy∂(Lord Vi¶ƒu in the guise of old sage), he was enjoying heartily,in the guise of an old man sleeping on the bed of leaves. ëBåbåis too old, body is weak. He will not be able to move in themorning also. We will serve him tomorrow by bringing somealms. He had heard with his eyes closed, what Dåmodara said.

Looking at the abdication and the mode of affectionateservice to a guest by husband and wife, eyes of the Lord, inguise of an old man who impart happiness and peace to theuniverse, became moist.

He fondled His hand on the hairless head of the Sat∂ lady.Instantly she became well-decorated with cloth and ornaments.Hair on her head grew more than what was earlier, black andlong. He also fondled His hand on the body of Dåmodara andhe became healthy and pious. The Lord glanced towards hishut and it turned into a palace. Inexhaustible wealth accumulatedthere. ëSat∂! My obeisance to your feet,í uttered the supremeLord. ëYou will go to the heaven duly fulfilling your desirefor lifelong. I will be always with you as your shadow.í

God disappeared.Sat∂ was surprised, all the incidence of yesterday was well

in her mind. How these hair grew as were earlier? Rare clothing,ornaments, palace wherefrom these have come overnight ? Sheawoke her husband. Dåmodara did not believe his own eyes,

Guest-service of Dåmodara Couple


and the very next moment he ran like mad. ëSat∂! Where hasgone the old guest ?í He went around the village, but he wasfound nowhere.

ëHe was not an ordinary guest, Devi !í Told Dåmodarathrilled in rapture. He was Karuƒåsindhu (Ocean of mercy). Hehas gifted all this wealth to us just like to Sudåmå. Oh! Wecould not appraise Him.

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According to divine law, the superior position is that ofservice. Heavenly beings find supreme joy, not in receivingempty adoration, but helping one another serve the universalorder as Godís angels and an aiding in the upliftment andliberation of souls.

Self-sacrifice for Community Service

A long dam was constructed near ›webµu village in Burma.Farmers of surrounding villages had contributed to it. It washoped that after rainy season, farmers could irrigate their fieldswith Damís water. But after all arrangements, something untowardwas always feared. All of sudden it rained heavily in the night.The river was flooded. It seemed that water of the river afterbreaking its bank, will enter in the Dam. Thus, assuming theDam may give away, the farmers became restlessóand howlong the houses, made of bamboos, will stand the onslaughtof flood? Scenes of would be destruction of menfolk andanimals, were reflecting before them.

To draw the attention of the people, the guards fired thegun-shot in air. Inhabitants of the village gathered to take careof the Dam. They started piling on soil, stone and sand at thebank of the Dam.

A man namely Må∆ga was entrusted with the responsibilityof checking whether the Dam was not anywhere weak. Whileon move, Må∆ga noticed a long narrow hole in the Dam atone place and water from river is coming in from that hole.If not checked immediately, it will not be possible to block thehole later as it will turn much bigger within few moments.Finding no other option, Må∆ga pushed his body against thathole and stood there. Apart from rain, there was cold windblowing and Må∆ga kept standing pushing his body against thecurrent of the river water under rain. His body became stiffand suffered tremendous pain in bones due to cold. At last hebecame senseless due to pain. But even then body of that brave


man did not allow force of water to come in.ëWhere has Må∆ga gone ?í Other people of village inquired;

because he had not given any information about his surveillanceof the Dam. They themselves went to see the Dam. They noticedthe senseless body of the Må∆ga, pushed against Dam.

ëMå∆ga!í But Må∆ga was in a fit and then who could reply?When people removed his body, the river water started comingin forcibly. Other person stood against that hole. Some peopletook Må∆ga to village and few other people blocked the hole.

Burmese mothers use to tell their children, even today, thestory of the bravery and abdication of Må∆ga.

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This much is the fruitfulness of the birth of embodiedcreatures in this world that they should constantly do goodalone to other embodied souls through their wealth, intellectand speech.

óSrimad Bhagavata

Social Service of Guru TegabahåduraóShivakumar Goyal

Guru Tegabahådura was a devotee of supreme power andbenevolent great personage. He was a great poet and a literaryperson. Once he was touring the villages of Punjab for preachingreligion, he was preaching to shun addiction of intoxicated itemsand to lead simple and virtuous life and inspiring people to repeatdivine names. Wherever he used to go in villages, he wassermonizing to peopleóyou should see that neighbour is notwithout food. If any guest come to village, to arrange for theirfood and other welfare is our foremost dutyósuch service andbenevolence is the greatest virtue.

Guruj∂ reached in Hadiyåyå village of Bhatinda. He campedunder a ›∂‹ama tree on the bank of a pond. He got to knowthat an epidemic had spread over in the village and many peoplehave died. People were suspicious that due to fury of evil spirit,the disease has taken devastating form. Guruj∂ saw that waterin the pond was dirty. Villagers are somehow managing to drinkwater from this pond only. It took him no time to understandthat the reason of the disease is dirty water of this pond. Waterpollution is spreading due to this dirt. His heart melted.

Guru Tegabahåduraj∂ announced that pond will be purifiedthrough Kårasevå (service in general). He himself entered inthe pond. Took out the dirt with his own hands. Hundreds ofpeople of the village joined him. Within no time the pond wascleaned. Within a few days arrangement was made for purifiedwater. The village became free from disease.

This pond was named after ëGurusara.í Even today,Gurusara is the witness of servitude of Guru Tegabahåduraj∂.

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Tyåga of a MotheróM. L. Narasimham

In a village near Bangalore, a poor family lived. The wifeand husband prayed the God to bless them with a son. Aftera decade, the couple was blessed with a son. At the age of fiveyears, the son lost his father. Suddenly the mother and theson became very poor due to lack of income. The motherworked as sweeper in nearby houses, and with that smallearning, sent her son to the school. One day while the son wasreturning from school, he met with an accident and becameunconscious. The mother joined her son in the hospital withthe help of neighbours.

The son lost one eye. With the Doctorís advice, the mothergave her eye to her son with the Doctorís treatment. She toldthem not to tell her son about this incident. The son waseducated well with scholarships as he was intelligent.

He got an officer post in Government office and marriedan educated rich girl. He left his mother in the village and wentto the city and lived there. The poor mother did not feel unhappyand wanted her son to be happy with his family in the city.The young couple got a son and daughter.

The poor woman became old and wanted to see her sonin the city. With the help of an educated person, who was hersonís friend, came to her sonís house which was a beautifulbuilding with servants. Her daughter -in-law got angry on seeingthe poor old woman, who got only one eye. The old motherobserved the situation and wanted to return after seeing her son.

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The officer came by car with his son and daughter and sawhis mother. The children asked their father about the oldwoman. He did not tell any thing. The mother felt very sadbut controlled herself. She got satisfaction that her son is happywith his family. She returned to her village with the neighbour.

Ten years passed. The village became town. The smallschool became high school. The Head Master and the Managementinvited the Higher official, the Director of School Education,who was an old student of that school, to the Annual DayCelebration. The officer came by Government vehicle from thecity. The function was completed. The Management facilitatedthe Director in high level and praised him as he was the oldstudent of that institution.

That officer who was the only one son to the poor mother,wanted to see his mother, with one eye. He entered the ruinedsmall house, in which his childhood and education werecompleted. He did not find his mother. He enquired theneighbours. They told that she died two months back. Theygave him an old bag of the old woman. The officer gotrepentance and felt much unhappy that he could not see hismother in the last moment. When he opened the bag, he gota letter which was written by his friend in which the motheríslast message was given.

ìDear son, donít feel unhappy. My blessings are with you.Be happy with your family. In your childhood you met withan accident. Then you lost your eye. Then, with the advice ofthe Doctor on my request, I gave my eye to you. Due to thatI lived with only one eye; and I told the Doctors not to tellthis matter to anybody that you should not feel inferiority ofone eye, but I feel proud that my son is in high position andI can see the world with my eye which is in you.î

On seeing the last word of his mother, he cried and criedand cursed himself due to his ill-treatment about his mother.

Tyåga of a Mother


He could not see the Divine Mother, who sacrificed for hisfuture.

The word of ›a∆kara Bhagavatpåda in “Œ√ÿ¬⁄UÊœˇÊ◊Ê¬ŸSÃÊòÊ◊˜” isremembered about the Tyåga of the mother.

∑È§¬ÈòÊÊ ¡ÊÿÃ `§ÁøŒÁ¬ ∑È§◊ÊÃÊ Ÿ ÷flÁÃ–The son may become bad, but the mother never becomes

a bad mother.❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Fields for ServiceNurse the sick.Feed the hungry.Clothe the naked.Comfort the afflicted.Console the distressed.Cheer the unhappy.

óSwami Sivananda

Divine Worship of SålabegaóAcharya Dr.Udainatha JhaëAshokí

At the time of Emperor Jahång∂ra, Commander of Bihar wasLålabega. He was most ferocious having sound physique.About half of the present Odissa was under his commander-ship. Whenever he happened to come to this area, he used toset his camp in Cuttack and controlling his work from thereitself. To please Jahång∂ra, he planned to make an attack on›r∂ Jagannåtha Temple of Puri. In this array when he wascoming to Puri from Cuttack, he stopped for bathing in a villagenamely ëDåƒŒa Mukundapuraí. He saw a middle-aged widowlady there itself. Charmed with her beauty, he kidnapped andmarried her forcibly bringing her in Cuttack. He got a son fromthis widow and named him Sålabega. The mother nurtured theson with her rich culture. He was very reverential and God-fearing by heart but being great devotee of his father outwardly,he was also performer of Namåja for three times.

After the death of Lålabega, once Sålabega went in a warand was seriously injured with the arrow of his enemy. Thewound was not getting cured. Pain was increasing. Almost amonth passed away but there was no sign of recuperation. Themother was completely broken with the groaning of the son.She told to the sonóëMedicine and prayer all have gone invain. Now you do Sevå of ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa, pray to Jagannåtha, onlyHe can cure you.í He was already reverential by heart, he wasnot able to bear the pain. The desperate man does all things.

He told to his mother that I have no strength to worshiptwo gods at a time, whom to prayóeither ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa orJagannåtha ? Mother got him understoodóëSon, both are same,


there is no difference between them. You worship either of themand it will be done for both automatically.í Then the motherlet him listen the stories of both forms of Gods. The son wasdeep drown in the prayer of the God. He brought a woodenidol of Jagannåtha and engaged himself in adoration from thecore of his heart. He was so much engrossed in prayer thathe forgot his pain during prayer. He himself used to do thebathing of the idol, decorate it, offer the Bhoga, perform Årat∂with lighting sandal stick and lamp. Japa of ë“Ÿ◊Ê ÷ªflÃ flÊ‚ÈŒflÊÿ””and offering flowers was his daily routine. He became so muchcredulous and God-fearing that he never took his food unlessthe God partook of it. In the beginning, when he was offeringthe Bhoga but the God never ate it. He was perturbed to suchan extent that he abandoned taking food. The mother tried herbest but the son was not ready, ëtill Jagannåthaj∂ will not partakeof, I will also remain hungry.í

For many days, Jagannåthaj∂ did not partake of the Bhogaand so also Sålabega his food. Sålabega became feeble and wasabout to die, even than he was not slack in the service ofJagannåthaj∂. But, what is it ? Todayís offered Bhoga bySålabega, was getting reduced before his eyes. He called hismother and many other people also ran to him. Mother toldóëSon ! You are the winner. Jagannåthaj∂ has partaken of theBhoga.í Sålabega also partook of his food. From now onwards,this happening continued. His fidelity and faith became soexcessive that sleeping-awaking, sitting-standing, every momentthe idol of Jagannåthaj∂ was visible to him. He was deeplyengrossed in the service of Lord Jagannåtha by his heart, speechand Dhyåna. Kind to His devotee, Lord Jagannåtha blessedSålabega and he was feeling healthy as he was before.

The credulous and trustful Sålabega became free fromworldly enjoyment and for his redemption, he took Sa≈nyåsa.Remaining for several days in Puri, he composed many devotional

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songs and remained engrossed in the adoration and service ofLord Jagannåtha. Though his entry in the temple was barredeven then he continued to have Trikåladar‹ana of Patitapåwana,standing at the temple gate. The idol which he had brought fromCuttack, was with him all the time at the bank of ëBaŒa ° dåƒŒa.íAfter offering Bhoga to Him, he satisfied himself with the left-over. At the time of Rathayåtrå when the idol of Dårubrahmawas taken out, he used to gaze his face, doing Årat∂ with sandalstick and lamp continued Japa of ë“Ÿ◊Ê ÷ªflÃ flÊ‚ÈŒflÊÿ””. He usedto take rest but not before Godís entering in GuƒŒ∂cå Temple.

Once he went to Vrindavana for Dar‹ana of Lord ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa,on his return journey he was thinking to reach Puri on the holyoccasion of Rathayåtrå anyhow so that he could have Dar‹anaof Lord ›r∂ Jagannåthaóas having vision of God in chariot,but none is powerful to stop divine dispensation one does nottake rebirth. He was late, continued his journey weeping wailing.His sorrowful heart was crying loudlyóthis time Dar‹ana ofMahåprabhu is not possible, but the sport of the God is beyondimagination, whoever has adored Him with truthful heart, howHe will dishearten him! As soon as the chariot of LordJagannåtha ëNandigho¶aí reached near the hermitage of Sålabeganear BalagaƒŒ∂, the chariot stopped. People tried their best butnot to avail and then fearing with the hidden peril, peoplebecame busy to find out its reason. Amongst many possibilities,someone told that devotee Sålabega is not here, he has notreturned from Vrindavana. It seems that to wait for him, Lordis standing before his hermitage. Truly, this happened, third daySålabega returned from Vrindavana and he had the Dar‹anaof Jagannåtha, then only the chariot moved forward. He wasin total madness after having Dar‹ana of his I¶¢adeva. He neverthought that Mahåprabhu will wait for him for three daysstanding before his hermitage.

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Divine Worship of Sålabega

Bahiƒåbå∂óThe Ideal Spouse

There is a small river, Devanada flowing in a village inSouth. A sacred pilgrimage is also there. Very near to thatpilgrimage in Deogaon, a Bråhmaƒa, Åµuj∂ Kulakarƒ∂ was living.His wifeís name was Jånak∂. Bahiƒåbå∂ was born of that piouslady.

After some time Åµuj∂, along with his son-in-law, wife anddaughter proceeded for pilgrimage. Moving from one place toanother for about two years, they reached Karav∂ra region. Therelived an Agnihotr∂ Bråhmaƒa, an expert in scriptures and hekept all of them with him. In this village, there is a temple of›r∂ Lak¶m∂j∂ and this region is famously known as Dak¶iƒa Kå‹∂.There in those days K∂rtana by ›r∂ Jayaråma Goswåm∂ wasbeing held. Their mind was deep drawn in pious and pleasuregiving Satsa∆ga.

ëYou please take this cow and calfíóletting the tether ofcow in the hand of Åµuj∂, Agnihotr∂ told. He had availed thiscow as a gift from one of the Yajamåna; but he had dreamtin the nightóëYou present this cow along with calf to the guest.í

Bahiƒåbå∂ was extremely happy to have the cow with calf.She started serving the cow very lovingly. Duly served withtoo much love, the cow and calf both turned to be as closerelative of Bahiƒåbå∂. The calf was so attached to Bahiƒå thatall the time he remained with her only. Wherever Bahiƒåhappened to go, calf also used to go. Even in K∂rtana calf usedto remain there. When Bahiƒå offered prostration, the calf alsoused to bow his head down touching the ground. Not only that,even the cow happen to low as and when Bahiƒå went out.

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The cow used to eat grass or drink water given by Bahiƒå only.Seeing the cow and calf, people were commenting that bothare high-souled persons deviated from Yoga.

One day K∂rtana of Goswåm∂ ›r∂ Jayaråmaj∂, was inprogress at a place of a gentleman called, Moropanta. Calf wasalso sitting there with Bahiƒå. Mind of Bahiƒå and the calf wasso much engrossed in K∂rtana that they forgot everything, evenabout themselves. Other participants in K∂rtana programme, werealso very pleased and enjoyed it immensely.

Hearing the praise of Bahiƒå, very next day, her husbandwas furious and burning like fire. He doubted her and afflictedphysical torture and tied her with rope. Seeing the torture ofBahiƒå, the cow and calf were dead like. They even did notraise their head towards grass and water. Then Bahiƒå was setfree. Carrying grass and water, Bahiƒå went to the cow andcalf but they did not take anything. Bahiƒå also did not eatand slept near them for the whole night.

That day Bahiƒå prayed with great painóìO God! Husbandis the only means of salvation for a woman but my husbandis discontent with me. I am very sinful. It is you only tosafeguard meî and she slept prayingó

◊Í∑¢§ ∑§⁄UÊÁÃ flÊøÊ‹¢ ¬XÔ‰¢U ‹YÔUÿÃ ÁªÁ⁄U◊˜–ìYou make the mute eloquent and make the crippled cross

the mountain.îThe very next day all of sudden this came out from the

mouth of ›r∂ Agnihotr∂j∂ and immediately from the mouth ofthe calf. So escapedó

ÿà∑Î§¬Ê Ã◊„¢U flãŒ ¬⁄U◊ÊŸãŒ◊Êœfl◊˜–ìBy the grace of blissful Lord Kæ¶ƒa, it so happens. I bow

to him.îThus, the ›loka was completed. The calf fell down on the

ground and died.Coming to her house, people noticed that Bahiƒå is lying



unconscious. She was treated in various way but all efforts wentin vain. In her unconscious state, she felt as any old Bråhmaƒais uttering that ëget up ! Remember the God.í Bahiƒå openedher eyes and saw that the lamp was twinkling. She closed eyesand had visible vision of God PåƒŒura∆ga. She was restlessto have a worthy preceptor. When she prayed with perplexedmind, ›r∂ Tukåråmaj∂ manifested himself before her and toldóìI am always with you, you need not worry.î She got up andsat down. All around praise of Bahiƒå, was there.

Seeing all these happenings, her husband again got infuriatedand toldóìI donít want to maintain any kind of relation withyou. You go to your fatherís place. He scolded her underinfluence of anger.î Bahiƒå was sobbing. For her, none wasto rely upon except the prayer to Almighty. She continued topray God, to set her husbandís reason right.

Suddenly her husband fell sick. He never followed thequoth of any other person, only Bahiƒå was serving him dayand night. There was unbearable pain and heat in his body.No treatment worked successfully. He did not take any foodor water either for a month. One day he thought, ëMay be thereason that due to disrespect of recital and prayer of God, mighthave caused me this sorrowful stateí. Thinking so, he prayedóìO God ! If disrespect of prayer and scolding to Bahiƒå, isthe reason for my sufferings, then I vow to the God that I willnot repeat such wrongdoing in future.î

Lord PåƒŒura∆ga disguising as old Bråhmaƒa in dream, toldhimóìYour wife is virtuous. You are fortunate to have her.Why you are not becoming like her? His eyes opened. Thenand there he swore by oath that he will not cause any sufferingto Bahiƒå and he will also not disturb in her prayer and worshipof God.î

Then after, they went to Dehugaon to have Dar‹ana ofTukåråmaj∂. There Bahiƒå saw Tukåråmaj∂ in similar appearance

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as she had seen in dream. Her happiness had no bound.Arrangements for their stay there, were made in the house ofa Bråhmaƒa named KoƒŒåj∂.

Bahiƒå became very happy. She was fortunate to haveDar‹ana of pious saints and K∂rtana of God and listening ofdivine discourses everyday. This was her assets.

Bahiƒå was a great devotee, a chaste lady and full of alldivine qualities. Without considering any difference betweenhusband, preceptor and God, she served all equally. The rootof her devotion was none else but true service to her husband.Due to her chastity, she liberated her husband also from thisworldly attachment and sufferings, and took him to a place ofeternal bliss and peace.

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Blazing example of King ›ibi Cakravartiís single act ofadhering to his duty as a king, giving protection to one whosought shelter from danger and at the same time, satisfyingone who had asked for charity, stands out as a great sourceof inspiration for all times.

óSwami Chidananda

Beatitude by Serving All Beings

One saint was preaching regularly on Vedånta (Theology)superbly. Many ladies and gents were listening to him. Amongstthem, there was a poor Rajput, who used to sell eatablesógram and peanuts in Khoncå (a shallow basket made of bamboo)near the hermitage by the side of a well. He too did hear thediscourses very attentively. One day he told to the saintó ìLord!I am listening the discourses since quite some time veryattentively; I have understood the nature of Åtman throughpositive and negative inference (Anvaya-Vyatireka). But I havenot attained the beatitude which actually I should have attained.What is the reason for this?î The saint toldóìThere must beany impediment,î with withdrawal of the same, you will havethe beatitude. The Rajput was voiceless.

One day he was sitting with his selling basket near the wellunder shade. It was summer season. Sun was on its peak. Hotwind was blowing. It was midday. In the meantime, a cobblercame with a bulky bundle of wood on his head. He wasdrenched in sweat. His eyes were deep red and was tired. Themoment he reached near the well, he fell down impatiently andgot fainted. The Rajput took him immediately under shade andvented him with his shawl, arranged syrup and started droppingin his mouth slowly. Doing this an hour elapsed. Then heopened his eyes. The Rajput fed him two handful of gram andalso quenched his thirst with cold water. He became afresh. Hewas blessing with his heart and soul. He saw towards the Rajputgratefully and went away.

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At that very time, the Rajput attained beatitude. His heartwas filled with joy in attainment of beatitude. He went to thesaint and told him these all about. The saint toldóìYou serveda human being with selflessness and due to this act of yours,impediment has disappeared. The spiritual aspirants should everbe devoted to the welfare of all beings.î

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Beatitude by Serving All Beings

Not to do any evil to anybody; not to think of doing anyevil to anybody and not to regard anybody as evil, is theëSevåí of the Whole Universe.

óSwami Ramsukhdas

Service to Lord Nåråyaƒain the Guise of Poor

In the history of European saints, the name of saintóaresident of Italy Francis of Assiseis is immortal. This incidenceis antecedent to his dispassionate life. He was young. He hadmuch liking for music and melody etc. Artists and musicianswere much revered by him, and being the son of the richmerchant of twelfth century in Italy, he was foremost for hismagnanimity and in charitable disposition. Not a single beggarwould return empty handed in his presence.

Once he was sitting in his shop, selling silken cloth. Hisfather was inside the shop. Francis was talking to a richcustomer, suddenly he saw a beggar before his shop. The beggarkept standing in the hope of getting something. Francis was busyin talking. When the talks were over and customer left, thenFrancis remembered about the beggar, but he was not there.

ëWhat a great sin I have committed !í He went out in searchof the beggar, leaving the shop ajar. Assets of lakhs of rupeeswas there but he was worryless about this.

He was almost running, asking each of the shop-owner andpassersby about the beggar. He was drenched in sweat. Peoplefelt that the beggar has stolen some material. Peculiar was thepain of Francisís heart. His eyes were on the look out of thebeggar only and he was cursing himself that a guest in disguiseof beggar returned from his door without respect. All of a suddenhe danced with joy. He saw the beggar at some distance, heran to him and embraced.

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ëBrother ! I made a big mistake. Money matters are suchthat a man becomes blind after getting involved in them. Francistold him about his compulsion; gave away all money of hisown and also clothed him with his own coat.í

ëMay goodness betide you.í The beggar blessed him!Francis breathed a sigh of relief seeing the beggar happy.

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Service to Lord Nåråyaƒa in the Guise of Poor

Renunciation dissolves the ego which is the root of allfaults and vices. Renunciation means the dissolution of body-consciousness.

óSwami Sharanananda

Saintís Spirit of Service

The renowned saint Serapiyo of Egypt, was famous for hisspirit of renunciation. He is of unlimited fame in the historyof saints of fourth century. He was always wearing gown ofthick cloth and occasionally would sell it to help distressedpeople. Even he used to sell himself, if need be so, for certainfixed period for financial support to the poor.

