A Life of Seva
Seva refers to the selfless actions and activities humbly performed to attain God-realization. It is loosely translated in English as ‘service’. However, service commonly refers to work done by people or organizations with the expectation of some material gain. Whereas, seva, more accurately, ‘selfless service’, is a devotional act devoid of ego and performed out of love and reverence to earn the blessings of Bhagwan and guru.
Seva in its purest form is free from anger, greed, ego, lust, envy and other negative emotions. It is performed with the belief that Bhagwan resides in the recipient. Hence, it is a form of devotion to God.
The Gunatit gurus are a living legacy of the spiritual ideals revealed and practised by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. From Gunatitanand Swami to the present day, all have emulated the seva performed by Bhagwan Swaminarayan.
Bhagwan Swaminarayan himself expressed in Vachanamrut that he wishes to repeatedly take birth amid the devotees of God to serve them. In fact, the Gunatit gurus are fulfilling this wish.
Gunatitanand Swami has stated in his talks, Swamini Vato 5.344, “There is worth only in the seva of Bhagwan and his devotees.”
This is the mindset with which all the Gunatit gurus have performed seva. They have sincerely endeavored in serving Bhagwan, their gurus, sadhus, devotees, mandirs, festival and social projects, and in many other ways.
Mahant Swami Maharaj was inspired by guru Yogiji Maharaj to engage in seva in a multitude of ways.
In the 1950s, as a youth newly affiliated with satsang, and later as a parshad, Vinu Bhagat engaged in washing clothes and utensils, kitchen work, housekeeping, indoor and outdoor errands, letter-writing and many other tasks.
SEVA AMID FEVER
Once, when Yogiji Maharaj was in Gondal, Bhailubhai of Adval brought his new tractor to be blessed. Yogiji Maharaj had been thinking of transferring a big heap of garbage to a suitable location. So, after performing pujan of the tractor, with Bhailubhai’s permission, Yogiji Maharaj instructed the sadhus to complete the task. Yogiji Maharaj asked, “Where is Mahant Swami?” Someone replied, “He has a fever of 103°F.” Still, Yogiji Maharaj said, “Tell him to do this seva and his fever will go.”
On receiving the message, Mahant Swami immediately joined in the seva for over two hours despite his fever.
MURTI-PRATISHTHA PREPARATIONS
In 1970, devotees of London purchased an unused church building in Islington to establish the first BAPS mandir in the UK. They requested Yogiji Maharaj to come to perform the murti-pratishtha.
A few days prior to the murti-pratishtha, Mahant Swami and other swamis and youths went to clean the building, which had been unused for a long time. The task was challenging, since there was a lot to do. Over time, others began to drift away from the seva and eventually only Mahant Swami and a few others remained. They ensured that every corner and surface were clean and ready for the big occasion.
Yogiji Maharaj came to check on the progress and was delighted with the cleanliness of the place.
CLEANING WASHROOMS
In Gondal, many years ago, there were five bathrooms and toilets, which were used by all the sadhus and devotees. Whenever Yogiji Maharaj visited Gondal, Mahant Swami and Madhusudanbhai cleaned them daily. Although Mahant Swami was not assigned this seva, he willingly undertook it, in addition to the duties Yogiji Maharaj had directly assigned to him.
REMOVING WEEDS
Pramodbhai Jajal of Limdi was a volunteer during the Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Bicentenary Celebrations in 1985. The volunteers from Limdi were assigned to serve in the Landscape Department under the guidance of Mahant Swami.
Pramodbhai recalls, “One day, under the hot sun, we were removing unnecessary weeds when Mahant Swami arrived there. He said, ‘Remove the weeds completely, otherwise they will regrow and spoil our landscape designs.’ Then, he joined us in removing the weeds despite the afternoon heat.”
Mahant Swami’s mode of working has always been collaborative.
PICKING UP DISCARDED DATAN STICKS
Anandjivan Swami recalls, “Opposite our old mandir in Sankari was a building, behind which was a field. A shibir had been organized there and preparations were under way. Mahant Swami came to the field where the shibir was to be held. He saw that there were innumerable used datan sticks scattered throughout the area. For years, people had discarded their chewed datan sticks in this vacant field. Without saying a word to anyone, Mahant Swami found a bucket and then proceeded to pick up the used datan sticks and put them in the bucket. We rushed to stop him and told him that we would pick them all up. However, Swamishri said, ‘No, you also pick them, and I will, too.’ Only when the field was cleared of the datan sticks did he leave.”
PAINFUL FALL
In July 2015, a special book launch program was organized at the BAPS Mandir in Mumbai for the Transcendence book written by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Mahant Swami was to fly from Delhi to Mumbai to preside over the event.
However, in Delhi, on 11 July 2015, while walking in the pradakshina of the mandir after the mangala arti, Swamishri slipped while attempting to touch the feet of a murti of Ghanshyam Maharaj being carried by Bhaktimata. Heavy rain had fallen overnight and the pradakshina surface was wet. Swamishri lost his balance as he reached out and fell heavily. Without informing anyone, he returned to his room to finish his puja and morning routine, despite the pain and discomfort.
Swamishri flew that morning to Mumbai. At the mandir, while offering abhishek to Shri Nilkanth Varni, he struggled to lift his hands to pour the water. So, he was immediately taken for a check-up, where it was discovered that he had significant bruising in his back. The doctors advised complete rest.
Despite this, Swamishri presided over the evening book launch program, sitting through the pain, participating in all the guest felicitations and also blessing the gathering.
Recalling these events a year later, Swamishri said, “For a month afterwards the bed had to be tilted so that I could stand up. The discomfort was severe, but the opportunity to praise Pramukh Swami Maharaj was irresistible.”
Sadhu Amrutvijaydas
Swaminarayan Bliss | September — October 2023
