सेवा
Seva
(sevā)Selfless service; action performed for others without expectation of reward
Full Meaning
Sevā means service — but in Sanskrit, it carries the weight of the divine. Serving another person is serving God; serving God is serving another person. Sevā is the practical expression of karma yoga: acting completely, without attachment to the fruits, dedicating the action to something beyond the self.
Etymology
From the root sev (सेव्) — to serve, to attend to, to worship. Seva is both service and worship — in Sanskrit, they are the same act.
Usage in Sanskrit Texts
In Sikhism, seva is a central practice. In Hinduism, temple service is seva. In both: the quality of the action is what matters, not the scale. Sweeping a floor with devotion is a greater seva than building a hospital with pride.
Service is worship. The Gita's karma yoga is service performed as an offering to the divine.
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