Once he met his close friend. He was surprised to see thesaint in pitiable condition. ìBrother ! Who compels you to livewithout cloth and food?î Asked his friend.

This is not to be asked but to feel. Looking the necessityof poor and helpless, I cannot keep control over myself. Thisis the order of my religious book that ìyou sell out your entirebelongings to help the sufferers.î I have shaped my life to obeythe order of the God. The saint clarified to his friend.

ìBut, where is your that religious book?î Questioned thefriend.

ìI have sold that book also to fulfil the need of helpless.The book, which sermonizes one to sell his all household articlesfor serving others, that book could also be sold at the time ofsuch need. Its advantage is twofold; firstly, the fortunate wouldbe the man who will possess this divine book, his spirit ofsacrifice will become elegant; and secondly, the proceedsreceived in exchange thereof, will be properly utilized for thenoble cause of poor and destitute.î Serapiyo replied in verysimple and modest way.

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Learning from Gurusevå

It was a rainy season, rain had started. Åyodadhaumya §R¶iinstructed his disciple, ÅruƒióìGo and put boundary in thepaddy field so that water do not flow out of the field.î

Åruƒi reached the field. Boundary was damaged and waterfrom the field, was flowing out speedily. Åruƒi tried his levelbest to amend it but it was in vain. Flow of water was so speedythat whatever soil he put, was being swept away. When he didnot succeed then he laid himself crosswise the boundary. Thus,flow of water stopped.

Lying there in water, body of Åruƒi became stiff. Leechesand other aquatic creatures were biting him, but he keptunmoved. He did not try to leave the place and the whole nighthe himself kept laid there.

As the night befell, Dhaumya §R¶i became worried. He askedhis other disciplesóìWhere is Åruƒi?î

Disciples toldóìYour honour had sent him to put theboundary in the field, since then he has not returned.î

§R¶i could not sleep for the whole night. At the very dawn,along with disciples, he reached near the field and startedcallingóìSon Åruƒi! Where you are?î

Almost senseless, Åruƒi heard the voice of his preceptorand repliedóìLord! I am lying here to stop the flow of thewater.î

§R¶i immediately reached there and ordered Åruƒi to get up.The moment Åruƒi got up, §R¶i embraced him and toldóëVatsa!Since you have come out ripping the field, therefore, from now


onward you will be known as Uddålaka. All Vedas andscriptures will enlighten your mind and you will remain blissfulin this world and also in the next.

With the bliss of his preceptor, Åruƒi became learned onein all the scriptures. He is known as Uddålaka §R¶i.

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No freedom without renunciation. Highest love for Godcan never be achieved without renunciation.

óSwami Vivekananda

Devotion of ›rawaƒa Kumåra to His Parents

›rawaƒa Kumåra was Vai‹ya by caste. His parents becameblind. He was serving them with great reverence and care andtried to fulfil their all wishes. He prepared a bamboo with stingsat both ends for carrying two baskets on the shoulder with hisparents seated in these baskets, he went on pilgrimage. Thereis a custom for Bråhmaƒa to beg for livelihood but for othercaste, if they are poor and are on pilgrimage, they should becontented for their livelihood whatever someone gives at theirown, but ›rawaƒa Kumåra used to bring fruits and other eatablesavailable in the forest to satisfy his parents and himself. He wasnot accepting even any food-grain from others. Thus, on hisway to pilgrimage, he reached in a forest near Ayodhya. Inthe night his parents were thirsty. ›rawaƒa Kumåra took hiswater-pot and went to bring water from the river Sarayµu.

When anyone guards his righteousness acts carefully, he isprotected by his righteousness from all the misfortunes; on thecontrary if someone deviates and goes beyond the ambit ofrighteousness, through inadvertence, then occurrence of somewrongdoing is possible and its outcome is felt forthwith.Scriptures says, it is a sin to kill an elephant except in war-field. Secondly, there is also a propriety that without making sure,mere on surmise, one should not use weapons in any circumstances.At the same time King Da‹aratha alone went out on hunting.In those days wild elephants may be living in the forest nearAyodhya. The moment ›rawaƒa Kumåra dipped his water-potin the river, it sounded alike the trumpeting of an elephant. The


king assumed that some elephant is drinking wateróthe kingdischarged the arrow in the direction of the sound (Da‹arathawas expert in shooting only on hearing the sound of any beasteven without seeing them). Firstly, the arrow was shot onassumption and secondly, assuming even an elephant, itsshooting was not justified; because hunting of an elephant isprohibited. The arrow hurt ›rawaƒa Kumåra in his chest, hefell down crying loudly and was groaning.

The king reached there on hearing the sound and saw thatan innocent boy dressed in bark, is lying on the ground,besmeared with blood and dust. The mass of matted hair is putout of order and the crater of his pitcher is out. Seeing the king,he toldóëO king! Why did you hurt me since I have notcommitted any crime to you? My parents are weak and blind.I had come here to take water for them. They must be waitingfor me. How they will know that I am lying here in thiscondition. Even if they happened to know, they are unable towalk. I am not sorrowful for my death; but for aftermath tomy parents. You go and pass on this news to them, and quenchtheir thirst.í

The king was perturbed with grief. ›rawaƒa directed himthe route to reach to his parents and assured him that ëyou willnot incur the sin of murdering a Bråhmaƒa, I am not aBråhmaƒa, I am a Vai‹ya. But it is very painful to me. Pleasepull out your arrow from my chest.í

As soon as the arrow was pulled, he breathed his last tossingabout, in pain and quivering. Now, the king filled the water-pot with water of Sarayµuj∂ and regretfully reached near ›rawaƒaísparents. Reaching there somehow he managed to tell them hiscrime with heavy heart. The old and blind couple got perplexed,hearing the news of death of their son. Weeping profusely, theytold to the king that he take us near to the dead body of myson.í King Da‹aratha took both of them on his shoulder and

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reached there. At very that time, the king saw that ›rawaƒa,the son of an ascetic, because of his servitude to his parents,is going in heaven sitting in a celestial chariot in heavenlyappearance. He told his parents assuring themóI have achievedthis supremity only because of my service to both of you. Donot grieve for me. You will also be coming to me shortly.

After that they got to arrange dry woods and kept the deadbody of ›rawaƒa on that pyre. After bathing in Sarayµuj∂, theyoffered ëlibationsí to their son and both threw themselves in thatvery pyre. At the last moment in the heat of agony, they cursedthe kingóëas we are dying in bereavement of our son, youwill also die through grief, born of separation from your son.í

Parents of ›rawaƒa also went to the supreme world becauseof merits of their son. In this manner, serving his parents andby virtue of that righteousness, ›rawaƒa redeemed his parentsalso.

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Devotion of ›rawaƒa Kumåra to His Parents

Service of Mother

ìO God! Shower happiness and pleasure on my sorrowfulson. May saints remain happy with him and his life be piousand deep drown in Godís love.î

Saint Båyaj∂da was hearing this prayer of his mother,standing at the threshold. Living out of home, he performedthe most severe penance. Being benefited, that he resolved tosee his mother. After a long gap he reached his house.

ëMother! Your sorrowful son has comeí. Båyaj∂daís heartwas filled with motherly affection. Overwhelmed with affectionhe called his mother. Recognizing the voice of her son, themother opened the door hurriedly and embraced Båyaj∂da toher bosom. Tears streamed forth from the eyes of old lady.Fondling hands over his head, the mother toldóëSon! After somany days you took care of mine. Remembering you, weepingand wailing all the times, I am now on the verge of death.í

ëMotherí! The ascetic saint told weepinglyóëI am a greatfool. Now I realize the virtue of the duty which I ignoredoverlapping and went far away. The benefit of severe austeritywhich I obtained, I could have availed more of that very easily,if I would have served you. Now I would not do anything exceptto serve you.í

Båyaj∂da was very careful about his motherís service. Onenight the mother asked for water. Båyaj∂da did not find waterin any pot and he went to fetch the water from the river. Onreturn he saw his mother was in deep sleep. He kept standingholding the water-pot in his hand. His fingers were shiveringwith cold but he could not put the pot on the ground fearing

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that a bit sound may disturb the sleep of his mother and heremained like statue holding the water-pot. When mother wasawake, then he made her drink water and obtained herblessings.

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Service of Mother

To be a Sevaka is the way to make progress but to calloneself a Sevaka is to go down.

One who depends on alms for his living and is free ofdesires for money and enjoyments, he alone can do real Sevå.

Renunciation in Marriage

First wife of King ›r∂ Gondavalekara had died. After twoor four months his mother compelled him to marry again. Dueto his devotion towards mother, he could not refuse to marryagain but he accepted it on the condition that he himself wouldchoose his wife. All the members of the family were happyfor the fact that somehow or other, on some condition the kinghas agreed to marry again.

Talks regarding marriage were continuously going on athome. People from this village and other villages, were bringingtheir marriageable daughters for the choice of the king. Theking did not choose any of those. The members of the familyand the village people, were worried as to the king would marryor not.

Worry of the king was of another kind. He was a man ofdivine insight. He knew that there was a poor Bråhmaƒa ›r∂Sakheråma Panta De‹apåƒŒe of ÅtpaƒŒ∂ village. He was verymuch worried day and night about the marriage of his blinddaughter. Knowing this fact the kingís heart was moved verymuch to be compassionate on him. The king went to ÅtpaƒŒ∂village and offered himself as the groom for his daughterísmarriage, if he so desired. He was so joyful as if one cravingfor crumbs of bread, had got sweets, as his food. ThatBråhmaƒa married his blind daughter to the king. This is anexample of true renunciation.

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A Wonder of Dedication to Sevå

Maryådåpuru¶ottama Vi‹wasamrå¢ ›r∂ Råghavendra wasseated on the throne of Ayodhya. His all brothers were lookingfor an opportunity to serve their Lord; but ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ wasso prompt that he hardly allows any service to remain unserviced.All services, irrespective of big or small, he did alone. Beingdesperate then all brothers went to Mother Jånak∂j∂ for help.With Her permission Bharataj∂, Lak¶maƒaj∂ and ›atrughnaKumåra jointly chalked out a plan. A list of all services of theLord was prepared. Who will perform which duty and whenwas penned down. When ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ went for bath in theriver Sarayµuj∂, taking benefit of his absence, the list was putbefore the Lord. He saw that His all three brothers are standingwith folded hands. The list did not have the name of ›r∂Hanumånj∂. The Omniscient Lord smiled. He quietly gave consentand put His signature on the list.

When ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ returned after bathing and just wantedto perform some service then ›atrughna Kumåra barred himóìHanumånj∂! This service is mine. The Lord has assigned theservices to all.î

ìWhatever dispensation the Lord has given or consented,is totally acceptable to me.î ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ stood up. Heexpressed his desire to have a look at the list and then he toldthat I will perform the duty which is not included in the list.

ìYes, you please do the remaining services, not includedin the list,î Lak¶maƒaj∂ told smilingly. But ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ waslooking at the face of the Lord for His consent. When


Maryådåpuru¶ottama gave His consent, then Pawana KumåratoldóìAt the time of Lordís yawning, I will serve my Lordby snapping my fingers.î

No one had cared for this service. The Lord had alreadygiven His consent. ›r∂ Hanumånj∂ sat in front of the Lordísthrone. He has to watch His face attentively, because yawningtime is not fixed. Somehow the whole day elapsed. All thetime, even while bathing, and taking food, Hanumånj∂ was there.At the fall of evening the Lord went for rest in inner apartment,then Hanumånj∂ also followed Him. The female servant at theentrance prevented his entry in inner apartmentóyou cannot goinside.

Hanumånj∂ went straight away on the top of the palace andsat down on the parapet and started snapping his fingers. There,in inner apartment, when the Lord opened His mouth foryawning, it remained open only. Then ›r∂ Jånak∂j∂ askedóìWhat happened to you ?î But unless He shut His mouth, howto speak? Visibly perplexed, ›r∂ Jånak∂j∂ conveyed the newsto Mother Kau‹alyå. The mother ran down inside. In very shortspan of time the news spread over the whole palace. All mothersand brothers gathered. All were surprised, all sad; nothing wasunderstandable to none. The Lordís mouth is open and He isnot answering to anyone.

At the last Mahar¶i Vasi¶¢haj∂ was informed. The great sagereached the palace in the night itself. The Lord adored him andput his head on the pious feet of Vasi¶¢haj∂ but did notutter anything and His mouth still open. The Omniscient Mahar¶ilooked around and askedóìWhere is Hanumån? Just call him.î

Servants ran in search of Hanumånj∂. The moment Hanumånj∂appeared before the Lord, He closed His mouth. Now, Vasi¶¢haj∂asked Hanumånj∂óìWhat were you doing?î

Hanumånj∂ toldóìMy duty isóto snap my fingers whenLord is yawning. But when He will yawn, is not known to

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me. To avoid faltering in my duty, I was snapping my fingerscontinuously.î

This time Maryådåpuru¶ottama spokeóìIf Hanumån goeson snapping his fingers, Råma should keep yawning.î

The mystery got unfolded. Mahar¶i departed. Bharataj∂,other brothers and ›r∂ Jånak∂j∂ toldóìPawana Kumåra ! Youforgo this snapping. Do your services as usual and as doneearlier.î This was a merriment of Mother S∂tåj∂ and Bharataj∂,Lak¶maƒaj∂ etc. This was not that they all wanted to deprive›r∂ Hanumånj∂ of Lordís service.

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A Wonder of Dedication to Sevå

Unless a man becomes a servant of God through andthrough, his service would only be of the category of ëgooddeedsí.

Service of Guest by Vidyåsågara

∫‹waracandra Vidyåsågara was living in Kharmå TåƒŒa atthat time. One man came searching him with some exigencies.He came to know from that person that he had been searchingVidyåsågaraj∂ for last few days and reached there, wanderingin Kolkata and also some other places. Vidyåsågaraj∂ told himóìSee, food is ready. First you take your food and then afterwe will talk.î But he was an ordinary person. No one has interestin poor person. Wherever he went, none had offered him evenwater. Seeing the munificent nature of a highly dignified personlike Vidyåsågaraj∂, suddenly tears rolled down from his eyes.Vidyåsågaraj∂ askedóìWhy are you weeping? I have told youto take food, if anything is unbecoming in this, then pleaseexcuse me. If you do not like to take food of my house thenyou cook your food yourself. I am arranging everything rightnow.î

The guest toldóìYour kindness has made me to weep. Ihave been wandering for so many days and none has receivedme with courtesy, no question of asking food and water, ratherno one asked me even to sit and you......î But Vidyåsågaraj∂was not accustomed to hear his own acclaim. He intervenedand toldóìNothing to worry. It is the duty of all human beingsto respect the all guests who come to him. You finish yourfood immediately.î

When he finished his food, then Vidyåsågaraj∂ asked aboutthe purpose of his coming to him and he fulfilled that purposealso.

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True Server of the Country(Mahåmanå Målav∂yaj∂ )

Pandit Madanamohana Målav∂ya was the living symbol withdifferent ideal qualities of ideal human beings. He was an idealleader, ideal Hindu, ideal devout, ideal cow-serving, idealeducationalist and ideal literary. Day and night he was thinkingabout goodness of nation. He was rich in austerity andabdication. Kå‹∂ Hindµu University is a burning symbol of hisausterity and abdication. If he is called a great human leaderof contemporary, then it will be very much propitious from thehistorical point of view. He was one of many great helmsmenof freedom movement of India. He was a loving personality.Målav∂yaj∂ Maharaja tried for development of Hinduism throughouthis life. Wonderful modesty and munificence towards Hinduismwas seen in him. He had told that to the extent I want goodnessof Hindus, so also of Mohammedans. If I would have so muchpower to unfold my heart, then I could have shown my wishthat how far I am seeker of goodness of both the communitiesas well. Once Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ had told, ìI recognize him thegreatest Hindu, who is very regulated in conduct and munificentin ideas. It is unthinkable that he could have malice withanybody. Even an enemy can have a place in his unboundedheart.î

Målav∂yaj∂ had resolute allegiance to religion. It is hisdeclaration that ì The supermost loving object for me on thisentire earth is, that is Dharma and that too, Sanåtana Dharma.At present the world does not understand the import of SanåtanaDharma. I hope and have firm confidence that after some time


the whole world would realize that what is Sanåtana Dharmaand how it stands on the root of all Dharma.î He was an idealnationalist. He had given extraordinary sacrifice during freedommovement of India. In the language of Dr. Annie Besent, hewas an ëIdol of Indian Unity.í The mode of his cow-servingwas appreciable. His conviction is that ëcow is beneficent likemother to all human beings and human being could never getdebt-free from her munificence.

Kå‹∂ Hindµu University is not only a great gift to theeducational fields of India but it is a symbolic flying flag ofpiousity of a ascetic and devout personage. All deeds of Maharajawere steeped in humanity, he was worshipper of humanity. Healways meditated for all round goodness of human beings.Undoubtedly he was ëMahåmanåí and a leader of the nationin true sense.

Form this example, one can easily understand the philosophyof true server of the country, India. Such leader is real leader.

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Cow Service of King Dil∂pa

Mighty king Dil∂pa of Ayodhya and queen Sudak¶iƒå hadvowed to serve cows. If any one is wanting to learn cow servicehe should learn from the king who served Nandin∂, the cowof Sage Vasi¶¢haj∂.

Cow-shed of Nandin∂ócow-shed is as venerable temple.Queen Sudak¶iƒå is always pompt in cleaning the dung andurine. Every morning she used to worship Nandin∂ withunbroken rice (Ak¶ata), sandal, flower, garland and offering oflight, in the evening, she put a lamp with ghee near Nandin∂,lighting for whole night. The king himself used to sleep in thecow-shed on the ground.

When Nandin∂ moves, he moves, when she sits he sits andwhen she drinks water, he quenches his thirst. Even a mosquitoand fly was not allowed to sit on her body which he used tofan out immediately and following her in forest, he was testedin very hard manner. That day of test of Dil∂país cow serviceóthough it was illusory lion, how Dil∂pa could know that it isillusory lion. His hand was stuck in quiver. He was trying totake out the arrow and by this time the lion was sitting squeezingcow in his paws.

ëYou please free this cow and satisfy your hunger with mybody.í When one does not succeed with might, the only wayis prayer and so did king Dil∂pa. Every temptation by the lionwere in vain. How Dil∂pa be attached to his body before serviceto the cow? This pious presentation of oneís own body is alwaysvictor over the bodily suffering.

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Tukåråmaís Love for Cow

Saint Bahiƒåbå∂ and her husband Ga∆gådhara Råo alongwith their lovely Kapilå cow had come to have Dar‹ana ofTukåråma Maharaja in Dehµu. One day on way, a localBråhmaƒa, Mambåj∂ met Ga∆gådhara Råo. He was havingjealousy with Tukåråma. When he came to know the purposeof Råoís coming there, he lost the control over himself and spokemeaningless talk against Tukobå. Ga∆gådhara Råo could nottolerate and he toldóMaharaja! You may be aspersive to mewith pleasure but why you are inculpating God-devotee Tukobåunnecessarily and this way you are taking a bundle of sin onyourself ?

Hearing this, Mambåj∂ was extremely angry on Råo andready to take venge.

One day Bahiƒå and Råo were deep down in chantings ofTukobå. Taking the opportunity of this, Mambåj∂ took awaytheir Kapilå cow stealthily, beat her mercilessly and hid her inan underground place.

After the prayer, not seeing the Kapilå, Bahiƒå was shocked.They searched in their village and so also in the nearby villagesbut there was no trace of Kapilå anywhere. Bahiƒå wasimpatient in her deprivation.

Missing the cow of Bahiƒå was also a great discomfort toTukobå. His mind was perplexed. After two days suddenly,Kapilå appeared in his dream, weeping bitterly and praying forher deliverance. Tukobå was awoken on hearing loud voice ofthe cow. In reflection of the blows on the cow, many bigblotches were visible on the back of Tukobå and his whole

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body was painful because of the mercilessly blows on the cow.Tukobå did not care for his pain and prayed for the release

of cow to his venerable God.The God responded firmly to the prayer of Tukåråma

Maharaja. All of a sudden a fire broke out in the house ofMambåj∂ and everything was melting as ash. People ran toextinguish the fire. Meantime, they heard the lowing of the cowand all were in a fix. Where is cow? Search started. Ultimatelyunderground was unlocked. The cow was brought out. Her backwas swollen with the blow. By that time full expiation ofaspersion to a saint and blows on worshipful cow was handfulto Mambåj∂. His skyscraper palace and entire belongings therein,were turned in mere lump of ashes.

Knowing all about, Tukåråma came running, saluted Kapilå,bowing down and fondled her, weeping. Seeing the cowadoration of a saint, body of Bahiƒåbå∂ was immersed in Såttvikathoughts, she was horripilant.

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Tukåråmaís Love for Cow

Sacrifice of His Life fora Cow by Nåmadeva

Saint J¤åne‹wara and Saint Nåmadeva, while going onpilgrimage reached Delhi. With the arrival of saints, there wasa tumultuous applause by virtue of chanting of Godís namesin Delhi. People gathered in thousands and hearing the chantof divine name, they got engrossed in divine bliss.

This fact reached the ears of the Emperor of Delhi. TheEmperor was furious with rage when he found that all the streetsof Delhi are reverberating with the loud chanting of divinenames. One night while sleeping, he woke up owing to thistumultuous sound. Immediately riding on a horse he reachedthe spot where singing of devotional names was being repeated.He himself observed that lacs of people have gathered there.

The Emperor came back and made up his mind to teacha lesson to Kafir Nåmadeva. He thought that a Hindu can betortured only by killing a cow in his presence. Therefore thisact of killing a cow may be done just at the time of chantingof divine names in Nåmadevaís presence so that sainthood ofNåmadeva may also be tested.

The next day at the time of repeating of divine names, killinga cow by his own hands in the presence of Nåmadeva, theEmperor asked Nåmadeva, ìIf you are a real saint, bring thiscow back to life then only your devotion towards Hindu religionwill be acknowledged. Otherwise considering you a hypocrite,I will cut off your head also.î

Seeing the murder of cow, the heart of Nåmadevaj∂ was

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overwhelmed with pity. He supplicated to God, ìO Lord! comefast and protect Sanåtana Dharma and this cow-god.î Tearsstreamed forth from the eyes of Nåmadevaj∂. Taking the headof the cow in his lap he prayed to God very piteously.

While so sorrowing, Nåmadevaj∂ became unconscious andfell down on the earth. His beloved Lord was merciful. Hemanifested Himself there and tried to awake Nåmadevaj∂, ONåma! Wake up, you are blessed one who is sacrificing hislife for cow, I myself have come for your help. Just see, thecow is licking your body, get up.

Now Nåmadevaj∂ came to senses. He opened his eyes,virtually the cow was licking his body. The Emperor soughthis pardon by bowing his head at his feet.

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Sacrifice of His Life for a Cow by Nåmadeva

A little Sevå saves one from the terrible fear of birth anddeath. Even greatest of works with selfish motive cannot equalin value to the tiniest act of Sevå. As Sevå results inrenunciation of the world and divine love whereas worksperformed with the motive of self-interest make them pitiable.

Loyalty of Durgådåsa

After the death of Ja‹awanta Si≈haóthe ruler of MarwadóJodhpur, the Emperor of Delhi, Aura∆gajeba refused to recognisethe inheritance of queenís son, Aj∂ta Si≈ha. Aura∆gajebawanted to bribe Ja‹awanta Si≈haís DivanóÅ‹akaraƒaís braveson, Durgådåsa for eight thousand gold coins and wanted himto turn his face from security of the minor prince and Queenbut failed in his dirty endeavour to tame Durgådåsa. Aura∆gajebapromised to nurture Aj∂ta Si≈ha in his palace itself. But Rajputsdid not have faith in him. Durgådåsa saved the life of princeand kept him hiding from one place to another until he becamecapable enough to take charge of the kingdom. Due to loyaltyand fortitude of Durgådåsa, Aj∂ta Si≈ha possessed the rulershipof Marwad.

ëYou have rebuked me much in my childhood. It ishorrifying, even to think about the pain which you have inflictedon me, in the name of your being my guardian. Did you notknow that one day I will sit on the throne of Marwad? Foryour cruel behaviour I am awarding you very harsh punishment.íOn hearing this from Aj∂ta Si≈ha, entire kingís court wassurprised. Face of old Durgådåsa was wrinkleless. His silencewas evident that he was happy with the order of his king.

You go for begging in the streets of Jodhpur with a brokenearthen pot. This much punishment is enough. Ordered Aj∂taSi≈ha.

Durgådåsa offered salutation to his king and to carryout theroyal spectre, went out of the royal court.

One day king Aj∂ta Si≈ha was going towards palace, riding

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on horse. Many servants were with him. They were in royalget-up. The king suddenly stopped the horse on Råjapatha.Durgådåsa was standing before a house of a rich man, withtattered cloth on his body, wrinkle on his face but peculiarbrightness in his eyes.

ëAre you happy?í The king questioned.ëIs there any limit of my happiness? In your kingdom all

are well-to-do. They eat in the utensils made of gold and silver.They are well dressed. Only myself is without a shelter,sometime I get food and sometime remain without food. Onlyearthen pot is my asset. If I would not have controlled you withstrictness and had allowed you to instil laxity, then today, I alsowould have been happy like them and they would have turnedpenurious in the regime of a unjust ruler.í Aj∂ta Si≈ha lookedaffectionately at Durgådåsa. He was happy.

The king jumped from the horse. He embraced Durgådåsa.Alike rain in rainy season, tear streamed forth from the eyesof both.

ëI was testing your integrity and as such this impersonationof punishment. You are like my fatherí. The king walked onfoot upto the palace and entered it along with his guardian,Durgådåsa.

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Loyalty of Durgådåsa

A Faithful Maidservant

A few lines are penned down hereunder about such amaidservant who did not care for life to safeguard the life offoreigners. She was posted at the house of a head of Englishmenin Kanpur.

Mutiny of 1857 had started in Kanpur. Bloodshed was inoperation. Indians were aghast with the behaviour of Englishmen.Their patience had crossed its limit. They had no control overtheir mind. They were killing each and every Englishmen,searching out everywhere. Englishmen were afraid of their lives.Englishmen were visionless about how to save their lives.

ëNow Kanpur is set free from today. Allow us to gosafelyíórequested the head of the Englishmen. Request wasaccepted and they, along with their family members boardedin a boat.

But a few rebellion-Indians, equipped with arms andammunition reached the bank of the river and started firing gunshots on Englishmen. Entire bank of the river was thrilled withthe lamentation of children and ladies of the Englishmen.

The maidservant was also on the same boat with her sonof fifteen years old and the son of her master. Finding no way,she jumped in river along with two children and swam to theother side of the river but the rebels were also there. They weresearching the Englishmen. The maidservant was confined. Theson of her English master clasped her in fear.

You run away from here leaving this boyótold the rebels.ëWe will chop off his head right nowí.

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Maidservantís son toldóìMother! Give him away, our liveswill be saved.î

Begging for lives, the maidservant told in faltering voiceóìHe is son of my master, please spare his life, God will blessyou.î

Hearing from the maidservant, a rebel scolded heró ìLeavethis boy, otherwise you will be killed.î

ìI would not leave this boy till I am aliveîóthe momentshe completed her say, the shining sword mowed down andher head fell on the ground. Even at the time of her death theson of her English master remained gripped in her arms.

The son of maidservant was saved. This glorious story ofthe maidservant was revealed by him. Such is the blessed landof India and virtuous ladies hereof.

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A Faithful Maidservant

Every J∂va is ›iva; service of J∂va, is the worship of ›iva.óSri Ramakrishna

There is no virtue greater than doing good to others,brother, and there is no vice versa than inflicting pain onothers.

Hypocrisy does not Work before a Saint

Tåråp∂¢ha is a famous place on the bank of river Dwårakåin Bengal. This matter is of a few years back, a gentleman camefor Dar‹ana of Tårådev∂. He decided to finish his bath andperform daily rituals before Dar‹ana of Bhagawat∂.

After bath he was doing daily rituals on the bank of theriver. At that time one Aghor∂, a Våmåpek¶å saint was bathingin the river. He started splattering water on the gentleman,laughingly. The gentleman was not aware of his being aVåmåpek¶å saint.

ëAre you blind ? Now I am doing my daily rituals and youare disturbing me!í The gentleman was enraged. He was a greatlandlord.

ëYou are doing daily rituals or purchasing shoes, sitting inMoor company of Kolkata ?í Våmåpek¶å saint started splatteringwater speedily.

The landlord was surprised, he understood that he was anextraordinary saint.

ëYes lord! I was also thinking that I will return to my houseafter purchasing shoes from Moor Company.í The landlord fellon the feet of the Våmåpek¶å saint.

There should be no hypocrisy in the worship of God.Våmåpek¶å saint proceeded to Tåråp∂¢ha laughingly.

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Even Curse of TrueSaint is Auspicious

God of wealth, Kubera had two sonsóNalakµubara andMaƒigr∂va. Wealth was no matter for them, being son of Kubera.They were young, being Yak¶a, they were strong, being sonof a deity, they were of quite free-will.

ÿÊÒflŸ¢ œŸ‚ê¬ÁûÊ— ¬˝÷Èàfl◊Áflfl∑§ÃÊ–∞∑Ò ∑§◊åÿŸÕÊ¸ÿ Á∑§◊È ÿòÊ øÃÈc≈Uÿ◊˜H

ìYoung age, wealth, lordship and lack of senseóeachone of these is reason for calamity; but when all the fourevils combine in one person, what may happen, nothing toquestion. Kuberaís sons had above mentioned all thefour vices in them. They became lustful, having enormouswealth.î

Once they were in inebriated state, naked and sporting inwater with women. That time Devar¶i Nårada was passing bythat route. Seeing Devar¶i, all ladies suddenly came outfrom the water and dressed themselves; but both Kuberasremained in naked state. They did not even thought itproper either to respect Devar¶i or to feel shy for their ownbehaviour.

Seeing their condition, Devar¶i was not angry, rather hebecame compassionate. Kuberaj∂ is Lokapåla, his hosts are alsoas semi-god, Lord ›a∆kara treats Kuberaj∂ as his companion;son of such a virtuous personage are so uncivilized and


arrogant! Showering his grace, Devar¶i cursed themóyou bothare standing like numbs, therefore you become numb like tree.

With the vision of a saint none remains in bondage. Curseof a saint is not inauspicious for any one. Saints are alwaysfor goodness. Seeing them, touching them and association withthem is always for good. Outcome of their wrath and cursebrings goodness to all beings in the end.

Cursing them, Devar¶i toldóìBoth of you become terminaliaalatagabra (Arjuna tree) at adjoining place of entrance ofNandaís palace in Braja. Lord Kæ¶ƒa incarnating in Dwåparaage, will release you from the species of tree and you will alsohave devotion towards God.

Is it a curse or boon? You will have vision of Lord Kæ¶ƒa.You would get His touch and His devotion, before that,residence in Braja, that too at the entrance of Nandaís palace.After kidnapping of calves, when the creator of the universe,Brahmåj∂ praised ›yåmasundara, even then he did not mustercourage for soliciting a boon to become a tree at the entranceof Nandaís palace. He simply prayed fearfully thatóìO Lord!Shape me anything, but to remain in Braja only. Even afterpraying, the creator was not bestowed to be even a blade ofgrass in Braja. And arrogant sons of Kubera were cursed tobecome tree for quite a long time at the entrance of NandaíspalaceóThis is the glory of vision of a saint.

Incarnating in Dwåpara, L∂låmaya Na¢anågara broke theearthen pot of curd in his own abode, thieved butter and thus,displeasing his mother made her to tie Him with woodenmortar. Then after tied in rope, He dragged the wooden mortarand reached at the entrance near sons of Kubera standing therein the shape of Arjuna trees. He pulled down the trees byentangling the wooden mortar in between both the trees, because

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He wanted to prove the truthfulness of the utterance of His deardevotee, Nårada. He emancipated sons of Kubera from speciesof tree.

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Even Curse of True Saint is Auspicious

The proper use of the power to do work is to selflesslyserve the world to the best of oneís ability. Bodily help canbe rendered only to those close to us but one can have goodwill for everyone in the world, and this by itself, becomesservice of the world. Selfless service is conducive to developmentof love for the world and its Creator.

óRevelation of the Spiritual Path

Oneness with Humbles

BaŒe Båbåj∂ of ›r∂dhåma Pur∂ Siddha ›r∂ Råmaramaƒadåsaj∂was known as Råicaraƒa during student life. He was ten-twelveyears old then. At this age, he was always devoted to do goodto others. One day while returning from the school, seeing onecolleague student without umbrella, he gave away his one andhe himself came to his house in the heat of the sun. One dayseeing a person hard-pressed with cold in absence of properclothing, with very persistence he gave away his costly winterwear and he himself returned home shivering with cold. Afraidof mother he toldóìMother, I have lost my shawl somewhere.îMother Kanakasundar∂ was saddened. In the meantime his fewfriends told that ëNo mother! Råicaraƒa is lying, while returningfrom school yesterday he gave away his shawl to a poor manwho was shivering with cold. Hearing this Dev∂ Kanakasundar∂told laughinglyóGood! You have given to a poor, you havedone a good deed. Mother Jagadambå will give you more.Looking at such act of mother and son all were startled. Suchocean of kindness is mother and the son is also not laggingbehind.

One day Råicaraƒa saw an old man has suffered with feverwhile returning from the market. He was carrying rice, pulseetc., purchased from the market. But now he was unable to carrythose things. He immediately took the bundle on his head andmoved towards old manís house. The old man told with fearand shynessóìBåbµuj∂ ! Please do not take my bundle on yourhead. I am an outcaste washerman.î Råicaraƒa repliedó ìWhoeveryou may be, I am not concerned about your identity. Presently

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you are distressed, come, let me take you to your house. Bytaking the old man to his house, Råicaraƒa became late.Affectionate mother was weeping. After sometime when hereached his house and narrated the episode, she was extremelyhappy.

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Oneness with Humbles

A prayer for the welfare of all beings from the bottomof oneís heart is also a great service. This is one of the greatestforms of service that one can do. Prayer can work miraclesand wonders which even the most powerful productions ofatoms cannot achieve, cannot do. ìMore things are wroughtby prayer than this world dreams of î is the great oracle ofa poet. To pray for the welfare of all beings is the greatestof services, and we can reduce the pains of people by invokingthe miraculous intervention of divine hands. Here, in theoffering of prayer, we have to see to it that it arises fromour deepest feelings in the heart and not merely from the lipsthat utter: ìO Lord! Help usî. Lip prayer is not prayer. Unlessthese cries come from our soul, they cannot be regarded asreal prayers.

óSwami Krishnananda

Tyåga or Intelligence

A king came to have a vision of a dispassionate saint. Thesaint, with loin cloth on his body, was resting on groundcarefree. The king bowed-down his head on the pious feet ofthe saint and after offering salutation, he humbly stood up withfolded hands. The saint toldóìO king! Why are you givingso much respect to a pauper, like me?î

The king repliedóìBhagawan ! You are a Tyåg∂ person anddeserve highest respect in the society.î

The saint was up on his feet, offered his salutation withfolded hands to the king and toldóìO king! Excuse me. Ifa Tyåg∂ person is only to be respected, then you deserve respectsfirst of all as you are the highest ëTyåg∂ í personage.î

The king questionedóìBhagawan ! How am I a Tyåg∂ ?îThe saint toldóìThe person, who forsakes small thing for the

sake of big one, whether he is Tyåg∂ or who is contented withsmall thing, abandoning big one, will be addressed as Tyåg∂ ?î

The king toldóìBhagawan ! Who forgoes a small thingagainst the big thing, is simply intelligent; but not a Tyåg∂. Heis the real Tyåg∂ who is contented with small thing forsakingbig thing.î

ìThen O king ! I am only intelligent and you are the Tyåg∂.îThe saint made him understandóbecause to have infinite,endless and highest bliss, I have abandoned all short-lived worldlyenjoyments which are full of sorrow and on the other hand youare contented with the possession of all loathsome, miserable,trivial sense-objects discarding the infinite, blissful God.

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O My Lord! Listen to MeóShiv Sharan Singh Chauhan ëAnsumalií

O my Lord!I seek you loiteringWhere the sun goes.I made a wreathAnd crown for youWith fragrant flowers.I wait you in my heart-templeThat is vacant for you.

O my God!I have the songs of springsTo pray YouCome and guide meTo serve the humanity.Fetch me where the saints liveTo listen their teachings.

O Omnipresent God!I want to go thatch-cavesAnd cottage tooWhere poverty weepsAnd hunger strikes to get back lifeAnd there sickness slaughters the weakAnd God of Death waits for themFor proper place Heaven or Hell.


O Omnipotent God!Give me power to struggleThe agonies, bitterness and strifeI will fight to sacrifice my lifeUp to returning peace and solaceHelp me O my Lord!

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To serve the poor and the sick with Åtma-Bhåva,To serve the country is your duty;All are manifestations of the Lord.

To unite people, spread love and peace,To disseminate Bhakti and knowledge,To share what you have, with others,To spend one tenth of your income in charity,Is your duty.

óSwami Sivananda

Tyåga as Found in ›r∂mad RåmåyaƒaóR. Kannan

Tyåga is sacrifice, that is giving up. If the sacrifice is donewithout expecting anything in return, then it is considered assacred. There is no great pleasure than sacred sacrifice, as itpleases the person who gives up and the person who receivesit.

In ›r∂mad Råmåyaƒa, we come across Tyåga performedby a few characters. Let us briefly go through them in thisarticle.

King Da‹aratha announces in the court hall, in the midstof public that he will crown ›r∂ Råma as crown-prince nextday. The public, in chorus, express their agreement. The kinginforms ›r∂ Råma about the coronation and directs him toprepare himself for the same, and to follow certain rites andrituals. ›r∂ Råma is delighted and with his wife S∂tå observescertain formalities as described in scriptures that night.

In the meanwhile, Kaikey∂, at the advice of her maidservantMantharå, demands two boons from Da‹aratha by which ›r∂Råma is to live in forest for fourteen years and that her sonBharata is to be made as the crown-prince. Da‹aratha is helpless.Kaikey∂ sends for ›r∂ Råma and informs him that he has toproceed to forest immediately and that Bharata is to be crownedin his place, as per the boon granted by the king to her.

Any other person would have got wild on hearing this, ashe has been announced as crown-prince only just then and thathe is the rightful person to succeed the king, being his eldestson. But ›r∂ Råma accepts the words of Kaikey∂ and proceeds


to forest. He sacrifices the kingdom which is due to him andall enjoyments, just to obey the wishes of his father. He doesit with full heart and without any complaint whatsoever.

S∂tå and Lak¶maƒa both follow ›r∂ Råma to forest, thoughthey are not bound by the boons secured by Kaikey∂. Here wesee both of them sacrifice their comfortable and enjoyable lifein order to accompany ›r∂ Råma and live with Him in Hisadversity.

Bharata who has been away in his maternal uncleís placewhen ›r∂ Råma proceeds to forest, comes back and gets wildat the sinful act of his mother Kaikey∂. He, scolds her heavilyand then proceeds to forest to bring back ›r∂ Råma. He, withall his retinue meets ›r∂ Råma at Chitrakoot and surrendershimself and the kingdom at the feet of the Lord. He entreatsHim to return to Ayodhya and accept the kingdom. No humanbeing would have thought of such an act. This sacrifice ofBharata is considered to be supreme and raises him to immortality.

When ›r∂ Råma is adamant that he will return to Ayodhyaonly after fourteen years of forest life, Bharata requests Himto grant His Pådukåsósacred sandals, which he will carry withhim and rule the kingdom as his representative. Accordingly,he returns with the Pådukås and rules the kingdom as the servantof them in Nandigråma, in the outskirts of Ayodhya, leadingan ascetic life, just as ›r∂ Råma in the forest.

Thus, we see Bharata sacrifices the kingdom that has cometo him by means of the boon secured by his mother, avoidsall enjoyments as prince and leads an ascetic life. This isconsidered supreme sacrifice. Some commentators of Råmåyaƒaplaces Bharata in a higher place than ›r∂ Råma, because of hissupreme sacrifice.

Then we take up the sacrifice made by Ja¢åyu, the Eagle-king. Ja¢åyu has been a friend of King Da‹aratha. He meets›r∂ Råma in the forest and introduces himself and conveys his

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blessings. Later, he sees Råvaƒa carrying S∂tå in Pu¶pakaVimåna, abducting her and he gives a stiff fight. Because ofhis old age, he could not continue the fight longer. Råvaƒa cutshis wings and wounds him fatally. Ja¢åyu falls on the ground.›r∂ Råma finds Ja¢åyu, while he is in search of S∂tå. Ja¢åyuinforms him that S∂tå has been abducted by Råvaƒa and givesup his life. What a great sacrifice done by Ja¢åyuóthat is layingdown his life for the sake of S∂tå. This sacrifice of Åtmanivedana(laying down the life) has been extolled by commentators asone of the highest order. ›r∂ Råma laments on the great sacrificedone by Ja¢åyu and does the last rites to the departed soul. Heeven grants Mok¶a to the Eagle-king, considering his supremesacrifice.

We come across from the anecdote described in Ki¶kindhåKåƒŒa of ›r∂mad Råmåyaƒa, that Sampåti, elder brother ofJa¢åyu, sacrificed his wings in protecting his brother, when theywere flying near the sun. However, he got back the wings afteruttering the sacred name of ›r∂ Råma, in front of monkeys whohad gathered near the ocean in search of S∂tå.

Then we take up the case of Vibh∂¶aƒa. He is a Råk¶asa(demon) by brith but a Dharmåtmå by nature. He always standsby righteousness. When his brother Råvaƒa abducted S∂tå fromDaƒŒakåraƒya forest and brings her to Lanka, advises his brotherto return her to ›r∂ Råma, with due respects. But Råvaƒa doesnot pay heed to his advices and at one stage he even scoldshim with unbearable words. At this stage, Vibh∂¶aƒa, to standon the righteous side, sacrifices Lanka and close relatives andcomes to northern bank of the ocean and surrenders himselfat the feet of ›r∂ Råma, who is righteousness personified. Heintroduces himself, having sacrificed even his birth-place Lankaand ›r∂ Råma accepts his ›araƒågati (self-surrender) and latercrowns him as king of Lanka at that place even before the warstarts.

Tyåga as Found in ›r∂mad Råmåyaƒa


Tyåga or sacrifice is very hard to perform in this world.If one does it, then he becomes a great soul. The supremesacrifice one can perform, is to sacrifice his body, wealth andsoul in the cause of The Almighty, that is to surrender untoHim.

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Sacrificing oneself for the good of others has always beenconsidered as a great virtue in Hinduism. One of the greatestexamples in the Puråƒas, is that of King Rantideva. He wasthe son of Sa∆kæti and belonged to the Candrava≈‹a or Lunarrace. He had performed many Yaj¤as or Vedic sacrifices. Oncehe was doing severe austerities in a forest along with hisfamily. As a part of this, he fasted for 48 days. On the 49thday he received divine food, just enough for him and hisfamily. As the family was getting ready to partake of the food,a few hungry guests came one after the other. Rantideva gaveaway all the food including the meagre drinking water. Thenthese guests, who were none, other than the Trimµurtis Brahmå,Vi¶ƒu and ›ivaóappeared before him as they were wellpleased and asked what boon he wished. Rantideva paid themhumble obeisance, but did not ask for any boon! The Godsthen blessed him and his family with the highest spiritualwisdom.

óSwami Chidananda

Real Tyåga According to G∂tåóDr. Debabrata Das

The last question of Arjuna in the G∂tå (XVIII. 1), demandsa clear distinction between outer and inner renunciation,Sa≈nyåsa and Tyåga, respectively. As a matter of fact, whenpeople talk of Tyåga, it is always physical renunciation of thework which they understand by the word or at least on whichthey lay emphasis, while the G∂tå takes absolutely the oppositeview that the real ëTyågaí has action and living in the worldas its basis and not a flight to the monastery, the cave or thehill-top. The real Tyåga is action with renunciation of desireand that too is the real Sa≈nyåsa.

In reply to the question of Arjuna, the blessed LordBhagavån ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa said in the G∂tå, (XVIII. 2)óSages haveknown as Sa≈nyåsa is the physical depositing (or laying aside)of desirable actions: Tyåga is the name given by the wise toan entire abandonment of all attached clinging to the fruit ofworks. Sa≈nyåsa in the standing terminology of the sages meansthe laying aside of desirable actions. In that sense, Tyåga, notSa≈nyåsa, is the better way. It is not the desirable actions thatmust be laid aside, but the desire which gives them that characterhas to be put away from us. The fruit of the action may comein the dispensation of the Master of the world but there is tobe no egoistic demand for that aspiration and condition of doingworks or the fruit may not at all come and still the work hasto be performed as the thing to be done, Kartavya≈ Karma,the thing which the Master within demands of us. The success,the failure are in his hands and he will regulate them according


to his omniscient will and inscrutable purpose.Renunciation is the way to this perfection and the man who

has thus, inwardly renounced all is described by the G∂tå as thetrue Sa≈nyås∂. But because the word usually signifies as well,an outward renunciation or sometimes even that alone theteacher uses another word Tyåga, to distinguish the inward fromthe outward withdrawal and says that Tyåga is better thanSa≈nyåsa. The ascetic way goes much further in its recoil fromthe dynamic nature. It is enamoured of renunciation for its ownsake and insists on an outward giving up of life and action,a complete quietism of soul and nature. That, the G∂tå replies,is not possible entirely so long as we live in the body. As faras it is possible, it may be done, but such a rigorous diminutionof works, is not indispensableóit is not even really or at leastordinarily advisable. The one thing need is a complete innerquietism and that is all the G∂tåís sense of ìNai¶karmyaî(XVIII. 49).

In the ›lokas from (XVIII. 2 to XVIII. 12), the problemof the two kinds of renunciation is solved. Sometimes theword Tyåga is used, which merely means casting aside or givenup, sometimes the word Sa≈nyåsa is used, and is acceptedpermanently in most places by the teacher as expressing thedesirable way of living, which leads on to the possibility ofliberation. This, however, is not the important distinctionbetween the two. The great difference is that in Sa≈nyåsa onelays aside the attachment, not the action as such, and so keepson with those actions which are buddhic, that is, actions ofsacrifice (Yaj¤a), austerity (Tapas) and gift (Dåna).

Sa≈nyåsa is thus, a variety of Tyåga and is the best kindof giving up. So, it is still Tyåga also. Scholars reading G∂tåwill find that this explanation removes the confusion often feltwhen reading this group of verses (XVIII. 2 to XVIII. 12), andfinding that ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa uses both the words.

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A more subtle psychological distinction between the two ideascomes when we consider the relation of renunciation to the pairof Dve¶a. One opposites, attraction and revulsion, Råga andDve¶a. One renounces bothóthe hungry desire for things andalso the emotional desire to be rid of them. The desire to be ridof them implies here giving up or casting off. That would notbe renunciation. Sa≈nyåsa is renunciation of revulsion andattraction. So actions go on, but only buddhic actions, which areabsolutely pure gifts, from pure love, involving recognition ofthe interplay of all lives in the universal play of principle ofsacrifice involving no separateness or clash of interests, and sono bondage, for when love enters bondage disappears. Indeed, thebondage of Karma is an erroneous idea; the bondage is causedby selfish desire, which often contains an element of revulsion.After XVIIth chapter, Arjuna has finally learnt that the greatsecret of life is to let go desire, and he asks about the two termsthat express it, ìSa≈nyåsaî and ìTyågaî (XVIII. 1).

Etymologically, the word ìSa≈nyåsaî is derived from ìSa≈îand ìNyî with the root as, meaning ìto throw awayî. Andetymologically, the word ìTyågaî is derived from the rootìTyaj,î which means ìto abandonî. Now, the question isówhich one is better? To throw away everything, or only toabandon rewards? Kæ¶ƒa expands his answer into and analysisof all experience, the summary of his whole teaching, whichhe compliments in verse (XVIII. 56)óHe who always does hiswork with me as a refuge, by my grace he attains the eternal,immutable state.

However, in (XVIII. 2), ›r∂ Bhagavån saidópoets knowthe ìrenunciation of actions due to desireî as ìSa≈nyåsaî, seerscall the ìrelinquishment of all fruits of worksî as ìTyågaî.

However, from verse (XVIII. 11) onwards, Kæ¶ƒa says nomore about Sa≈nyåsa but enlarges on Tyåga. In (XVIII. 11),the Lord Kæ¶ƒa saidóìFor indeed, he who wears the body

Real Tyåga According to G∂tå


cannot leave off action altogether indeed, whoever renouncesthe reward of action, he is considered to be renouncer (Tyåg∂).In verse (XVIII. 14), he recognises as he did in (III. 23), thatwe must act because we must live.î

The words ìSa≈nyåsaî and ìTyågaî both in general meanrenunciation and are therefore synonyms, though there is a slightdifference. ìSa≈nyåsaî implies personal sacrifice and abandonmentof all worldly possessions for a higher end. ìTyågaî connotesa quality more than an act, of putting aside all personal interestand desires, but does not necessarily involve plysical abandonmentof possessions. Arjuna says that the Lord has made referencesto these terms several times, but the difference between themis not clear to him, for they appear alike. ìTyågaî was usedin connection with Karmayoga, the Yoga of action, in the senseof renunciation of fruits of action. Sa≈nyåsa was used inconnection with Så≈khyayoga, the Yoga of knowledge. Arjunawants to know what each of these terms separately mean,with their similarities and differences, if any. He begs of theLord in humility and reverence to excuse him for his confusion.The Lord said in (XVIII. 2), that wise men understand Sa≈nyåsato be renunciation of passionate actions and men of wisdomsay that renunciation of fruits of all actions is Tyåga.

As ›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa, the great man of Bengal, is said to haveput it, the G∂tå teaches Tyåga (relinquishment) and fastrepetition of the word G∂tå (g∂tå g∂tå g∂tå g∂tå .....) results inthe reversed syllabic formation of the word ìTåg∂î or ìTyåg∂î.G∂tå fast repetition Tåg∂ Similar to Tyåg∂ results in the reversedsyllabic formation.

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Sevå-TyågaóV. Ramanathan

Sevå and Tyåga are a form of surrender to God: these twoare the cardinal principles, the foundation of Sanåtana Dharma.From childhood, these two are instilled into each and everyoneborn in this motherland. Right from school-days, our childrenare advised to seek opportunities to serve others. ›åkyamuniBudha, the enlightened one, is an example of Sevå (service) andTyåga (sacrifice).

Sevå and Tyåga are conjoined twins, born the same day,one elder, the other younger. One exists with and complimentsthe other, both going hand in hand in the life of all humanbeings for betterment of society. They are two sides of the samecoin. Sevå is donation of your time for helping others in needwithout expecting anything in return. Irrespective of oneíspower, assets or position in society, one can donate time andenergy to save animals, feed the poor, teach underprivilegedchildren, nurture environment etc. When one is privileged byeducation, riches, one should remember the dictum: ëVidyåvinayåya, Dånam dånåya, Bala≈ pare¶å≈ rak¶aƒåyaí(knowledge/education for humility, wealth for sharing with theneedy, strength for protecting the weak) not opposite of these:ëVivådåya (for unwanted arguments), Madåya (for arrogance),Parap∂Œanåya (for ill-treating the weak).í

Sevå (service): From the epics, two names stand out:Lak¶maƒa and Hanumån both from Råmåyaƒa; the Ådikåvya:both of them followed the instructions of ›r∂ Råma in letter andspirit.


Lak¶maƒa as suggested by his mother Sumitrå, followed hiselder brother and his wife to the forests. He stood without sleepday and night protecting ›r∂ Råma and S∂tå throughout the exilein the forests; he stood by his elder in the fight against the evilRåvaƒa and Kumbhakarƒa too. For Lak¶maƒa obeying hiselder was the only duty and supreme service. Though he feltthat his elderís order to leave the pregnant S∂tå near Vålm∂kiísÅ‹rama had no rationale, he obeyed him because his duty wasto serve his brother.

Hanumån found in ›r∂ Råma the right person to follow andserve. He flew down to Srilanka as a messenger of ›r∂ Råmaand located S∂tå in A‹okavana and returned to his God withthe CµuŒåmaƒi from His beloved S∂tå. Apart from fulfilling themission of locating S∂tå, he fought and destroyed many ofRåvaƒaís forces killing Ak¶ayakumåra, Råvaƒaís son, finallybowing to Brahmåstra sent by Indrajit. He had the boon fromPitåmaha Brahmå that he would not be bound by Brahmåstra,but submitted to the divine arrow, for the reason that Indrajitbelieved that the arrow would bind Hanumån. By submittingto the Astra he got the opportunity to face Råvaƒa too and pleadto let S∂tå free. Being tied by Råvaƒaís men and burning histail, he broke free and burnt the city, while noting the weakpoints of defence in the Lankan capital. All these helped theprince of Ayodhya to defeat the evil forces of Srilanka. WhenLak¶maƒa felled by Indrajitís divine arrows, Hanumån flew tothe Himålaya and brought the Sa¤j∂van∂ herb to revive hisprince.

Our epics highlight the importance given to Sevå (service)and Tyåga (sacrifice) by our heroes in times of yore. Goodindeed, but in todayís India, one should see how our youth havelearnt lessons from these heroes and have put these ideas intopractice to uplift the poor and downtrodden.

In our epics, Puråƒas, Upani¶ads, there are many instances

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of Sevå and Tyåga which we know by word of mouth from ourpeers, elders. The activities of Avatåra Puru¶as have left animprint in our mind since eons and it is to the credit of thepresent generation that they follow in their footsteps and practiceSevå and Tyåga for betterment of the nation and its citizens.

Sevå can be of different kinds, Sevå to oneís parents ineveryday life and in their old age too, to the (Guru), teacher,to neighbours, to the layman, to society. Some do Sevå byhelping the poor, feeding the hungry, helping the underprivilegedto join schools, to gift those in schools with study materials,uniforms etc., giving cycles to students to go to school. It wouldbe noble if one funds poor students to complete higher educationand learn skills. Some lend moneys to pay college fees and oncethese students get employment and come to return the moneys,they are told to give the money to help another deserving oneto complete his education. That too is Sevå. Doctors giving freetreatment and medicines to the needy is another form of Sevå.There are many young educated men/women in Metros who collectfood packets from homes and feed the hungry and the poor.This is crowd sourcing in one way. These young volunteersfeed the hungry that none need sleep on an empty stomach.

Any Sevå or help to the needy must be without expectinganything in return now or later. The Lord in the G∂tå, the songcelestial, has clearly stated: “∑§◊¸áÿflÊÁœ∑§Ê⁄USÃ ◊Ê »§‹·È ∑§ŒÊøŸ–” (II. 47).In chapter IX, verse 27, Lord Kæ¶ƒa declares:

ÿà∑§⁄UÙÁ· ÿŒ‡ŸÊÁ‚ ÿîÊÈ„UÙÁ· ŒŒÊÁ‚ ÿÃ˜–ÿûÊ¬SÿÁ‚ ∑§ıãÃÿ Ãà∑È§L§cfl ◊Œ¬¸áÊ◊˜H

Oh son of Kunt∂! Whatever you do in life do it as yourservice to me (Madarpaƒam). Oneís duty is to serve others,not expecting anything in return. Give with due reverence, notdisrespectfully, not with arrogance, not feeling superior to thereceiver, not haughty, give without any ulterior motive, give in

Sevå-Tyåga


modesty. Giver should never feel proud of oneís munificence.It is the manner of giving that makes the difference. In Vålm∂kiRåmåyaƒa when Hanumån returns from Srilanka with the tokenCµuŒåmaƒi given by Mother S∂tå, ›r∂ Råma thanking him says:ìI do not want to be obliged to you for this service that inturn I help you too, for if I think so, it would mean that ata later date you too should be in difficulty.î

Another form of noble Sevå is adopting orphans and takingthem into oneís household and bring them up as oneís ownchildren, guide them to grow up as knowledgeable citizens inthe service of the nation. This author knows many persons whothough have biological children, still adopt orphans and helpthem grow into dutiful citizens.

A corollary of Sevå is Dåna: the Upani¶ads say that givingalms or other forms of gifts to the needy, is the duty of ahouseholder. When giving food or other articles one must givein humility, with care and respect: ëüÊhÿÊ Œÿ◊˜– •üÊhÿÊ Œÿ◊˜–í.

Tyåga: the first step is surrender of ego.When one speaks of Tyåga (sacrifice) words coming to mind

are the Upani¶ad dictumóëŸ ∑§◊¸áÊÊ Ÿ ¬˝¡ÿÊ œŸŸ àÿÊªŸÒ∑§ •◊ÎÃàfl◊ÊŸ‡ÊÈ—– í.One does not achieve immortality, self-realization by gooddeeds, Såttvika progeny, nor wealth alone, but only by sacrificingoneís all for the betterment of others. Such sacrifice is the touchstone on which oneís mettle is tested.

∫‹a Upani¶ad:ß¸‡ÊÊ flÊSÿÁ◊Œö‚flZ ÿÁà∑§Üø ¡ªàÿÊ¢ ¡ªÃ˜–ÃŸ àÿÄÃŸ ÷ÈÜ¡ËÕÊ ◊Ê ªÎœ— ∑§Sÿ ÁSflŒ˜ œŸ◊˜H

The important word in the first stanza of the Upani¶ad is:Tyaktena; only by sacrifice one can grow up as a dutiful citizenof the world.

The best example of Tyåga, sacrifice is seen in the behaviourof the princes of Ayodhya in Vålm∂ki Råmåyaƒa. The eldest

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son ›r∂ Råma when called by Queen Kaikey∂ to her apartment,tells his bride S∂tå, ëIf Mother Kaikey∂ calls me it must be toconvey good news not only for me but for the world at largeí.When Queen Kaikey∂ tells ›r∂ Råma that King Da‹arathabanishes him from the kingdom to spend fourteen years in thewild forests, the prince does not question his motherís wordsbut accepts them as gospel truth coming from his father alone.King was available in the queenís apartment, he could well haveconfronted his father with this unjust denial of his right to thethrone, but he did not do so because for him sacrifice of hisrightful claim to the throne was the need of the hour to honourhis fatherís promise to Mother Kaikey∂. That was Tyåga of thehighest order, sacrificing oneís rights for the welfare of thenation and its subjects. We should take note of this and ourselvesprepare for sacrifice of self aggrandizement for the commongood of society and the nation.

In Kålidåsaís Raghuva≈sa, the poet compares the two boonssought by Kaikey∂ to two poisonous serpents (Uragadwaya).The poet hints that by seeking ›r∂ Råmaís banishment, Kaikey∂seeks widowhood for her, knowing that the king would not livelong after banishing ›r∂ Råma to the forests. For the sake ofcommon good and for the betterment of the nation and forfulfilment of the purpose of ›r∂ Råma-Avatåra: killing of evilRåvaƒa and Kumbhakarƒa and reestablish peace and harmonyin the universe. Kaikey∂ accepts widowhood for her. Is it notTyåga of the noblest order, blackening her face as a villain forthe common good?

In the same episode, we find sacrifice from others too: S∂tånot bound to follow her husband, chooses to sacrifice life inthe palace with all comforts and walk behind her husband inthe forest. In the epic poem, we find each character excellingthe other in sacrifice. Brother Lak¶maƒa, as advised by hisMother Sumitrå, chooses to walk behind his elder brother and

Sevå-Tyåga


Queen S∂tå like a shadow, tending to the needs of the couple.By his sacrifice he highlighted the meaning of Sevå. WhenBharata returns to Ayodhya later and finds his father no morealive, he refuses to ascend the throne as is his right as perthe promise to his mother by King Da‹aratha. He rushes to hiselder brother and requests him to return to the city and ruleas is his right under the Ik¶wåku dynasty norms. When the elderrefuses to take on the role of king, Bharata carries his brotherísPådukå (footwear) on his head and rules as a regent from theoutskirts of the kingdom for the fourteen years. This is anothersupreme example of Tyåga.

Earlier, when Sage Vi‹wåmitra requests King Da‹aratha tosend ›r∂ Råma and Lak¶maƒa to go with him to the foreststo destroy evil forces, bent upon disrupting his peaceful activitiesto propitiate higher powers above for prosperity for commonpeople, by timely rains for crops to grow, the aged kingaccepting his duty to protect his subjects, chooses to sacrificehis love and affection to the princes and sends them along withthe sage though reluctantly. Under the tutelage of the sage, theprinces learnt nuances of war and became experts in the useof arrows (powered by divine Mantras) for use in archery inface to face fight with evil forces. Today, we in India, havesimilar Agni and other missiles to protect the nation againstaggressors from across our borders. In the times of Råmåyaƒa,service and sacrifice were the norm among common people andthe rulers too.

On return after defeating Råvaƒa, ›r∂ Råma bowing to thevoice of a common man questioning the chastity of S∂tå, sendsthe pregnant queen away to the Å‹rama of Sage Vålm∂ki: thistoo is sacrifice of the highest order: surrendering/submitting tothe voice of Prajås (citizens).

Råmaråjyam was an ideal one in this Bhåratavar¶a thatpeople lived in harmony with nature, protecting natureís bounty

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in the form of fresh water flowing across the many riversparticularly the Ganges, Yamunå, Godåvar∂, Sarayµu, Sindhu,Narmadå and Kåver∂ and the mythical Saraswat∂; there was nodraught nor floods (no Anåvæ¶¢i nor Ativæ¶¢i). Food for humansand fodder for animals were available aplenty.

By Dwåpara Yuga things started deteriorating and hencecame the Lord as ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒaó“Ã◊jÈÃ¢ ’Ê‹∑§◊ê’È¡ˇÊáÊ◊˜”ó(›r∂madBhågavatam X. 3. 9): the birth itself was a revelation: the childwith four hands one holding the Sudar‹ana Cakra to beheadall evil persons. “¬Á⁄UòÊÊáÊÊÿ ‚ÊœÍŸÊ¢ ÁflŸÊ‡ÊÊÿ ø ŒÈc∑Î§ÃÊ◊˜–” ›r∂man Nåråyaƒain Kæ¶ƒa-Avatåra sacrificed everything, everyone to establishpeace in this Dharmak¶etra (Kurukshetra). For this, He madethe cousins Kauravas and PåƒŒavas take up arms for againsteach other for world peace (like how by playing on both sidesof the drum (Mæda∆ga) we get harmonious sound), finallydestroying not only the whole Kuru clan but also His Yådavaclan. If this is not sacrifice of the noblest order what else is it?

These are sacrifices from our epics, Puruƒas.Let us come down to the present centuries and see Indians

follow in the footsteps of the Avatåra Puru¶as.Ådi ›a∆kara: born to humble parents in Kalady at the

southern part of India, he did not follow the normal pattern fromBrahmacarya through Gæhastha, Vånaprastha to Sa≈nyåsa, buttook permission from his mother to become a Sa≈nyås∂ asmentioned in ›r∂ Rudrapra‹na ëVyuktake‹åya caí, one whoshaves of his hair (symbolically cutting of all desires, connectionto the world). He walked from the south sea-shore to Himålayain the north explaining the Advaita philosophy in the Vedas,Upani¶ads to the many. He established four Å‹ramas in thefour corners of our ancient land. His was a life of sacrifice andSevå to make the meaning of the ancient scriptures understandableand relevant to the common people of our motherland.

Swåm∂ ›ivånanda felt that treating the wounded and sick

Sevå-Tyåga


in an alien land may be a service by itself, but he listened tothe call from within that he would do better returning to hismotherland and carry the message of eternal love, peace,sacrifice and Sevå to the citizens of sacred Mother India. Theresult of his extreme Sevå and sacrifice is there today for allto see in ›ivånanda-Å‹rama in §R¶ike¶a and the hospitals invarious parts of India (especially in ›ivånanda Centenaryhospital in Pathamadaióhis birthplace) and G∂tå Press publishingthe Puranic books in many languages highlighting our ancientheritage starting from the Vedas, Upani¶ads and epics, Itihåsasselling them at subsidized prices to the many.

Swåm∂ Vivekånanda is another example of service andsacrifice. He sacrificed his life and health that Indian youth byremoving the yoke of foreign domination of motherland growup as world class citizens. He did not work for name, fameor wealth but to instill in the youth of the then slave nation,that they are not sinners (Christian version) but Amætaputras,children of eternity. Years after his death if the present day youthof India shine in different spheres of activity and life in Indiaand across the continents, it is a tribute to his call and a resultof his sacrifice.

With no funds, he started on a journey to attend the worldconference of religions in Chicago, addressed the assembledmembers ëBrothers and sisters of Americaí to thunderousapplause. His speech advised different religionists to join handsto build a world not differentiated but united on the basis ofreligion. Had the world followed his call on that date, another11th September would never have happened in the TwinTowers, New York.

Heeding his inner voice, he returned to India and exhortedthe youth to ëAwake, Arise, stop not till the goal is reachedí.He set the goal for others to follow. He emphasized on theancient knowledge of our scriptures and made them relevant

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to todayís circumstances and needs.Sevå-Tyåga in the present day: Our freedom-fighters

sacrificed their wealth, left their well paying professions asbarristers to lead the masses on a non-violent path under theleadership of Gåndh∂j∂ to force the colonial powers from acrossthe seas to peacefully exit our motherland with their soldiers,armed forces, pomp and pelf.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sevå-Tyåga

ìOh Jåjali ! That person understands what is ëDharmaí;who is that person? Who is the friend of all beings always;ever engaged in the welfare and happiness of all people; how?Through action, through thought and through speech.î If asingle word can bring good to somebody, why not say that?If just a little service makes someone happy, why not do that?This person has understood the truth.

óTuladhara says in Mahabharata

TyågaóIts Meaning and SignificanceóC. Jayanarayanan

Amarako‹a, the Sanskrit Lexicon, defines Tyåga (renunciation)as followsó

àÿÊªÊ Áfl„UÊÁÿÃ¢ ŒÊŸ◊à‚¡¸ŸÁfl‚¡¸Ÿ–ÁflüÊÊáÊŸ¢ ÁflÃ⁄UáÊ¢ S¬‡Ê¸Ÿ¢ ¬˝ÁÃ¬ÊŒŸ◊˜H

(Brahmavargam. II. 29)Its famous commentary Medin∂ further elucidates the meaning

as ìTyågo dåna ca varjaneî. It means that Tyåga is not onlyan act of donation but also of renunciation. Therefore, the Englishword ìrenunciationî is not the exact equivalent of the Sanskritword Tyåga. Tyåga for the Hindu is a selfless act of sacrificeof anything that is in oneís own possession. The lexicon alsostates that such sacrifice is for earning, merits for crossing theocean of Sa≈såra (world of illusion). It also implies that notonly the physical object but also possessiveness or our mentalattitude of attachment to that object or person i.e., ìMamatåîalso be given up. This principle is cardinal to all the four pathsthat are prescribed for self-realization.Bhakti and Tyågaó

His Holiness Swåm∂ Cinmayånanda in his inimitable styleexplained this concept with an apt example. When, a man andhis wife pass through a textile shop, the husband is attractedby the readymade shirt or the trousers on display, whereas forthe wife, the sari is attractive. In fact the sari or the shirt hasno intrinsic capacity of attraction. Had it been so, these articlesshould have been uniformly attractive to both. The fact is that

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ëlikingí or ëdislikingí is dictated by our Sa≈skåra in the shapeof accumulated mental impressions in our conscience. Hindufaith explains that, the mind which is a part of Anta¨karaƒa(inner self) is the repository of all impressions conveyed by thesenses. The Sa≈skåra is the sum total of all our experience,likes, dislikes and all that bound us to things, objects andpersons. Once we can successfully give up such ìpossessivenessî,we become indifferent to them, ›r∂mad Bhagavadg∂tå(VI. 8) saysó

ôÊÊŸÁflôÊÊŸÃÎ#Êà◊Ê ∑Í§≈USÕÊ ÁflÁ¡ÃÁãº˝ÿ—–ÿÈÄÃ ßàÿÈëÿÃ ÿÊªË ‚◊‹ÊCÔUÊ‡◊∑§ÊÜøŸ—H

For the Yog∂, who is enlightened and is unmoved under allcircumstances and who has mastered his senses, a lump of earthor a piece of gold is alike. This implies that attachments at thepsychological level be given up to facilitate giving up of physicalpossessions. This principle per se applies to personal relations.The Yog∂ who has no attachment, looks upon all whether friendor foe or relation with the same eye and he is indifferent tothem:

‚ÈNUÁã◊òÊÊÿÈ¸ŒÊ‚ËŸ◊äÿSÕmcÿ’ãœÈ·È –‚ÊœÈcflÁ¬ ø ¬Ê¬·È ‚◊’ÈÁhÌflÁ‡ÊcÿÃH

(G∂tå VI. 9)The Yog∂ is indifferent to friends, foes or relations, because

he perceives the all pervading Brahman in all beings and atthe psychological level his attachment is only with ìParamåtmanî.Lord Kæ¶ƒa implies that J¤åna or enlightenment is possible onlywhen inner self (Anta¨karaƒa) is purified. Anta¨karaƒa consistsof four instruments or Upådhis i.e., mind, intellect, conscienceand Aha≈kåra (ego). In these, mind being repository of allimpressions brought in by the sense-organs is therefore vitiatedby the three Guƒas (modes). Consequently the Anta¨karaƒa isalso vitiated and the ego (Aha≈kåra) superimposes the Sµuk¶ma

TyågaóIts Meaning and Significance


›ar∂ra or subtle body upon the self which is pure conscienceor Brahman. Our ancestors also knew that it is not at all easyto cleanse the Anta¨karaƒa, as the mind has a tendency to goafter objects because organs of sensory perceptions effectivelydirect it to them. Therefore, they advised us to install Brahmanwithin us. This is possible only by dogged practice of Sådhanås.Lord Kapila advises his mother Devahµuti to practice Bhaktiyogafor transcending the realm of three Guƒas, that are actually themodes of Prakæti (primordial matter).

‚Ê‹ÊÄÿ‚ÊÌCÔU‚Ê◊Ëåÿ‚ÊM§åÿÒ∑§àfl◊åÿÈÃ –ŒËÿ◊ÊŸ¢ Ÿ ªÎ ÔUÁãÃ ÁflŸÊ ◊à‚flŸ¢ ¡ŸÊ—H

(Bhågavata III. 29. 13)Such devotees do not accept even admittance to the abode

of the Lord or living near him with all consequent material gainsand are satisfied only with acts of devotion. In short ìpossessivenessîis the bane of the mind and has to be cleansed through selflessdevotion to god. Eulogy of Bhakta Prahlåda in ›r∂mad Bhågavata,is very relevant here:

◊Ê ◊Ê¢ ¬˝‹Ê÷ÿÊà¬ûÿÊ˘˘‚ÄÃ¢ ∑§Ê◊·È ÃÒfl ⁄ ÒU—–‚à‚XÔU÷ËÃÊ ÁŸÌflááÊÊ ◊È◊ÈˇÊÈSàflÊ◊È¬ÊÁüÊÃ—H

(VII. 10. 2)Prahlåda prays not to tempt him with such boons of worldly

pleasures of sense-organs which only result in attachment tothem. He is therefore praying for protection from such attachmentsand freedom from the cycle of birth and death, the ultimate aimbeing emancipation or freedom from the cycle of birth and death.The definition given in Amarako‹a ìVi‹araƒam Vitaraƒamî isthus, unambiguous in exemplifying this principle. Tyåga is anact of earning merit for crossing the ocean of birth and death.His Holiness Swåm∂ Vivekånanda, while explaining Parå-Bhaktior supreme devotion tell us that ìthe greatest purifier amongall such things, a purifier without which no one can enter the

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regions of Parå-Bhakti is renunciation. This frightens many; yetwithout it, there cannot be any spiritual growthî (CW of Swåm∂Vivekånanda Vol II). Tyåga is therefore the key to open thegate through which one can enter the realm of self-realization.It is also a fact that it is easier said than done. The onlyalternative is to begin with lesser things to which we are attachedand gradually give up all attachments or possessiveness. By thetime the devotee reaches the stage of Parå-Bhakti, he wouldhave given up every attachment including relations but for hissupreme love towards the Lord.Karmayoga and Tyågaó

Even if we follow the Path of Karma or Karmayoga,Tyåga is the route. A true devotee or an enlightened soul isimpartial and personal relationships influence him in the least.To him all are near and dear and none is to be discriminatednor anyone to receive his special attention. As he is aware thatthe same Brahman pervades in all, each act of charity ordonation to the needy is really an act of devotion of the supremeLord. He is therefore grateful to such person who has conferredupon him the status of a donor (Tyåg∂). Swåm∂ Vivekånandawarns us that even acts of charity or donation (Tyåga) resultsin attachment. The point is that, one should understand that heis only an instrument to whom the almighty has given such anopportunity. In his famous work Karmayoga he explains thisprinciple in a lucid but more forceful style. It is a weaknessto think that anyone is dependent on me, and that I can dogood to another. This belief is the mother of all our attachmentand through this attachment comes all our pain. We must informour minds that no one in this universe depends upon us; notone beggar depends on our charity; not one soul on ourkindness; not one living on our help. All are helped on by nature,and will be so helped even though millions of us were not



here. The course of nature will not stop for such as you andme; it is, as already pointed out, only a blessed privilege toyou and me that we are allowed, in the way of helpingothers, to educate ourselves ( CW Vol 1. P. 89). We arereminded of the Lords discourse in Bhagavadg∂tå, ““ÁŸÁ◊ûÊ◊ÊòÊ¢ ÷fl‚√ÿ‚ÊÁøŸ˜H”” (XI. 33) (Arjuna you are only the instrument andthe actual doer is Me). Condescension is therefore not only tabooand is worse than remedy.Vedånta and Tyågaó

Vedånta school of philosophy explain this point further. Asper Vedånta Puru¶a or primordial energy is only real and theworld that we perceive is unreal and is only an illusion. Thedictum is ““’˝rÊÔ ‚àÿ¢ ¡ªÁã◊âÿÊ.”” Måyåvåda or theory of illusion isthe ultimate logic of this theory. ∫‹åvåsya Upani¶ad begins withthe following verse:

ß¸‡ÊÊ flÊSÿÁ◊Œö‚flZ ÿÁà∑§Üø ¡ªàÿÊ¢ ¡ªÃ˜–ÃŸ àÿÄÃŸ ÷ÈÜ¡ËÕÊ ◊Ê ªÎœ— ∑§Sÿ ÁSflŒ˜ œŸ◊˜H

Brahma is present in all beings whether moving or unmoving;enjoy the world by renouncing mental attachment to such objects.Donít be greedy. After all whose wealth it is? This principle i.e.,renunciation is the kernel of Hindu faith. When ∫‹wara or Brahmapervades in all things and beings, everything whether animateor inanimate is Brahma. We should take only that much whichis our barest requirement. So hoarding is taboo; consequentlyshortages and resultant discords in the society are avoided. Aseveryone is the manifestation of the same Brahma, onlyunenlightened will differentiate individuals as friends and foes ornear and dear one. Selfishness is therefore effectively ruled out.Is it not socialism in the primitive but in a most effective form?

Our ›rutis (sacred books) though short and composed in verseforms with minimum words, are capable of giving differentinterpretations. The above verse is such a maxim. To the Advaitis

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(non-dualists) among the Vedantists, its interpretation shall bedifferent. To them, who do not accept duality, J∂våtmå (self) andParamåtmå are not distinct. Only when duality is conceded, andJ∂våtmå is considered separate from Paramåtmå, doership orenjoyership can be attributed to the former. Otherwise, theK¶etraj¤a (the inner deity) who dwell in all physical bodies isonly the doer as well as the enjoyer. In reality, self is the sameBrahma and therefore we are free from such attributes beingmere instruments of the Lord Almighty. With this attitude onecan easily give up such notions that are superimposed on theself due to ignorance. Tyåga therefore, is an effortless act ofsacrifice to one who realizes this truth. Swåm∂ Vivekånandacompares it to a woman taking up another man in place of herold lover.Råjayoga and Tyågaó

The eightfold path of Råjayoga beginning with ìYama,Niyama, Pratyåhåraî etc., is in reality, a stage by stagerenunciation of personal comforts, enjoyments culminating in thefinal act of giving up ìAha≈kåra.î Thus in all schools ofphilosophy or system of the Hindus, ìTyågaî is extolled.Conclusionó

Spirituality is the fruit of renunciation or Tyåga. ›rutideclareó

Ÿ ∑§◊¸áÊÊ Ÿ ¬˝¡ÿÊ œŸŸ àÿÊªŸÒ∑§ •◊ÎÃàfl◊ÊŸ‡ÊÈ—–(Kaivalyopani¶ad 3)

It is not by Karma, nor by progenies, nor by wealth, isone freed from the cycle of birth and death. Only Tyåga resultsin Mok¶a. That ultimately proves our ancestors right whoasserted that the national character of Bharata being spiritual asagainst the materialist view of the occident, our history is repletewith characters like Pannå Dhåya whose act of sacrifice isunique despite being a lowly domestic help of the Jodhpur



Royal family. She saved the heir-apparent who was an infantunder here charge at the cost of her son. The urge for thisact of Tyåga came to her not by training or scholarship. It isa manifestation of human values embedded in the nationalcharacter.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

When the fragrance of a flower is experienced by a fewand then described to those who have not yet discovered itssweetness, the latter are able to seek out that beauty and savourit themselves. A spiritual man who remained unknown,enjoying God in solitude, would be like a fragrant blossom,ìborn to blush and die unseenî. Truly advanced souls, nomatter how much they love seclusion, never selfishly fail toserve others with the solace of their acquired wisdom. Greatsaints who experience the intoxicating joy of God-contact, loveto share that joy and to exercise spiritual healing powers forthe sake of worthy seekers. This serves a double purpose.Those in need receive healing when they feel better, theybroadcast with the sincerity, born of personal experience, theirteacherís ability to serve and heal, so that others may likewisereceive.

óThe Second Coming of Christ

Sewå and TyågaóR. T. Nathan

Sewå is selfless service to others. Tyåga is also selflessservice but of a higher or more rigorous degree entailing somesacrifice on the part of the server willingly undertaken, bothwithout expecting any compensation.

Sewå and Tyåga had been our basic culture from the ancientdays. The Vedic dictum Vasudhaiva Ku¢umbakam (VK ) hadbeen our beacon for the entire world. We call our Vedas asSanåtana Dharma as they are eternal. No authorship for themhas been found and no time has been authenticated. We takeit as our ancient §R¶is got its revelation. As Swåm∂ Vivekånandasays, our sages and §R¶is have discovered Vedas which alreadyexisted. This Dharma which is unique, is not applicable to ourcontinent alone but to the whole world, as it was not calledHinduism. Neither were we called Hindus.

We were named Hindus by foreigners and our Dharmabegan to be known as Hinduism. We were called Indians muchlater. In fact Bhåratavar¶a was a wider region than the Indiaof today. The term Vasudhaiva Ku¢umbakam indicates theconcept of a world family, i.e., the whole of humanity belongsto one family.Old Timesó

From the ancient times, our country practised the joint familysystem. Each joint family consisted of a few scores of membersof the family living together and dining in a common kitchen.The facilities were availed of by each of the family as any otherwithout any distinction between high earning, low earning and


non-earning members, women, children, sick and disabled,healthy, intelligent and dull and of varied interests or nature.The head of the family was called the Kartå who was heldin high esteem by all others. He was responsible to ensure thatall were looked after well without any distinction. Invariablythere would be guests, relatives or even a few strangers passingthrough the place for a short stay. This shows that there wasa feeling of abundance and not ëWantí. Sharing with othersand not saving for self was the motto of all the inmates. Thatis due to the intrinsic quality of humanity of love, compassionand sympathy for others which resulted in a healthy, emotionaland ethical bond among the members. The mutual trust ofsecurity served as the foundation of the edifice. They had thefaith that they could fall back on others in case of a catastrophe.Contented happiness was preferred to luxurious comfort. Thesystem was adopted successfully in our country for centurieswhich is a practical application of VK in the smallest group ofpeople, i.e., family. The same principle when extended tofriends, neighbours, society, state, country and the world as awhole, becomes the VK, universally applied. One should considerthe whole world as his family and serve anyone in needof help, irrespective of religion, region, tribe or any othervariation.

Our country had the tradition of Dharma‹ålås and Satrams(choultries) in all places, where food and accommodation wasprovided to all those in need, free of any cost. There were alsowater shelters to quench the thirst of passersby. These werearranged by Sewå-minded philanthropists and kings throughtheir administrators. There were instances of men from thesouthern part of the country travelling to the north and returningwithout having a single coin in their pockets, even a centuryand half back. Invariably all temples used to provide Prasådasto all devotees.

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In fact temples were the centres for all social and culturalaffairs of the people in addition to religion and divine activities.The idea was to raise the level of thinking of the people toone of divinity in the presence of the shrines. The size of thetemples and the area covered, is an indication of the value thatwas ascribed to the temples. Sewå and Tyåga were thewatchwords that were followed universally; there was readinessamong people to share the suffering of the fellow beings evenif they happened to be strangers, foreigners and enemies. Mandid not doubt man and never considered a fellow being as athreat. The aforesaid service was not done as a charity but asa providential opportunity to serve the public. They also ensuredthat the people availing the services were made to enjoy themas their entitlement and not as charity.

Man cannot be made equal to man by any economical,social, cultural and religious manipulations as the intrinsic J∂vaspirit within men is beyond the manipulations of man. Manísperformance and attainments cannot therefore be equal. No twomen are appearing similar, though all their parts are the same.Thus, there is bound to be strong and weak, rich and poor,high and low, informed and ignorant, etc. Those who are able,should help the weak; because the humanity as a whole shouldbe happy. The ones who are more educated, should impartknowledge to those who need it. The wise should be helpfulto others who are not. When one is in mental and physicaldistress, the others should volunteer to help him immediately.Universal brotherhood should be the aim of life.

“¬⁄UÊ¬∑§Ê⁄UÕZ ßŒ¢ ‡Ê⁄UË⁄U◊˜” is the ritual rhetoric. All our prayers andwishes should be the welfare of the humanity as a whole.

“‹Ê∑§Ê— ‚◊SÃÊ ‚ÈÁπŸÊ ÷flãÃÈ! ‚fl¸ ¡ŸÊ— ‚ÈÁπŸÊ ÷flãÃÈ!” are the Vedicwishes. Månava Sewå is Mådhava Sewå. Money was not thecriterion. Confidence in others is a feeling of security for eachother. When a trace of selfish interest taints the Sewå, it ceases

Sewå and Tyåga


to be service. Service was done without expecting anything inreturn, even acknowledgement, appreciation and honour.Modern Timesó

With the advent of modern times, the old order changed.With increase in population and spurt in the production ofagricultural and industrial goods and services, trade, commerce,travel and communication and growth in infrastructure, the socialsystem changed. The displacement of people and joint familiesdisintegrating into nuclear families resulted in a vast reductionin the common interest mindset. Also Sewå and Tyåga doneearlier by the people, became inadequate to meet the increasedneeds and the State had to expand their service factor byinterference in a big way. The individuals were asked to paytaxes to the State in lieu of their share of Sewå. In the changedenvironment there came up Government run schools, hospitals,welfare schemes, common institutions, charity schemes etc.

Non-Government organizations, philanthropists, service-mindedpeople etc., are also functioning to their might because of thepast and inner prompting and the will to serve others.

With the changed environment, people started getting moneyand with money the confidence in others receded and selfconfidence too was lost. Due to this development, Sewå andTyåga mood deteriorated, self-interest affected sharing attitudegreatly. Unitary families with money and the state collectingtaxes, people became more and more indifferent to others; eachbecoming more and more self-interested. The Governmentthough run by men, the governance is impersonal without thehuman love and bond. Money tempts man to earn more moneywith the resultant problems arising out of selfishness, desire,greed, fear, anger and loss of love and faith. Sewå and Tyågamood vanishes. Tax is paid as a penalty and people attemptto evade it as much as possible. Money makes man powerfuland power enables man to make more money adopting any

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means, corruption, fraud, favouritism and deception. This hasbecome the bane of the modern society. Brotherly confidenceand faith in others, is the casualty today. People are always afraidof their security and feel a lack of faith in others. Suspicionand fear overrules love and faith. This is seen in personal level,families, society and community as a whole and national andinternational levels too. Everyone wants to exploit others,without any regard to honesty and truth. Thought, speech andaction are not the same. At the international level they havearrived at a concept of global village which is the VK of ourVedic period and our Dharma of the ancient times and followedbeneficially in our community. The global village concept shouldnot remain a lip service. It should extend beyond the materialand technical development into the mutual wellbeing of humanityand peace in the world as a whole. The adverse developmentsare the result of the upheaval in the socio, cultural, economic,political fields. Yet, there are so many individuals, families,institutions. etc., doing Sewå to society inspired by the intuitionand inborn urge and social demands.

There are many individuals who serve the society voluntarily.The world renowned Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ sacrificed his personalcomforts and led a saintly life to attain independence for thecountry from the colonial power. Another notable example isthat of Mother §Tereså who served the sick and destitute andin the process, she raised an institution and acquired worldwideacknowledgement. There are many other examples of serviceto parents, Guru, elders, the poor and God. But the service andsacrifice which was a way of life for all people met with asetback with time and modern developments. This is reallyregrettable. Though the old order cannot be brought back inthe prevailing situation, the principles adopted and followedearlier should be continued.

Sewå and Tyåga


Recent TimesóThe leaders of our freedom struggle volunteered as Sewakas

and Tyåg∂s sacrificing their profession, prosperity and health,ignoring their families and even their lives, inspired by patriotismand passion for independence and real urge for social service.After their time came a new class of self-appointed Sewakas callingthemselves politicians. Thus, emerged a profession of politicianswith maximum power invested and nil responsibility. This sortof management is not a healthy one. When they saw opportunityfor making money, all ethical and moral values were given thego-by. Power and pelf make man yearn for more moneyadopting any means. Immediately there arose corruption andcrime in higher levels. There are big scams against ruling leadersinvolving huge amounts, pending in court. Yet they stand forelections and get elected also. Ministers in a democracy are theservants of the people but they are de-facto masters and public,the servants. Royal dynasties which we got rid of, are nowreplaced by politicians family dynasty.

Persons elected for public service should not be gainfullyengaged. Social service done, should not be for any remuneration.The hard fact is that they take this profession only for amassingwealth. What is grabbed more than due, is a denial to the public.This is not Sneha, (Sewå) but Droha (Harm). When the rulersare not righteous, the subjects cannot expect any Dhårmika orderin the governance. We are in a situation wherein the fence itselfeats the crop. The politiciansí role should be restricted to framingof policy. The implementation part should be entrusted to anaccountable executive body of professionals without any electedrepresentative thereinóthe sooner the better. At the internationalscene the emergence of the concept of global village isencouraging. But the existing situation is causing apprehension.There is a threat of terrorism all over the world. Countries aremaking defence preparedness expecting attack from other nations.

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Though there is a talk of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,every country is busy in acquiring and accumulating. All overthe world, nations want to exploit and control other nations.There is interference with nature and environment. The biggeststockist of weapons should dump them deep into the sea andothers will follow suit, as nobody really wants to have war anddestruction.

All the social, economic, scientific and technologicaldevelopments achieved over centuries are not to be destroyedand lost but to be preserved and promoted for the welfare ofthe humanity at large. In global family there should not be anytalk of war but peace and goodwill only among individuals,families, societies and nations. Terrorism should be tackled atthe root to convert terror into love and affection. Service beforeself should be the watchword for all.Remedyó

The silvery ray is to emanate from this community onlywhere we hold the legacy of the eternal Dharma as our land,is the land of Dharma. Our upcoming generations have a greatresponsibility in re-establishment of the old order of society.Swåm∂ Vivekånanda and ›r∂ Aurobindo, the two among thelatest §R¶is of this land have said that India has a great role inguiding the world. ›r∂ Aurobindo has said that the SupramentalForce will descend on this earth. Man will rise to the statusof divinity. Let Sewå and Service prevail in the world foreverconverting the world into a ìglobal familyî.

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Sewå and Tyåga

Tyåga or SacrificeóS. Kothandaraman

Sacrifices are motivations of inherent desire, a spontaneousliking to do an act of foregoing or surrendering or giving upof something, without any prompting and expectations for thebenefit of other or others. It is purely personal. It is in the realmsof morals and Dharma. It is an act of giving up something veryimportant or valuable to you, in order to do something that ismore important or beneficial to others. You voluntarily give upand forego something so that others may get it or get the benefitout of it. Sacrifice requires large-hearted frame of mind. OurPuråƒas and ancient history are replete with instances ofpersonal sacrifices made by men and women wholeheartedly,willingly and without any hesitation and expectation. We allknow that the freedom we enjoy today, is the result of theunbelievable sacrifices made by thousands of men and womenacross the country.

The concept of sacrifice has now undergone changes.Sacrifices are being done, within the family for the sake of thefamily, in defence of the country, between individuals , evenbetween strangers, members of the society, friends and so on,for the benefit of others which all of us know, which needsno recounting. But it is necessary, in these days when thereis no scope for people to know what great sacrifices were madeby immortalized characters in our Puråƒas, recalling the sameis worth it. Though there are several such instances, twoinstances, one from the Mahåbhårata and the other from theRåmåyaƒa as illustrations of supreme sacrifice are given.

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From MahåbhårataóAfter the eighteen-day Kurukshetra war ended between

Kauravas and PåƒŒavas, the PåƒŒava-king Yudhi¶¢hira, theeldest of the PåƒŒavas, who ruled gloriously for several years,along with his brothers, decided to perform A‹wamedha Yaj¤ato commemorate his coronation as an Emperor. All kings, rulers,Pundits, Vedic scholars and priests from all over the then knownworld, were invited to join the celebrations. Yudhi¶¢hira and hisbrothers saw to it that there was no stone that remain unturnedto make the Yaj¤a a grand success. The horse-sacrifice,A‹wamedha Yaj¤a was performed, in accordance with theShastric and Vedic injunctions and sanctions by eminent priests.It was a magnificent grand function befitting the grandeur ofthe Emperor. The entire kingdom was happy, as all whoattended including the common people got their rewards andgifts in abundance and in full measure. The visiting kings andrulers also were suitably rewarded. There were no complaintswhatsoever either in the manner of performance of the Yaj¤aor in the gifts made. Everybody was perfectly satisfied and allof them boasted about the grand success of the Yaj¤a.

The proceedings of the Yaj¤a was about to be wound upwhen from somewhere, there appeared a small weasel, strangein its appearance and started rolling in the yard where the Yaj¤awas performed. All those guests and others present, wereperplexed at the sight and shocked at its behaviour. To theirfurther shock and surprise, the creature laughed aloud whichmade the priests think that it was some evil spirit that had cometo pollute and destroy the after-effects of the Yaj¤a. The bodyof the creature was half gold and spoke addressing assembledgathering.

It spoke, ìPlease listen to me. You all believe that the Yaj¤awas performed in a grand manner, with abundant gifts, rewardsand the horse-sacrifice, but these gifts and sacrifices are no

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match to the small sacrifice made by a Kurukshetra Bråhmaƒafamily and therefore, do not boast of your Yaj¤a as a gloriousevent.î The assembled priests though taken aback at theaccusation, questioned the creature as to who it was, wherefromit had come, why scorn the sacrifice especially when the samewas performed in accordance with the Shastric sanctions withspecific use of Mantras, and questioned the competency of thecreature to scorn the Yaj¤a.

The creature laughed again and said, ìWhat I said, is true,I have nothing against your Emperor or the Yaj¤a as such orany of you. Even before your war, a Kurukshetra Bråhmaƒa,his wife, son and daughter-in-law went to heaven straight ina chariot of gods, as a result of a small but the greatest sacrificeand gift they had made which I saw personally and which Inow narrate, please listenó

ìThese four used to pick up and collect the grains that arespilled in the fields, everyday just sufficient for the four, grindthem and after offering it to God with prayers, used to shareand eat. They eat only once in a day each taking one fourthof the flour, and not keeping anything for the next day. Ondays when there are no grains available, they will fast till thenext day when grains are available. Thus, they lived a highlydisciplined and Dhårmika life of contentment. During a particularseason, there was drought in the area and they did not get grainsat all, for days together and they were fasting hoping for thebetter days. They all became skinny and bony on account oftheir fasting.

One day as usual, all the four set out and luckily they wereable to pick and collect some grains from the field and theycame home, made flour, divided them into four, offered prayersand were about to eat, when there appeared a guest who lookedexceedingly hungry. On seeing the guest, who looked famished,the Bråhmaƒa was happy and thanked God for sending a guest

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so that he will be able to feed a poor and hungry person ìAtithidevo bhava,î and invited him to take the seat and offered hisshare of the flour. The guest ate the flour in haste, as if hehad not eaten for days, and looked at the Bråhmaƒa as if seekingsome more.

The Bråhmaƒa who understood the unsatisfied hunger fromhis eyes and knows the pangs of hunger himself, but was atwits end as to what to do to satisfy him. The wife who waswitnessing the plight of her husband, offered her share of theflour to her husband with a request to give it to the guest asshe was bound to share both joy and grief with him. Initially,the Bråhmaƒa refused to accept the offer, but after lots ofpersuasion, took it and gave it to the guest. The guest ate itas fast as he could and looked at the Bråhmaƒa again, if hecould afford something more.

He was perplexed and was unable to find a solution tosatisfy his hunger. On seeing the plight of the father, the sonoffered his share of the flour to his father to give it to the guestso that the duty of the family to serve the guest, is fulfilled.The Bråhmaƒa pleaded with his son that since youth cannotbear hunger as it will be severe and since he has a duty aswell to look after his wife, he declined to accept the offer. Theboy begged him to accept it as it is the sonís duty to cometo the rescue of his father at the time of distress. The Bråhmaƒaadmired his sonís gesture and blessed him and took the flourand gave it to the guest. It looks as though the appetite of theguest is insatiable; he devoured the third portion of the flourand still looked for more. What is now left is only the one fourthportion of the daughter-in-law. The Bråhmaƒa got confused asto what to do next.

On seeing the plight of her father-in-law the young girl, whowitnessed the happenings, gave her share to him to be givento the guest and sought his blessing. The Bråhmaƒa overwhelmed

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with grief, told her that it is against Dharma to deprive herof her share and said that he cannot accept the same as it wouldamount to cruelty. But she informed him that he is her husbandísfather, Guru and God, and it is her duty to serve and supportthe family and sought and implored him to take the flour andbless her. With great reluctance and overwhelmed with joy andgrief, admiring her daughter-in-lawís spontaneous gesture, blessedher, collected her share and gave it to the guest. The guest atethe same and at last was satisfied and happy. On seeing thesatisfaction in the eyes of their guest, all the four in the familywere immensely pleased and were elated at the smile ofsatisfaction in his face.

The fully satisfied and immensely pleased guest blessed thefamily for their hospitality which was within their capacity anddone with pure heart and intent, and in lines of ìDharmaî andsaid, ìI am satisfied and happy and your gift is beyond words,and behold gods being immensely pleased at your sacrifice, areshowering flowers on you all, and all the Devatås have comedown in their chariots to take you and your family to heaven,that your gift has not only earned Swarga for you, your familybut also to all your manes, forefathers, and added that hungerdestroys reason, steadfastness, understanding power, makes oneto deviate from the path of Dharma of even a discerning personwhat to speak of ordinary people, like you and added furtherëyour hospitality, ignoring your own pangs of hunger and donewithout any attachment and the sacrifice by your family, is thegreatest and even Yaj¤as like Råjasµuya and A‹wamedha willnot be equal to your single act of hospitalityí, so saying theguest, who came mysteriously, disappeared. I saw the familyof four going to the heaven in the chariots.î

The creature after narrating the sacrifice of ìgrain flour giftîof the family to assembled guests, said, ìI was in the hut ofthe Bråhmaƒa and having smelt the fragrance of the flour, my

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head became gold and I rolled in joy in the place where theguest was fed, half of my body which came into contact withthe spilled flour became gold. I wanted my whole body tobecome gold and I rolled but since there was none left, I didnot get my other half of the body gold. I wanted my wholebody to become gold and for that purpose, I am wandering eversince to all places including where great Yaj¤as are performedand having heard of the Yaj¤a of Yudhi¶¢hira, I came here andbelieved that at least in this place my other part of the bodywould become gold, but alas, I am disappointed that yourA‹wamedha Yaj¤a is not equivalent to the sacrifice of the smallflour by the Bråhmaƒaî, so saying the creature vanished.

The sacrifice of the entire family, who collects grains forthe day, in the Dhårmika way, without causing loss to anyonewho, with prayers eat once a day, who do not save anythingfor the next day, who is contented, in which all the membersof the family, had to forego one by one, even their only mealof the day and that too, after continued, fasting, for satisfyingthe hunger of the guest, is unimaginable, phenomenal, astounding,the greatest and beyond words and will be no match for anyother sacrifice, as rightly said by the weasel.Instance of sacrifice from Råmåyaƒaó

In the entire Råmåyaƒa, Bharata was a very uniquecharacter, a person of unrivalled purity with sublime unselfishnessand the most virtuous personality. He was innocent in mind andcomes only as the highest ideal, had great affection and lovetowards his brother Råma and the knower of Dharma. He wasthe embodiment of humbleness, the monumental example of theupholder of Dharma and the quintessence of Tyåga.

A victim of his mothers mischievous and diabolical scheme,though he is the beneficiary, was suspected by one and all asthe villain of the peace. The blot had to be removed. Bharata,by his firm resolve comes out of the ordeal unscathed and shone

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like thousand suns. Kamban, the poet, who sang Råmåyaƒa inTamil, had portrayed him as ìeven thousand Råmas will notbe equivalent to you, Bharataî, ìAyiram Ramar Nenakku(Bharatan) Eedavaroî in praise of Bharata. That was his distinctand superlative trait of Bharata as portrayed by poet Kamban.

A brief prelude is necessary before Bharata enters into thepicture. In a momentary lapse of foresight and in gratitude tohis queen Kaikey∂ who saved his life in a critical stage of war,King Da‹aratha gave her two boons which she said, she willavail whenever she wanted.

In tryst with destiny, as fate would have it, and when allwas set for the coronation of Råma as the crown prince,Da‹aratha went to the palace of Kaikey∂. It was at that momentKaikey∂ on bad advice had decided to demand her two boons.The king without realizing the consequences, as he was in anextremely happy frame of mind, readily promised her in thename of Råma, granted her the boons. The boons were thatBharata to be crowned as Yuvaråja instead of Råma, and Råmato live in exile for fourteen years. They were unjust, preposterousand against Dharma and customary law of the land and cameas a thunderbolt, yet the king yielded. It was the unkindest cutfrom his most beloved queen. That was the end of Da‹arathaas the king as he had lost all authority.

The graphic account of Råma and S∂tå preparing themselvesfor the grand coronation, and Kau‹alyå doing all the customarypreparatory actions, by both Vålm∂ki and Kamban are worthrecounting but suffice it to say that that was the climax, onlyto fall in shambles little later. What transpired between Kaikey∂and the king, was not known to any. Råma was summoned onlyto be told that Bharata to be made the Yuvaråja and he shouldgo in exile for fourteen years, not by Da‹aratha but by Kaikey∂as the king was devastated by the demand and fell unconscious.Råma without any reaction, and with all smiles obeyed the

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command of his father, Pitæ våkya paripålanam and was readyto move to the forest with S∂tå and Lak¶maƒa. The physicaland mental condition of Da‹aratha, Kausalyå, S∂tå and Sumitråon hearing the treacherous scheme, are heart rending andpatheic. They were all grief-stricken. Råma with S∂tå andLak¶maƒa left for the forest. But all felt that the needle ofsuspicion was on both Kaikey∂ and Bharata.

Bharata was not in Ayodhya at that time. He was not awareof the developments and yet all suspected him because he wasthe beneficiary of the boon, the kingdom was given to him ona platter.

The curse had its effect, none of his four sons were at hisside when Da‹aratha died a heart-broken and grief-strickenperson at the separation from Råma, and thinking of Råma andRåma alone. Kau‹alyå alone was with him.

In order to make him the king, the Royal council summonedBharata post haste, giving no reasons to come to Ayodhya.Bharata came from Kaikeya to Ayodhya, only to be a witnessto the grieving city, a jubilant mother, a kingdom for the taking,a dead father, grief-stricken Kau‹alyå, Sumitrå and the absenceof Råma, S∂tå and Lak¶maƒa. He confronted his mother first,who directed him without any remorse, to do the obsequies ofhis dead father and assume sovereignty. He was aghast at thetenor of motherís reply and used very strong and harsh words,against her and said that she was not his mother but a Råk¶as∂,that her action was against Dharma, custom and law. Hespurned the power, the authority and the kingdom that was givento him without his asking by his father and mother. Kaikey∂ísscheme fell in shambles shattered by her own son for whomshe got it. He thought and resolved that his immediate task wasto undo the effects of his motherís mischief.

He went to see his dead father at Kau‹alyåís palace. Bharatafell at his dead fatherís feet and cried like a child. Kau‹alyå

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on seeing him said, ìYou are welcome to be the king and noneof us will be a hindrance to your assuming power and requestedhim to take and leave her at Råmaís place in the forest.î Onhearing this, he was in uncontrollable grief and fell at her feetand sobbed, had told her that he was not aware of his motherísplot and did not want any wealth, power or kingdom, and allthat he wanted, was to bring back Råma and crown him asthe king. He convinced her that injustice has been done to Råmaon account of him and that should be reversed and that ispossible only by bringing back Råma. Kau‹alyå got convinced.

The Royal council with Vasi¶¢ha as the head, after all theobsequies and ceremonial rites were over, summoned Bharatato take over the reigns of power as the country cannot affordto be without a king even for a moment and they feared thatanarchy will set in the absence of a Ruler. He told them thatas per the Dharma, custom and law, kingship rightfullybelonged to Råma as the eldest son and he is not interestedin assuming power even for a minute and flatly refused theoffer. Persuasive efforts by them to make him accept thekingdom at least to bring confidence into the people of the state,went in vain. He refused the bait again. He wanted to makeall preparations to go ahead to move to the forest to bring backRåma. That showed his firm resolve.

The Royal council led by Vasi¶¢ha met again to convinceBharata while preparations were afoot to move to the forest,and summoned Bharata to the Durbar hall again but Bharatarefused to yield and sent ›atrughna to tell them that he wasnot interested in anything except bringing back Råma and theentourage to move immediately. The Royal council also gotconvinced about his resolve and stand.

Even though his Royal family members and elders of theRoyal council were convinced about his innocence and genuineness,yet he had to convince certain others, whom he met, as his

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retinue, consisting of his mothers, elders in the council withfull military force, moved to the forest. He wore the dress ofan ascetic. First he had to convince Guha, the hostile boatman,and then the hesitant Bharadwåja Mahar¶i, who both suspectedhis bonafide and his innocence. While he introduced all othersin real terms to both Guha and Mahar¶i Bharadwåja, heintroduced his mother to them in harsh words, as the cause ofall sorrow and trouble. This reflected his pure and innocentmind. Ultimately, they both got convinced. What an ordeal theinnocent unselfish Bharata had to undergo, to undo the beneficialmischief of his mother.

As the entourage was about to reach the place where Råmawas camping, Lak¶maƒa on seeing the entourage was furiousand grew suspicious. Råma knew Bharata very well and alsoabout his innocence. He told Lak¶maƒa not to suspect him andtold him about the very high moral calibre of Bharata.

He reached the hut where Råma and others were camping.The meeting between the brothers was very poignant. Heentered the hut and at first sight of Råma he found no words,chocked with emotion with grief and joy, speechless, exceptcrying ëbrotherí, ëbrotherí. He was inconsolably crying and fellat his feet. Råma lifted him and hugged him. Bharata need notconvince Råma as in the case of Kau‹alyå, Guha and BharadwåjaMahar¶i, about his innocence, as Råma knew the innocence ofBharata very well. Råma questioned him about the kingdom,and why as a Ruler he was wearing ascetic dress and inquiredabout father and others. Bharata replied, ìBecause of me, youare sent to the forest, since you alone are the rightful Ruler,I have no right to rule the state, that after your departure, andbefore I reached Ayodhya, our father died a heart-broken, grief-stricken person unable to bear your separation and none of uswere at his side when he breathed his lastî. Råma was stunnedat the information about the death of their father and cried. After

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regaining poise, they all went to the river-bed to perform thelast rites.

After offering obsequies to the departed soul at theriver-bed, they reached the hut when Sage Vasi¶¢ha entered withthe three widowed queens. Bharata used harsh words andindicted his mother as the cause of their fatherís death. Råmaadmonished him not to blame mother, saying it was all fate.

Bharata said to Råma, ìInjustice is done to you becauseof me and that has to be undone, and I request you to returnto Ayodhya and rule the country as it cannot afford to be withouta king for long, that I am not the rightful heir to the throne,I have no locus to rule especially when you as the eldestrightful heir to the throne is available, and it is the desire andpious wish of all concerned and I have come only to take youback to Ayodhya,î making his firm and clear stand to him. ButRåma firmly replied,î I cannot disobey my fatherís commandand I am bound to follow his order in letter and spirit. Vasi¶¢hajoined Bharata in his request and pleaded with Råma. Råmareplied that he cannot return as that would be disobedience andagainst the order of his father and it was his bounden duty toobey and follow his command. Despite repeated pleadings byall, Råma was very firm on his stand and refused to budge.Bharata suggested that he would substitute Råma in the forestand that Råma to go Ayodhya in his place. Råma brushed asidethe suggestion. Finding Råma relentless Bharata decided to forceRåma by fast unto death in the same hut and sat on a Dharbåsanato fast. Even that did not move Råma. It was a struggle ofrighteousness with righteousness. Bharataís firm resolve andRåmaís determination matched each other, the duel between twoDhårmika souls. Vasi¶¢ha to end the impasse suggested thatRåma to be the king and Bharata to rule as the deputy of Råmawith his authority. This was accepted by both Råma andBharata. Råma blessed Bharata, who, as the symbol of his

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authority, took Råmaís sandals. The entourage left for Ayodhya.Bharata ruled from Nandigram as an ascetic.

Bharataís innocence, humility, honesty, integrity, Dhårmikaand selflessness which made him to sacrifice the kingdom, whichwas available for the taking, as it was procured by his motherunjustly, illegally and in a deceitful manner, was unique in manyrespects. Systematically he undid the mischief of his mother,then he rightly rejected the throne as it did not belong to him,had convinced host of people not only about his innocence butabout his intention to bring back Råma to Ayodhya, had pleadedwith Råma with folded hands to return, and on his refusal hadvowed to rule as a deputy with sandals of Råma as the symbolof Råmaís rule. Bharata sacrificed the kingdom that was givento him without asking and sacrificed royal life to lead as anascetic till Råma returned. What a great character, the embodimentof sacrifice.

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Tyåga or Sacrifice

Evolution of Consciousnessthrough Sewå-Tyåga

óDr. Uma Sangameswaran

The Da‹åvatåras and the Buddhåvatåra are regarded asprincipal incarnations of Lord Vi¶ƒu, and they form a chain inthe chronological order of the evolution of consciousness.Beginning with a simple animal, the Fish (Matsya), it developsinto bigger forms, namelyóthe Tortoise (Kµurma), the Boar(Varåha), the half lion-half man (Narasi≈ha) (indicating thepresence of bestiality in human nature), thence to ëhumaníAvatåras, namelyóVåmana, Para‹uråma, ›r∂ Råma (the IdealMan or Maryådå Puru¶ottama), Balaråma, ›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa (theSuperman or the Pµurƒa Puƒyåvatåra), thence onto the Buddha,who preached and propagated compassion (Karuƒå) and non-violence (Ahi≈så) above everything else. The remaining KalkiAvatåra is expected to be a powerful one which will sweepaway the darkness of ignorance “•¬Ê◊Ê¡¸Ÿ¢”, push the presentKaliyuga into the past, and usher in Satyayuga, which willbe inhabited by a new and highly evolved, fully consciousSpiritual Race. Now all these Avatåras are assumed by theBeneficent Lord as a divine grace upon mankind: “•ŸÈª˝„UÊÿ ◊ÊŸÈ·Ë¥Œ„U◊ÊÁüÊÃ—”. It involves tremendous sacrifice (Tyåga) on the partof the Lord to take birth again and again in lower forms “¬Ê¬ÿÊÁŸ” in order to render service (Sewå) by way of uplifting allcreation from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness to light,from death to immortality. Only an Avatåra like ›r∂ Råma, ›r∂Kæ¶ƒa, the Buddha etc., possesses that enormous power toreorganise the whole human society. They do this by transforming

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the self-centred, narrow relations among a large number ofpeople into those of renunciation (Tyåga) and service (Sewå).The purpose of human existence is to understand and cooperatein this noble venture of Sewå-Tyåga and gradually evolve inconsciousness so as to benefit oneself and to be a blessing tothe whole world.

All the scriptures repeatedly state that human birth is a rareblessing. Only human beings have the unique faculty forexpanding their awareness and evolving to higher levels ofconsciousness. All our social services and spiritual activitiesshould be directed towards this supreme goal. ìNothing issuperior to humanityî “ŸÁ„U ◊ŸÈcÿÊÃ˜ üÊDÔUÃ⁄¢U Á„U Á∑§ÁÜøÃ”, as the sayinggoes. In other words, our life should be one of renunciationand sacrifice (Tyåga) in order to serve human beings (Sewå)as a means of worshipping God and His Avatåras. Sewå-Tyågacan be executed in different spheres.1. Physical Tyågaó

We can render help to alleviate the miseries of our fellowbeings by lending a helping hand to the best of our capacities,whenever and wherever the need arises. Charity begins at home.We should take good care of our elderly parents and otherrelatives, helping them both, financially and physically. Today,the disturbing trend of hiring the services of caretakers and homenurses to look after sick parents has become an accepted norm.Children shirk from (avoid) doing Sewå for their parents whoserved them all through their childhood and youth. Let us recallthe story of the Vi¢hobå devotee Pundalik who made the Lordset on a block of stone while he was attending to his bedriddenparents. The irony is that while they are not willing to lookafter their parents at home, many of these ìdevoteesî rush toÅ‹ramas and mutts travelling by rail or flight to do Sewå for10 to 15 days once in a way! There is glamour and fun insuch activities! Can you call this real Sewå? Let the readers

Evolution of Consciousness through Sewå-Tyåga


decide for themselves. A second and related trend is sendingparents to old age homes. Such sons and daughters are not onlydoing Sewå, but they are also sacrificing their poor parents tolive and die in loneliness, despair and helplessness. Agreed thatmodern life is very stressful, hectic and competitive. But theyounger generation should pause awhile and ask themselves,ìCanít I draw a line somewhere, put a short brake on my greedand over ambition, reduce my luxury to a certain extents andspare time and money to serve my old parents, who gave alltheir lives to bring me up and help me be where I stand today?îAn honest periodic introspection will help them to breakoutof the prison of extreme selfishness, materialistic pursuits andcallousness, and realise that living only for oneself is no lifeat all.2. Renunciation of Possessivenessó

The world is full of wonderful things and there is nothingwrong in possessing or using them. We may legitimately enjoygood food, fine clothes, comfortable homes, etc., provided wehave earned or acquired them through rightful means. What weshould renounce is undue attachment to our possessions.Possessiveness gives us a false sense of importance leading tohypocrisy, showing off, boasting and flaunting our wealth andposition. We should develop the quality of contentment anddistribute all that is excess to the poor and the needy. Howmuch rich food is wasted both in daily life and in marriages,while millions are starving and dying outside? We should trainourselves and our children to think of the deprived withsympathy and serve them by parting with the excess in ourpossession. By renouncing greed, our lifestyle becomes simplerand nobler through rendering service to the poor and the needyby parting with our excess food, clothes, money etc. Swåm∂›ivånanda was a personification of Sewå-Tyåga. He would walkaround with a bag containing useful gifts, given by his various

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devotees. He would freely distribute them to the people on theway; thus he came to be called Swåm∂ Givånanda!Emotional Tyågaó

An important form of renunciation is the giving up all kindsof negative emotions such as hatred, jealousy, anger, lust, etc.,by which we hurt and harm several innocent fellow beings. Suchemotions cause a lot of violence and pollute the atmosphere sothat peace is totally lost. One who has not renounced hisnegative emotions, can hardly render any worthwhile service.One should learn to speak lovingly and kindly while dealingwith others, at home and outside too.Spiritual Renunciation or Tyåga of the Egoó

Renunciation of the monstrous Ego is perhaps the greatesthurdle, the biggest challenge. We may render all the abovementioned services and much more, but as long we have thesense of doership, pride, self-importance and a condescendingattitude, the service rendered, becomes a mere show. NeitherTyåga nor Sewå! We should change our attitude like this:Whatever we do in our daily routine of work, is invariably inrelation with some of our fellow beings, whether they are ourchildren, parents, relations, friends or the general public. Whiledoing a piece of work, we should consciously think that weare serving one or other of Godís creations, and not fulfillingour own purpose. Then whatever work we do by renouncingour ego and doership implies that we are all along followingthe path of real Sewå.

One may ask whether real Tyåga and genuine Sewå arepossible in human life. The answer depends on our present levelof consciousness and our willingness to evolve to higher levels.Let us start the journey with small steps, renouncing only thatwhich we are capable of. Never overdo, for too much sacrificecan make a stone of the heart. Satsa∆ga, deep study of thescriptures, reading life histories of great saints and working for

Evolution of Consciousness through Sewå-Tyåga


a common cause, can help us immensely to look upon everyobject and being as a manifestation of God, and every actionas His divine L∂lå. Eventually doership will end. There will nomore remain any attachment to worldly comforts, attraction oraversion.Summing upó

The ultimate purpose of human life is the evolution ofconsciousness through the broadening of vision and expansionof awareness to include other people and creatures beyond ourfamily, to seek the welfare of the whole world through selflessservice (Ni¶kåma Karma) and to actually experience the concept:ëVasudhaiva Ku¢umbakamíóëthe world is my familyí.

Eventually one comes to understand the essence of∫‹åvåsyopani¶adó

ß¸‡ÊÊ flÊSÿÁ◊Œö‚flZ ÿÁà∑§Üø ¡ªàÿÊ¢ ¡ªÃ˜–ÃŸ àÿQ§Ÿ ÷ÈÜ¡ËÕÊ ◊Ê ªÎœ— ∑§Sÿ ÁSflŒ˜ œŸ◊˜H

ìWhatever there is changeful in this ephemeral worldóallthat is enveloped by the Lord. By this renunciation (of the world)support yourself. Do not covet the wealth of anyone.î

A deep study of the Lordís Avatåras and Divine L∂lås willreveal that in each incarnation, the Lord performed genuineSewå in an attitude of Tyåga, as described in the aboveparagraphs. Let us emulate their noble examples, give up alldemoniac impulses, move up from manhood to supermanhoodor Godhood (Avatåra Puru¶a) and evolve in consciousness soas to be of benefit and blessing to humanity. That is the trueimplication of Sewå-Tyåga.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå and Tyåga(Service and Sacrifice)

óR . P. Dwivedi

Service is the foundation on which stands the edifice ofhuman life. Stated differently, service and sacrifice are indeedthe warp and woof of our social fabric. Since service impliessacrifice, our entire life, right from womb to tomb, depends onservice and sacrifice made by our parents, family, communityand society. We cannot conceive of any social life withoutinterdependence for its survival. Love which leads to serviceis, as the Greek word ëPhiliaí denotes unites and producesharmony and goodwill and culminates in sacrifice. Since every-one of us, is under the debt of service, it is our inherent moralduty to repay even a fraction of it. So service is born not onlyof a compelling necessity of self-preservation, but also of a deepsense of socio-economic obligation. This is, in fact, the corerationale behind service.

What prevents man from expanding his consciousness andengaging himself in the service of others, is his deep-rootedacquisitive instinct and the dominating urge of I-ness and My-ness. On the contrary, the spirit of service presupposes humility,submission and selflessness by transcending oneís self-seekingand possessive propensities. So, erasing oneís ego and subduingoneís personal interests for the sake of others, is indeed adaunting task in practical life. But the history of mankindpresents a saga of heroic deeds and supreme sacrifices madeby a galaxy of heroes and martyrs. They espoused noble causesto serve humanity and in materializing their dreams, laid downtheir lives cheerfully.


Rudiments of ServiceóService is the basis of all worldly relationships. It is service

that binds children to their parents, adolescents to their peergroups and grown-ups to their community, society and country.The same truth holds good in the national and internationalpolicies and relations. Service begins at the primary unit offamily and extends to oneís neighbour, society and the world.Jesus Christ rightly said, ëLove thy neighbourí.

Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ himself once narrated an episode. One daywhen a Harijan Sadhu asked himóìBåpµu, how can we serveGod when we do not know God?î Gåndh∂j∂ repliedóìWe maynot know God, but we know his creation. Service of his creationis the service of God. We can start with our next-door neighbour.Let us start with the service of our neighbour. Let us think lessof ourselves than our neighbourî (Harijan of 22. 08. 36 page217). Moreover, Gåndh∂j∂ once saidóì›r∂ Kæ¶ƒa served thepeople all his life. He was a real servant of the peopleî (YoungIndia 01. 09. 27 from a speech in Mysore). Stressing thesignificance of service, Swåm∂ Vivekånanda once saidóìLifeis love and when a man ceases to do good to others, he isdead spirituallyî (Complete works V (ii), page 493).

Selfless service and sacrifice can never go unnoticed, forit inspires in others a passion for its emulation and thus, pavesway for human welfare. Had it not been so, we could haveeasily forgotten the names of great donors and benefactors likeKing Bali, Moradhvaja, Dadh∂ci, Hari‹candra, Rantideva, JesusChrist, Dayånanda Saraswat∂, Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ and countlessother noble souls, who gladly sacrificed everything for the sakeof others and have attained immortality in the annals of theworld.Socio-Spiritual Aspectó

The Vedantic concept of oneness of the individual soul(¡ËflÊà◊Ê) and the Cosmic Soul (¬⁄U◊Êà◊Ê) insists on the integral

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sense of universality (‚flÊ¸à◊-÷Êfl) or universal brotherhood. Itdeclares that all beings are one even as all differences are ofdegree and not of kind. This lofty ideal enkindles in us thefeelings of love and sympathy for all living beings. Such anexpensive consciousness impels us to embrace all in a spiritualrelationship and offer them our help and service. The momentthis awakened inner perception of underlying unity dawns uponus, we feel closely and inextricably united with all living beings.Says the ∫‹a Upani¶adó

ÿSÃÈ ‚flÊ¸ÁáÊ ÷ÍÃÊãÿÊà◊ãÿflÊŸÈ¬‡ÿÁÃ–‚fl¸÷ÍÃ·È øÊà◊ÊŸ¢ ÃÃÊ Ÿ Áfl¡ÈªÈå‚ÃH

(6)ìOne who sees all in himself and himself in all or One in

many and many in the One, how then can he hate any creaturein the world?î So, as soon as we see all living beings withequanimity ““‚fl¸òÊ ‚◊’Èhÿ—”” (G∂tå XII. 4), we are imbued witha sense of strong relation with the whole universe, and cultivatean all-embracing loving vision which sees the self everywhereand treats all as our own brethren. Such an endearing attitudemakes us actively engaged in doing good to all ““‚fl¸÷ÍÃÁ„UÃ ⁄UÃÊ—””(G∂tå XII. 4.). Such noble souls earn the title ë÷ÍÃ∑Î§ÃÊ—” worldbuilders who unite men through the ideal of universal fellowship.Conclusionó

It is universally acknowledged that there is a pervasiveOneness of all existence in the world. This truth constitutes ourbasic conceptual framework to incorporate all human beings asbelonging to the same large family of the world ““fl‚ÈœÒfl ∑È§≈ÈUê’∑§◊˜””or “ÿòÊ Áfl‡fl¢ ÷flàÿ∑§ŸË«U◊˜–” (Yajurveda XXXII. 8). The universe isone home of all united in love as birds in a nest (YajurvedaXXXII. 8). We are born with love, compassion and a deep senseof belongingness which may serve as cementing forces forharmony and integration. Bound by strong bonds of love andsympathy, we belong to one another. No one is stranger in this

Sewå and Tyåga


vast world. We are heir to the human civilization and culture.True service and sacrifice emanate from the realization that

despite all apparent differences and diversities, all are one inthe spiritual dimension. And performed in the spirit of dedicatedservice becomes a powerful means of inner spiritual growth andsustained help to others. Since the greatness of a man lies inthe quantum or degree of good that he does and the sacrificesthat he makes for others, let us dedicate ourselves wholeheartedlyto the service of humanity by overcoming our greed, avariceand self-serving attitude. In a beautiful poem H. W. Longfellowsaysó

ìLives of great men all remind usWe can make our life sublimeAnd departing leave behind usFootprints on the sands of Time.îIn truth, only those leave their footprints on the sands of

time and inspire others to make their life sublime who leavethe world a better place to live in than they found it. A similarSanskrit verse says that those who pay obeisance to and servethe elders grow in longevity, knowledge, fame and strength ofcharacter.

•Á÷flÊŒŸ‡ÊË‹Sÿ ÁŸàÿ¢ flÎhÊ¬‚ÁflŸ—–øàflÊÁ⁄U ÃSÿ flœ¸ãÃ •ÊÿÈÌfllÊ ÿ‡ÊÊ ’‹◊˜H

(Manu II. 121)In sum, service is the salt of human life and if the salt loses

its savour, life would not be worth living. So, out of thetransforming effects of selfless service and sacrifices will emergein future, like the mythical phoenix, an angel of harmony andpeace in the world. Since we are all divine in the core of ourbeing and are the manifestation of indwelling God, we mustdevote ourselves entirely to achieve two lofty goals and theseare, in the memorable words of Swam∂ Vivekånandaó““•Êà◊ŸÊ◊ÊˇÊÊÕZ ¡ªÃÁ„UÃÊÿ ø”” that is, our own salvation and the good of

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the world. Let me conclude by quoting the beautiful Sanskritverse which embodies the highest aspiration of a true servantof humanity.

Ÿ àfl„¢U ∑§Ê◊ÿ ⁄UÊÖÿ¢ Ÿ SflªZ ŸÊ¬ÈŸ÷¸fl◊˜–∑§Ê◊ÿ ŒÈ—πÃ#ÊŸÊ¢ ¬˝ÊÁáÊŸÊ◊ÊÌÃŸÊ‡ÊŸ◊˜H

Neither do I crave for the heavenly pleasuresNor for those of the kingdom of earthI only desire to alleviate the sufferingsOf all those who are sunk in deep sorrow.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Sewå and Tyåga

Ideal that has come from our culture is the ideal ofcompassion. Tulas∂dåsa says, ìDayå dharma kå mµula haióAll Dharma or righteousness is rooted in compassion.î Onewho feels for others, one who is compassionate towards allcreatures, he can never commit anything wrong. In humanconduct ego is a Kala∆ka or a black spot, and it leads toinappropriate actions. So Tulas∂dåsa says, ìDayå dharma kåmµula hai, påpa mµula abhimåna, Tulas∂ dayå na chåŒiye, jabataka gha¢a mein pråƒa.î Tulas∂ says, that the root of Dharmais compassion and the root of sin is the ego; do not give upbeing compassionate towards all creatures until your very lastbreath. Be kind, be compassionate, be soft-spoken. Be a sourceof solace to those in distress, cheer up those who are sad,give hope to those in despair. These are all manifestations ofcompassion in various ways.

—Swami Chidananda

Tyåga of Råga-Dwe¶aóOm Prakash Dubey

The Såttvika mind or pure mind, and the impure mind orthe instinctive mind, as it is called, are the two kinds of mindsaccording to Upanishadic teaching. There is the lower mindfilled with passion. There is the higher mind filled with purity.It is through the higher mind that one will have to control thelower mind of passion and emotion. A Såttvika mind likessolitude, silence, simple living, high thinking, divine love to Godthrough the love and kindness to all living beings. Nobleaspirations, lofty ideals, mercy, sympathy, pure unselfish loveand devotionóall these come from the higher, pure, Såttvikamind. The Såttvika mind is Brahma itself. It is an embodimentof purity itself.

There are two kinds of intellectsóthe worldly intellect andpure intellect. Therefore, there are two kinds of thoughtsópurethought and impure thought. The pure thought pertains to Godand impure thought pertains to the body and the world. Godis the inner witness, the inner self of all beings. He pervadesand permeates all the atoms and the whole universe. He is theLord of the breath, the mind and all the organs. In Him, welive, move and have our very being. He is omnipotent andomniscient. As He has control over Måyå, He is fully consciousof His divine nature though He assumes a form. At the sametime He is infinite and unconditioned.

Råga is liking, attraction, love, attachment. Dwe¶a isdislike, repulsion, hatred. ªRåga-Dwe¶a are the two mentalmodifications that arise from the mind. They are products of

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ignorance or nescience. This mysterious worldly existence iskept up by Råga-Dwe¶a. These two currents are the two strongweapons of Måyå, the illusory power of the Lord. The individualsoul is tied to this world by this strong rope of Råga-Dwe¶a.Råga-Dwe¶a have four states, the expanded state, the hiddenstate, the attenuated state and the burnt state.

The expanded state and the hidden state are present in theworldly-minded persons. Råga-Dwe¶a have their full vigour orvirility in the expanded state in worldly persons. They doconsiderable harm. They overwhelm the persons. People becomemere victims or preys to the two currents. They have not theleast control over them. In the hidden state, attraction andrepulson are not seen. Aspirants perform Sådhanå. They developdispassion and cosmic love gradually. In them the two currentsget thinned out. They cannot do any havoc. They may raisetheir heads slowly when the aspirants come into contact withpleasant objects but they are struck down by the strong rod ofdiscrimination and the sword of enquiry. In a Yog∂, attractionand repulsion are burnt in toto through Nirvikalpa Samådhi. Theplay of the two currents of attraction and repulsion are foundeven among the lower creatures, among plants, elements andplanets. There is repulsion between the sun and saturn, betweenthe sun and uranus. The friendship or attraction or affinitybetween the sun and mars is strong. There is strong sympathybetween saturn and venus.Venus and saturn are inimical towardstheir master, the sun. Like attracts like. A songster joins othersongsters, a poet joins other poets, a doctor other doctors, arogue other rogues, a statesman other statesman, a saint othersaints.

There is an intimate connection between Råga-Dwe¶a,desires and three Guƒas. Guƒa means ìcordî. The Guƒas bindthe soul with a triple-bond. These Guƒas are the actualsubstances or ingredients of which Prakæti is constituted. They

Tyåga of Råga-Dwe¶a


make up the whole world evolved out of Prakæti. The threeGuƒas are never separate. They support one another. They areintimately related as the flame, the oil and the wick of the lamp.All objects are composed of the three Guƒas. The Guƒas acton one another. Then there is evolution or manifestation.Destruction is only non-manifestation.

Sattva is equilibrium. When it prevails there is peace ortranquility. Rajas is activity which is expressed as attraction andrepulsion, likes and dislikes, love and hatred. Tamas is thatbinding force with a tendency to lethargy, sloth and foolishactions. It causes delusion or non-discrimination.

Råga-Dwe¶a are impure desires that emanate from the bedof impressions of Rajas and Tamas. Desires, impressions, Guƒasand ªRåga-Dwe¶a are the products of Måyåís jugglery. Onething assumes various forms. One thing changes its colour likea chameleon. One thing changes its form like a ghost. Attractionbecomes a desire, a desire becomes an impression, and animpression in the mind becomes a Guƒa. The play is verymysterious. It is very difficult, nay, well-nigh impossible todetect the workings of Måyå. Only the Lord, the indweller,the inner ruler, knows the ways of Måyå, His inscrutable ›akti.

Wherever there is repulsion, there is anger. Anger is along-standing associate of repulsion. Fear is a part of attraction.Wherever there is attraction, there is fear. Man is afraid of losingthe objects of his possession as he is intensely attached to them.Wherever there is a pleasure, there should be attraction.Wherever there is pain, there should be hatred. One loves sweetsor apple because he desires pleasure from them. So he is attachedto them. One hates a scorpion because it gives him pain.

The tree of Råga-Dwe¶a is deep rooted. It ramifies in alldirections. It has branches on all sides. The mind clingstenaciously to objects. Råga-Dwe¶a, the affection and aversionfor the objects of the senses, abide in the senses. They are

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obstructions on the path of spirituality. One should develop theopposite virtues of dispassion and cosmic love. Dispassion willcrush attraction, and cosmic love will crush repulsion. If onehas inner spiritual strength and a strong will, he can extractRåga-Dwe‹a altogether through the knowledge of God, just asone extract the teeth with the forceps. Egoism is the commander.Råga-Dwe¶a, pride, anger and hypocrisy are his constantattendants or the soldiers of the internal army. If egoism isconquered, then the soldiers will at once make an ungrudging,unconditional surrender.

Råga-Dwe¶a is the real world. Trees, rivers and other objectsonly do not constitute the world. There is no world for any-one who has neither attraction nor repulsion. The mind runsinto the same grooves out by ªRåga-Dwe¶a. As soon as we getup from bed, the two currents begin their play. We are a meretoy in the hands of Råga-Dwe¶a. But those who practiseintrospection, self-analysis and meditation rise above the twocurrents and attain eternal bliss and immortality. Through Råga-Dwe¶a, we perform virtuous and vicious actions. We reap aharvest of pleasure for the good actions, and pain for the wickeddeeds.

A sharp, subtle, one-pointed Såttvika mind is needed forenquiry into the nature of the Råga-Dwe¶a. A gross mind andworldly intellect with selfishness and lust is absolutely unfit forenquiry into the self and philosophical ratiocination. Selfishnessclouds understanding. Selfishness is the bane of life. The mindhas to be purified by selfless service, Japa, Pråƒåyåma andvarious other spiritual practices. Brahma is to be seen by themind. This is the utterance of the ›rutis. Here ìmindî meanspure mind free from Råga-Dwe¶a. Brahma can only be seenby a mind which has been rendered subtle and pure throughthe practice of calmness, tranquility, self-restraint and religiousobservances, which practises hearing, reflection and contemplation.

Tyåga of Råga-Dwe¶a


The pure mind should concentrate itself for some time througha study of the J¤åna ›åstras, association with the wise and anuninterrupted practice of meditation, then in such a mind willdawn a vision in which there will be direct cognition of theone Reality.

Impure mind is replete with excessive delusion and a hostof thoughts. This mischievous, full of Råga-Dwe¶a and powerfulimp of the lower mind is the generator of all pain and fear andthe destroyer of all noble, spiritual wealth. We should try tobe free from Råga-Dwe¶a, which are real enemies of peace,devotion and knowledge. When the Råga-Dwe¶a are completelyremoved, the instinctive mind dies away and only the Såttvikamind or the higher remains. A pure mind is Brahma itself. Justas camphor in the presence of fire is turned into fire andabsorbed in it when burnt, so also the mind, when freed fromRåga-Dwe¶a, becomes of the nature of Brahma. Just as water,when a lump of sugar is placed in it, becomes sweet, so alsothe mind when freed from Råga-Dwe¶a in the presence ofBrahma, becomes of the nature of Brahma.

We should conquer the lower mind through the higher mind.Lord Kæ¶ƒa says, ìLet a man lift himself by his own Self aloneî.There is no virtue greater than self-reliance. The possession ofthis important quality is a sine qua non for all aspirants whosearch for Truth. We are our own redeemer. We are our ownsaviour. We have to place each step ourself on the spiritual pathas a hungry and thirsty man and will have to eat and drinkfor himself. If one is freed from Råga-Dwe¶a. The Great Masteris very close to him. One should identify himself with bold andclear understanding with that eternal, living indweller of hisheart. Then alone he will attain eternal peace, infinite bliss,supreme satisfaction and immortality.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Tyåga of Lust and Cardinal DesiresóRitudyuti Chakrabarty

The underlying theme of Mahåbhårata is: never insult ordisrespect any woman. If Ambå was not forcefully taken awayby Bh∂¶ma, if her dignity was not harmed who may say, thestory may end otherwise! From that very day, when Ambå tookoath to destroy Bh∂¶ma and Kurukula, the stepping stone ofKurukshetra war was established. If Ambåís insult was thestepping stone, Draupad∂ís insult was the last nail in the coffin.

In our every scripture, they always say, never treat a womanbadly, as every woman is another name of purity, creation andserenity. In the Indian society, women were always treated asthe most valuable and dignified ones. Even in our Smæti-›åstra,it has been said, if a woman does any wrong which is severeand hard-punishable offence; never give her that hard punishment,just cut one and half inch of her hair and make her beg mercyand let her go. But in the same case, a man is highly punishable.

The Sanåtana Dharma always teaches us to save women,as they are Måtæ‹akti, they are everything for our society. HereI want to share a story. In Satyayuga, Raja Uttånapåda oncewas at his parliament, when a Bråhmaƒa came crying to him.Raja enquired him of his distress and the cause of his sorrow.The Bråhmaƒa sobbed and narrated, ëRåjan, I am a GæhasthaBråhmaƒa, I have my family, from the very first day of marriageand till date I have kept every promise which I took in frontof Pråjåpatya Agni during my marriage. But itís very unfortunateto say, my wife is harsh spoken and rude to me from the veryfirst day of marriage. Few years ago, I strongly willed to go


for T∂rthayåtrå and so I prepared and arranged everything,distributing my wealth to my family and making sure that mywife might feel no harm during my absence. But in the Prayågamy Pitæpuru¶a appeared and told me to take my wife along withand perform every ritual and worship jointly otherwise theycannot accept the PiƒŒa offered by me. But after returning frommy T∂rthayåtrå, I have not found my wife at home, and donítknow where she is now! Please, Råjan, help me to find herand I want to divorce her, as I cannot bear her harsh wordsanymore.í Raja at first ordered his minister to take necessaryaction. Then he told the Bråhmaƒa, ëYou can never divorceher, as you are bound to save her and make her happy andprosperous for all of her life. You have taken oath. Yes, it ispainful for you to bear those harsh and heart-wrenching words,but it is her offence, and God must punish her; but you cannever leave her alone without saving her. And if you do so,I will punish you.í

In our ›åstras, it has been said that if you do any ritualwithout your wife, it will be fruitless. The woman is ›akti. Andmisbehaviour with ›akti invites destruction. Each and everydemonís last and final sin was misbehaving with women.Whenever, Brahmå, ›iva or Vi¶ƒu wanted any Asura to bedestroyed, they gave them the power and endless opportunityto misuse it. The trinity know, that only misuse of power caninvite destruction of the Asuras.

It has been said that if you look at the lotus feet of anywoman, it will increase the Sattva Guƒa in you, the mid partof body will increase the Rajas Guƒa in you and if you lookat womanís face it will increase the Tamas Guƒa in you. Forthis cause, every mother teaches her baby look at Mother ›aktiíslotus feet and pray for every Sadguƒas which will nurture youto grow like a great banyan tree. Here the story of the greatpoet Kålidåsa may be remembered. It has been said, in the first

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half of his life Kålidåsa was an illiterate and a dull person withno wit. But accidentally he was married to the princess. Theprincess was an extremely scholar person. After few days ofmarriage, the princess realized that Kålidåsa was a completeilliterate person. She thrashed him with harsh words, in themental agony Kålidåsa left his house and went for Tapasyå toplease Dev∂ Saraswat∂. After a long and painful austerity Måtåwas pleased and came to give him a boon. When Måtå cameand asked Kålidåsa to get his boon, Kålidåsa started to worshipMåtå with a Stotra of his own words, but he stared Her atthe face constantly. After finishing his Stotras, he continued todo the same. Måtå Saraswat∂ felt unpleased but though sheconsidered his real devotion. So giving the boon to him, MåtåSaraswat∂ told Kålidåsa, ìas you constantly stared me at theface and praised my beauty, in your every literary creation,ëÅdirasaí will be the main Rasa and it will be the only loop-hole in your Yugajay∂ creation.î

Barring the historical authenticity and cynical criticism, thesetales teach us to renunciate our lust and passion for goodness,not for any other one, but for our own goodness. They say,in human body, Teja and V∂rya is none other than Nåråyaƒa,its main path and tendency is to go down, but if you misuseit, it will destroy you.

God has created the human to help His creation to go well.But today we completely forget that. It is said that, when ababy is on its way to be born and faces the pain of thirty-twonaris of motherís womb, it cries and prays to God, once beingout I will never forget you, my life, my everything will be foryou. I will renunciate everything to serve you. But unfortunately,once out, it forgets every word and renunciates God to serveAsuras, i.e. the lust and cardinal desires of this Bhoga-world.

In our Puråƒas, it is said that, through whichever limb orpart of the body you will do sinful acts, Adhi¶¢håtæ Devatå

Tyåga of Lust and Cardinal Desires


of that part of your body becomes angry and leaves that parteither in this birth or another and that person loses that limbor part of body. So beware of the lust and cardinal desires ofthis Bhoga-world. Renunciation is the only medicine.

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Many people believe that the only goal of life is to fulfiltheir own and their familyís multifarious desires for maintenanceof body in comfort and securing social recognition. Thegreater part of the time and energy of such persons is thus,spent in catering to the physical and psychological needs ofthe body. But we know from personal experience, that all ofour desires are never fulfilled and that fulfilment of one desireis soon followed by cropping up of other desires and, therefore,some desires always remain unfulfilled ultimately. Because ofthis one experiences sorrow, lack and helplessness as one hasto depend on others for fulfilment of many desires. Indulgencein pleasure also leads to weakness and disease. Thus, attemptsto fulfil desires only result in short spells of happiness followedby longer periods of unhappiness, worries, fears, loss ofindependence and weakness, which is the unfortunate lot ofmany of us in our daily life.

óRevelation of the Spiritual Path

Sacrifice and Service: TheMilestone of Humanity

óSushanta Kumar Mohapatra

Life is the transformation of old forms and of impressionstaken in previous birth. A plant with life is nothing but atransformed form of a seed. So seed is a previous form of theplant. The total form of a plant or a tree was hidden in a seed.Thus it is understood that a new thing comes when some oldthing or previous form is lost. The principle of ëgiving-upí ruleseverywhere in our day to day life. Leaving anything for a noblecause or for a higher purpose without having any selfish motiveor any attachment is always commendable. This is otherwisecalled as sacrifice. And this happens only with ë›raddhåí meanssweet will. The sacrifice again gives rise to the sense of servicemeans help or care for being and becoming of all without anyself interest. A plant or even an animal is associated with thisactivity either knowingly or unknowingly. Man is also not anexception to it.

The process of breathing in and out is a common phenomenonwith every creature. Exhaling takes place for inhaling the air inorder to exist. It is the activity associated with man from whereone can make out about the concept of sacrifice. This auto-activity of breathing as a form of sacrifice in a body playsa vital role to live a life. A child just after taking birth startsbreathing automatically so that it lives. It needs care from themother and the mother also needs medical help then and there.The child lives and grows with the help of parents, relatives,nature and environment which invites love and sacrifice from


all around. In case of growth of any creature sacrifice involvesfrom one stage to another stage till death. Leaving the bodyis also a type of sacrifice to get a new life. So, it means sacrificeleads towards some kind of new form and service becomespossible thereof. Thus, both sacrifice and service are complimentaryand supplementary to each other.

Dispelling darkness of ignorance and acquiring the light ofknowledge is an activity of sacrifice and also a first service forthe self. It gives internal pleasure as one becomes enlightenedthrough right knowledge and can perceive the things rightly. Onecan develop a power of distinction between right and wrong andcan take a suitable resolution with regards to place, time andperson. The ego of false knowledge, pride and prejudices go awayautomatically. With right perception oneís energy can be properlychannelized to obtain quick and more better result for publicwelfare. Without the sacrifice of self effort and time, one cannotgain anything either good or evil. Anybody becomes even eithera drunkard or a dacoit with a lot of continuous effort which isquite abysmal for the self and the society as a whole. The motheris the best example ever present for both sacrifice and service.The Mother Earth and even the whole nature are also idealexamples of sacrifice and service to be observed everywhere. Anyliving being is greatly indebted to each factor responsible for itsexistence and growth all around him till death. So, we all aredebtors and thus, ever bound to serve the universe. But the saddestthing is that, man being blessed with the power of reasoning,never ever thinks about his duties and responsibilities knowingly.Rather he always demands and fights only for rights and personalgain with greed and lust, as a result of which he remains insatiatethroughout the life. Before deserving anything one should firstlearn to serve.

In scriptures, there is an injunction about five types ofsacrifice (Yaj¤a) to be conducted with love to remain free from

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debts of five types. They are Deva-Yaj¤aóoffering obligationsthrough prayer and hymns to different gods; Brahma-Yaj¤aoffering spiritual knowledge to the capable seekers; Pitæ-Yaj¤aóperforming ›raddhå for ancestors and taking care of parents;Næ-Yaj¤aóhospitality towards guests and human beings; Bhµuta-Yaj¤aóoffering to creatures and do something for the environment.In ›atapatha Bråhmaƒa, sacrifice (Yaj¤a) connotes three thingsasó (1) ample respect or honour of the great persons, (2)strengthening the feeling of harmony in the society and (3)Charity. In the sacrificial rites (Yaj¤a) after offering of eachoblation it is uttered ëSvåhåí (sacrifice) and ëIda≈ na mamaíwhich says about against ownership. Swåm∂ Vivekånanda hasclassified selfless service as physical helpóAnnadåna; educationalhelpóVidyå Dåna; spiritual helpóJ¤åna Dåna. Åcårya VinobåBhåve was involved in Bhµudåna means distribution of land tothe landless persons. Mahåtmå Gåndh∂ was preaching about›rama Dåna means putting effort or doing labour for thecommon welfare. According to this principle, no food was beingsupplied without any work in Såbaramat∂ Å‹rama. A personwho wants to live for hundred years in this earth, has to dosome work (selfless service) by which he never becomesengrossed in that. Throughout the world, mankind stands in needof all kinds of help. A person who realizes his indebtednessand wants to discharge obligation towards others and at the sametime can renounce self-interest, becomes able to cultivate thehabit of service steadily. This duty of renunciation differentiatesmankind from the beast.

Accumulating wealth and preserving that only for the selfis a type of sin or in other words corruption. The very purposeof earning wealth (money) is either to utilize for oneís fulfilmentof needs or is to donate to fulfil otherís needs otherwise it mayperish automatically or it may bring destruction. Out of greedand to establish the ego, one competes to excel all in that regard

Sacrifice and Service: The Milestone of Humanity


which is quite irrelevant and erroneous. Always he may notrequire to be affluent. An able person may earn more in latertime to meet his requirements and the excess amount may bedistributed among the needy people. Therefore, Kab∂ra saysóìOh God! You give that much of wealth with which one canlead his life without being hungry and can offer something tomitigate the hunger for saintly persons. If we look into our body,system, all the food go inside the digestive system but thequintessence is never used for a part of the body, rather it isdistributed for the whole as per need. Likewise the same systemfollows on this earth. It is observed in the nature that the riverjumps from the top of the mountain and flows continuously tillit mingles with the ocean just to serve all by supplying freshand sweet water. The sun also collects water from every sourcebut it gives in return thousand times in the form of cloudscausing rain. As a result, people avail the water for manypurposes. The trees also tolerate all sorts of miseries due toclimatic changes but they provide shadow and bear fruits forothers and they are held responsible to produce oxygen andcontrol the air pollution, for which they are regarded as Lord›iva (N∂lakaƒ¢ha) in the modern age. The honey bees remainbusy and collect honey but it is hardly used for them. Cowslet everyone take their milk, the clouds that feed the crops withrain but do not eat them. An earthworm serves by bringingfertility to the soil. Our culture and tradition tell us manís skillsand wealth should be used for the benefit of others. That iswhy the scientists put their sincere effort and dedicate their lifeto either invent or discover any machine, instrument or anydevice for the welfare of the common mass. The writers andsocial workers come out to reform the society, being preparedto undergo sufferings. And that happens when they becomeready selflessly being satisfied with whatever they possess. Therealso they sacrifice their own comforts and utilize their potentiality

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for the welfare of others.When a person acquires right knowledge, he develops a

sense of discrimination and dispassion. He becomes able to seeothers as own and finds himself in others also with fullconviction. He starts living with equanimity and compatibility.He starts living like a saint with unflinching love and strongfeeling of oneness, as a result, renounces selfishness having afirm resolution of service towards all. He derives pleasureextending service to the helpless persons. His outlook becomesbroadened and remains one with the nature. As nature serveseverybody with detachment and equality in many ways, withoutany classification or any reservation, without fear or favourlikewise one man can serve anybody by any means anywhere.In oneís life, without sacrifice, one cannot live alone and withoutseeking help from any source available. Inter-dependence is alsoa must to live in this world because nobody in this earth isabsolutely self-fulfilled. So, caring and sharing or giving andtaking are two inseparable phenomena of a human being andindispensable for mutual existence. And therefore the G∂tåsaysóìHe who eats without offering others, eats stolen food.î

There is a long tradition of sacrifice and service continuingbenevolently in India since Vedic age. And contextual numerousexamples are also available to us. The Åcåryas were impartingknowledge leading a simple life with minimum requirements.The Prince Råma in his early age left his parents and went withVi‹wåmitra to fight against demons to protect righteous persons.In the Råmåyaƒa, Prince Råma went to the forest abdicatingthe coronation and kingdom of Ayodhya for 14 years in orderto honour the sentiment of his father and to allow his youngerbrother Bharata to be the king of Ayodhya. In that case Bharataalso did not enjoy the kingship by keeping wooden shoe of›r∂ Råma on the throne. Bhag∂ratha utilized his spiritual powerand could bring river Ga∆gå from the heaven to get back the



life of Sagara dynasty. Mahar¶i Dadh∂ci donated his bone toprepare the thunderbolt for killing demon Vætra. King ›ibi alsobecame fleshless to save the life of a dove from another mightierbird. Karƒa, the great warrior also became a great donor byoffering his own shield at his own cost unhesitatingly to Indrawho was in the guise of a Brahmin. King Hari‹candra donatedhis kingdom, engaged his wife as a servant and worked as aguard in the burial ground to prove his charity demanded byMahar¶i Vi‹wåmitra. ›ravaƒa Kumåra went in a pilgrimagebearing the load of his parents on his shoulders. The PrinceGautama left his kingdom and his own family in order to knowthe cause of human sufferings and to find out the solution ofhuman sufferings. Chatrapati ›ivåj∂, Råƒå Pratåpa, Lak¶m∂bå∂are some patriots who sacrificed their life for the sake of themotherland. In the freedom struggle many more heroes foughtagainst the Britishers and became martyrs. There were socialreformers like Råjå Råma Mohana Råya, Dayånanda Saraswat∂,Åcårya Vinobå Bhåve, Swåm∂ Vivekånanda, Aurobindo Ghosh,who toiled hard to eradicate social stigmas and taboos throughouttheir life neglecting own comforts. The ladies like Ramå Dev∂,Såbitr∂bå∂ Phµule and Mother Tereså strived for the upliftmentof the downtrodden and helpless women for their rehabilitationand empowerment. Stephen Hawkins, a great scientist thoughphysically challenged, is still working hard and supplying newinformation in the field of atomic science. Very recently thenews came into limelight that a person named DåmodaraRå¢haura passed away at the age of 91 who planted at about8 crores trees in and around of PithorågaŒha in Uttarakhand.Stories of sacrifice and service are found in the Råmåyaƒa,rendered even by small creatures. A bird named Ja¢åyu foughtagainst Råvaƒa to release Mother S∂tå being abducted andsacrificed its life. The army of monkeys, King Sugr∂va servedLord Råma with sincerity, honesty, dedication and devotion. A

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squirrel helped in construction of bridge from Indian seashoreto Sri Lanka by rolling on sand and shaking body repeatedlyand consequent upon this, it got lines on its back by ›r∂ Råmaas a mark of gratefulness.

In the beginning of ∫‹opani¶ad, it is clarified that wealthbelongs to the Almighty God who pervades the whole earthand everything in it, so ownership of wealth can never bedemanded by anybody. It is further told not to covet anybodyíswealth. He who enjoys sensual pleasures, feels grief and theother who never enjoys anything just witnesses the events,remains unattached and blissful. The real enjoyment comes fromcharity, philanthropy and altruism. Therefore, the mother withunconditional love preserves and nurtures a child for nine monthsaltogether in her womb and gives birth to a child, sacrificingher own food and energy. Soon after the delivery of the childshe feeds milk, again as a changed form of her blood. In spiteof that the mother always feels endless inner joy out of it. Theriver is also adored as mother. The whole nature or any partthereof, is now even worshipped throughout the world. A personwho accepts any kind of service or help with humility, remainsthankful in one way and obliges the concerned in the other.He generates inexpressible joy with happiness in the mind ofthe donor. The donor secures the highest position and livesalways in a dignified manner. Perhaps for that reason theposition of clouds remains on the top but the receiver or theocean remains below. The hands of the donor remain alwaysabove the receiverís hand. While sowing seeds in the field, afarmer feels happy and never minds regarding the amount ofseeds sown as he knows it very well that the return becomesmultiplied. That means, any service rendered comes back withmultiple return. Controlling emotions and withdrawing thesenses from their respective subjects at all times are alsoexamples of renunciation resulting better outcome towards



shaping ideal character. Reformation of a personality becomespossible through this practice which can pave the way tobuilding a superb national character. In this regard animalsacrifice should be considered as saying goodbye to all evilthoughts from mind leaving wrong or bad practices for the self-refinement and to become a good citizen.

Without harming others, one should try his level best toremain good and kind enough for all to render service and helpothers in need to the fullest possibility. One has to undergo painsand sufferings for the sake of others, which are reasonablyobvious. Fragrance comes after repeated rubbing of a sandalwood.Nectar also became available by churning of the ocean. Noblethoughts come from the mind by regular practice of contemplation.The essence like ghee comes out by churning of the milk. Witha strong pressure we get juice from the sugarcane. The pieceof stone turns into an idol after getting many strikes, to beworshipped. The life becomes successful when it is dedicatedtowards the welfare of all. It may happen in several ways.Symbiotic relationship can be established and developed withall living beings and with the whole environment as well. Onecan purify the polluted atmosphere by performing sacrificial ritesand offering ghee along with other medicinal natural materialsinto that. Planting trees and growing grass, one can preserve thesoil and can purify the air as well. Digging wells, tanks andwater reservoirs to enhance the amount of ground water andpreserving rain water, constructing dams and embankments, onecan fetch water to animals, plants and to different crops.Minimizing own expenditure in different heads, balancing theintake of food without wasting and at the same time distributingthe excess amount, one can reduce poverty. One can devotehimself educating illiterates and developing awareness in thehelpless, poor and slum dwellers in order to make them bettercitizens and thus, to bring them into the main stream of the

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society. Extending service towards poverty-stricken people andsick persons and providing First Aid to individuals met withany accident, one can save life and bring back happiness inthem. Taking care of public property, avoiding vanity and greed,avoiding use of fire-crackers, immersion of idols or throwingwaste materials into the water or in the public places openly,accepting public transport, paying taxes to the governmenthonestly are some of the important measures in the line of trueservice to curb present problems like chaos, insurgency, corruptionand belligerence from the society.

The very attitude of sacrifice and service starts developingwith right knowledge and clear understanding which erupts fromthe childhood experiencing directly from the parents, preceptorsand society. He who thinks and does something for the commonwelfare remains free from debts and that type of life isconsidered as successful. Mahar¶i Vyåsa very truly saysóìService is for virtue and injury is for vice.î

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Tyåga as a Means of Spiritual TrainingóDr. V. V. Rampal

To know the real meaning of Tyåga, we must firstdistinguish between the essential needs of human life and theweb of worldly desires. We often confuse between our needsand unnecessary desires for a comfortable life. If we intend topursue a spiritual life, the distinction between needs and desiresbecomes all the more important.

In spiritual sense, Tyåga means giving up all that whichis not necessary in order to survive and maintain life. It alsomeans giving up all evil thoughts and negative emotions, whichpollute our mind and thereby obstruct the process of cleaningour mind. Spiritual literature advises us to limit our daily needsto the minimum and lead a simple life of high ideals. Unnecessaryacquisitions fuel our ego and selfishness that takes us away fromthe path of spirituality.

Tyåga has many facets; some noble and some not so noble.Change of clothes to show Vairågya but harbouring worldlydesires, is not Tyåga. Change of food habits without botheringto clean the mind is only to show off oneís simplicity and iscertainly not Tyågå in the true sense. True spirit of Tyåga isrenouncing the desire and attachment to worldly temptations.Tyåga and Vairågya are intimately connected. Both have to bedone with a genuine desire for detachment from the attractionsof the world in order to pursue a spiritual life.

The noblest forms of Tyåga, are the abandoning of negativethoughts and prefer the positivity to improve worldly behaviour.More than the physical form of Tyåga, it is the mental cleanliness

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that is of paramount importance.Some people show of renunciation by changing dress and

giving up objects superfluous to their requirements to impressothers. They hardly change their mental make up as trueVairågya is missing from their life. This is a meaninglessexercise. True Tyåga arises from disenchantment with thetemptations of the world. The unreal nature of the physical andgenuine attachment with the Lord leads to the true nature ofVairågya. Giving up negative habits like hatred, jealousy,stealing and selfish acquisitions is the true Tyåga. Tyåga shouldlead to self improvement in spiritual sense.

There is a difference between comfortable life and luxuriousliving. Comfortable life with mental peace can be achieved withsimplicity, honesty and belief in the Supreme Power. Aluxurious life leads to pride and boost of ego. Tyåga obviouslyplays a big role in the spiritual advancement by curbing orcurtailing unnecessary desires and the consequent agitations ofthe mind. Tyåga brings about training of mind for a simple andnoble life.

Everybody needs to do Tyåga of mean-mindedness, violenceand cruelty towards others, falsehood, cheating, intolerance ofothers viewpoint and so on. It is also desirable to shun thecompany of unspiritual persons who are a bad influence on ourthoughts.

One of the main reasons for renunciation is the disillusionmentwith the people, objects and things that one holds dear to oneíslife. Bhartæhari is a fine example of it. This has driven manypeople to a life of renunciation.

Many people make New Year resolutions every year, onlyto break them after a few days. This is because, giving upsomething requires courage and determination. It requires strongwillpower too.

Tyåga or renunciation, if done with a sense of dislike or

Tyåga as a Means of Spiritual Training


even hatred for the worldly events or objects, is likely to giverise to a depressive state of mind which is not good for oneísmental health. Tyåga must always be done with a lofty idealof leading a simple life of positive thoughts, a life of givingup over-indulgence, opulence and bloated ego. The object ofrenunciation is to clean oneís subconscious and become amentally pure person. This is the first step of the ladder to beclimbed in order to lead a spiritual life; a life of compassion,empathy and concern for others.

A life devoted to God, is not possible without a clean mindand pure heart. Scriptures have advised us, Sewå and Tyågåare the steps that have to be taken in order to move smoothlyon the road to spirituality. Life in the world is full of negativeentanglements. Spiritual journey requires us to avoid theseentanglements by training the mind and body with discipline,determination and development of positive traits of service,selflessness and devotion to God and His creation with loveand understanding. Sewå and Tyåga play a great part inachieving this aim. These attributes enable one to surrender oneísego to the Supreme Power with humility and genuine love.

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The Vision and Significance of Sewå and Tyåga

óKishan Kumar Agarwal

Both of these wordsóSewå and Tyåga carry the perfumeof some spiritual quality. Even an atheist, who is doing someselfless Sewå and Tyåga for someone out of his benevolentfeeling, is verily a spiritual person. The wider and deeper theattitude of Sewå and Tyåga, the higher, the religiousness. Ina sense, the much-acclaimed teaching of G∂tåóìNi¶kåma-Karmaî involves the elements of Sewå and Tyåga.

Sewå and Tyåga are intertwined, inasmuch as selfless orbenevolent Sewå for someone else inherently involves somepersonal Tyåga. But, a person who is earnest in Sewå, reallyforgets and ignores his pain of Tyåga. It naturally happensbecause the ìjoy of givingî overwhelmingly compensates thepain of Tyåga. Further, true Sewå does not expect anything inreturn; not even the thankfulness or gratitude. Thus, true Sewåmakes one absolutely humanitarian and elevates his actions tothe rank of worship.

However, spiritual uplift through Sewå and Tyåga ispossible, only if it is done without any thought or feeling ofpride and superiority. The assumptions of pride and superioritymakes one egoistic, and ego is the greatest evil which is in directconflict with spirituality. A truly spiritual person renounces, ifrequired, his worldly possessions for the sake of Sewå andTyåga with a sense of surrender and Dainya Bhåva to God.He is thankful to God for having got the opportunity of Sewåand Tyåga because it will ensure his spiritual upliftment. There


is a touching couplet regarding the humble charitable nature ofthe famous poet Rah∂madåsaj∂. He would give alms anddonations very shyly with downward eyes. When asked abouthis such behaviour, he recited:ó

ŒŸ„UÊ⁄U ∑§Ê©U •ÊÒ⁄U „ÒU, ÷¡Ã ‚Ê ÁŒŸ ⁄ÒUŸ–‹Êª ÷⁄U◊ „U◊ ¬Ò œ⁄¥U ÿÊÃ ◊Ëø ŸÒŸH

(Rah∂ma, Dohåwal∂ 100)This couplet at once establishes his unwavering faith in God

as well as his egoless charity.The feelings and deeds of Sewå and Tyåga are inherently

ingrained in every creature. Every mother (be she a humanbeing or an animal) is always given to Sewå and Tyåga forher offspring. Every person is engaged in Sewå and Tyåga forhis own family members. If only this inherent feelings of Sewåand Tyåga were gradually widened beyond own offspring andown family members, the world would have become a muchhappier place to live in.

A deplorable feature of todayís education is that theimportance of Sewå and Tyåga has been minimized. From thevery childhood, a sense of racing competition and growingambition is inculcated. Although such sentiments are conduciveto worldly progress and material achievements, yet they vitiatethe humanitarian outlook of life. Ultimately, an acquisitivedesire overtakes to make gains by hook or by crook. Self-aggrandizement holds the driving seat, whereas Sewå and Tyågatake the back seat. In the long run, the whole spirit of ìNi¶kåma-Karmaî is vanished into thin air. That is why, nowadays, wevery often come across the news of huge financial fraudscommitted by well-educated bureaucrats, businessmen and politicalleaders.

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Sewå and Tyåga in BuddhismóGautam Chakraborty

Sans Sewå (service), Tyåga (renunciation) is not flourished.Sans Tyåga, Sewå is not seeded. The two are coined to fulfila certain objective. The objective is to reach the zenith of thislife. The zenith of this life means to acquire a gate pass toenter into the ëlife of that worldí which is flowered by theeternity. To attain the eternity by overcoming the land of deathis the root cause of this worldly life. He who does not know,it may be allowed to live in his self-created paradise which isfull of fools. Everyone has his own liberty to take his owndecision. Cårvåka says: ìYåvajj∂vet sukha≈ J∂vet æƒa≈ kætvåghæta≈ pibet.î As long as you are in this world, must you livein happiness even through debts you shall enjoy the best foodof life.

The Sanåtana Dharma does not oppose him, moreoverkeeps a room for him in philosophical arena, even a simplequestion is not awarded to Cårvåka: ëIf everyone is debtor whowill be the creditor?í Such is the wisdom (!) of Cårvåka. Thefools are his full-supporters. ëThe Foolsí mean the persons whoby not knowing the real meaning of manhood, wend to theworld of death by knowing it as the ëonly end.í For them Drydenlaments that they do not know: Death, so-called, is but other /Matter dressíd / In some new form. And in a / Varied vest, /From tenement to tenement / Though tossíd / The soul is stillthe same / The figure only lost. (Poem on Pythagoras).

But now the question comes, if the death is not the onlyend, what waits for the next. The Buddha says:


Appakå te manussesu ye janå påragåmino,Athåya≈ itarå pajå t∂ramevånudhåvati.Ye ca kho sammadakkhåte dhamme dhammånuvattino,Te janå påramessanti maccudheyya≈ suduttaram.

(Dhammapada, PaƒŒitavaggo 10-11)Few amongst men can overcome this world, the rest wander

along the bank. But those who are in true Dharma, must enterinto ëthat landí by overcoming the zone of death.

Thus, the wise only are able to cross the land of death andtaste the eternity. So there are two kinds of men. The first wantsto enjoy ëthis worldí to the full brim and the second wants toplunge into the fullness of the full. The Buddha says:

Karåha≈ dhamma≈ vipphåya sukka≈ bhåvetha paƒŒito,Okå anoka≈ ågamma viveke yattha dµuramam.Tatråbhiratimiccheyya hittvå kåme aki¤cano,Pariyodapeyya attånam cittaklesehi paƒŒito.Yesa≈ sambodhi a∆gesu sammå citta≈ subhåvita≈,Ådåna-pa¢inissagge anupådåya ye ratå,Khiƒåsavå jut∂manto te loke parinibbutå.

(Ibid 12ó14)The wise man resignates the path of ëdarkí i.e., untrue way

and embraces the ëbrightí i.e. Sat-Dharma, resignates the hometothe homeless arena to attain the Ånanda, resignates the worldlydesires to purify the Citta from impurity. The Ka¢hoponi¶ad says:

›reya‹ca preya‹ca manu¶yameta-stau sampar∂tya vivinakti dh∂ra¨

›reyo hi dh∂roíbhi preyaso bæƒ∂tepreyo mando yogak¶emåd bæƒ∂te.

(I. 2. 2)But what is the way? The way is Tyåga and Sewå. The

two are intermixed. Tyåga means renunciation. Renunciation isnot for one phase of life, the full phases must be covered. Thenthe petals of ëthis life flowerí are to be fully blossomed for thesake of being utilized in worshipping in ëthat worldí of eternity.

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But how? ›r∂ Buddha saysóYesa≈ sambodhi a∆gesu sammå citta≈ subhåvitam,Ådåna-pa¢inissagge anupådåya ye ratå,Kh∂ƒåsavå jut∂manto te loke parinibbutå.The aspirants who are firmed in Sådhanå, well established

in Sambodhi, aloof from attachment of sensualism, devoted torenunciation, are able to enter into Nirvåƒa even by staying inthis world. Sambodhi means the factors of enlightenment: Smæti(mindfulness), Dhammavicåra (introspection of truth), V∂rya(endeavour), Pr∂ti (amiability), Pra‹ånti (calmness), Samådhi(meditation), Upek¶å (indifference). These seven are essentialto attain Sambodhi.

The ∫‹oponi¶ad manifests: ëTena tyaktena bhu¤j∂thå mågædha¨ kasya swiddhanam.í To enjoy ëthe realí is a fruit ofrenunciation of this unreal world of sensual enjoymentóthenwhere is the need further of oneís wealth full of lustre?

›r∂ Råmakæ¶ƒa makes the way easier by advising that a ëJ∂vaímust be ëservedí as God, the Supreme, ë›iva j¤åne j∂va sewå.í

In Buddhism, it is very clear to usher the journey of lifethrough ëMahåma∆galasuttaí, the quintessence of which is asfollows:

Asevanå ca bålåna≈ paƒŒitånå¤ca sevanå,Pµujå ca pµujan∂yånå≈ eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.Not to mix with fools, but with the wise and to respect

those who are worthy of dignity; this is the most spiritualperformance.

Måtå-pitu-upatthåna≈, puttadårassa sa∆gaho,Anåkula ca kammantå eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.Serving oneís father and mother, upbringing wife and

children and a peaceful occupation; this is the most spiritualperformance.

Dåna¤ca dhammacariyå ca, nåtakånå¤ca sa∆gaho,Anabajjåni kammåni, eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.

Sewå and Tyåga in Buddhism


ìGenerosity, dutiful conduct, the helping of kith and kin andblameless actions; this is the most spiritual performance.î

Arati birati påpå, majjapånå ca sa¤¤amo,Appamådo ca dhammesu, eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.ìWorks avoiding of evil, abstention from intoxication of

drinks and preserves virtue; this is the most spiritual performance.îTapo ca brahmacariya¤ca, ariyasaccån dassana≈,Nibbånasaccikiriyå ca, eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.ìSelf-restraint, perception of the eternal truths and the

drowning in Nirvåƒa; this is the most spiritual performance.îPhutthassa lokadhammehi, cittam jassa na kampoti,A‹oka≈ biraja≈ khema≈, eta≈ ma∆galamuttamam.

ìIf oneís mind is full of sorrowlessness, stainless and drowns(in Nirvåƒa) and is not disturbed when affected by worldlysensualities; this is the most spiritual performance.î

Thus, Tyåga and Sewå i.e., renunciation and ëservice sansmotiveí, purify the mind-set i.e. ëCittaí which is the storehouseof all Sa≈skåras. And if the Sa≈skåras transform into nothingthen the gate pass of entering into the eternity awaits.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Dance of FleshóBrigadier Karan Singh Chauhan

Reflecting on meaning and message of lifeOpens new dormant manifestations.It dawned on me that the master creatorPlanned it all, keeping the truth hidden from me.I just followed the script given to me,Shades and shadows evidentBut the light remained near but invisible.Now dawn awakened the understandingA flash of wisdom, and I am awake to seeAll that was important, became unimportantPerceived possessions become irrelevant.What I thought, was mine became thine.Me became we, and effortlesslyThe direction changed to the pathI was destined to tread.Fifty trillion cells of mine, smiledAnd were hilarious singing Thy name of for Thy grace.The curtain melted and here wereNew eyes, new ears existence of a new self.One name, one melody, only one, one only.This is the meaning of life,This is the purpose of life, one universal threadSo well knit in eternity, submergingIn love and love alone.Lo! I listen a whisper,Love has no barriers


Living waters need no strainingDivine apparels need no washingLife breath need no effortFlesh of dance becomes aPerfect performance when soaring highIn love, joy and ›ånti.

❑❑❑❑❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

Serve the poor and the sick,See God in them;Serve the country, serve society,This is real religion and worship.

If you see a sick manWho is lying on the road-side,Take him on your back to the hospital,This is the highest worship.

óSwami Sivananda

contents 2016 (28.11.16) iiird - kalyana kalpatarukalyana-kalpataru.org/pdf (full...

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