What is Guru's Sewa?
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Seva: Is seva of SatGuru Jee referring to Naam Abhiyaas (from what I heard in a katha) ? If so, how is it seva of SatGuru Jee as Naam Abhiyaas is done to carry us across and SatGuru Jee is already free from any bondage to janam maran. If there is some other definition of seva of SatGuru Jee, how do we do it? Basically, when one is commanded to do seva of SatGuru Jee, in terms of Gurmat what exactly are they supposed to be doing?
Satguru jee is totally free from all bondage and any Seva that we do for Guru Sahib is not for Guru Sahib's sake (since he does not require our services) but to cleanse ourselves. In other words, Guru Sahib allows us to do His Seva, so that we may become pure. Satguru is the embodiment of Parupkaar.
The greatest Seva of Satguru jee is to obey His Hukams and the foremost Hukam of Guru Sahib is Naam Abhyaas:
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਗੁਰ ਭਗਤਿ ਹੈ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਪਾਏ ਕੋਇ ॥1॥
(Doing Gur Bhagti is Guru's Sewa and only some rare one gets it).
From the above Pankiti it is clear that Guru's Sewa is Guru's Bhagti. Guru's Bhagti primarily involves Naam Abhyaas and Kirtan and in addition to that it involves obeying all Hukams of Guru Sahib. Below are some Pankitis that will make the concept of Gur Seva more clear:
ਧੰਨੁ ਧਨੁ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਫਲ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਕੀ ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਿ ਹਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥2॥
(Satguru's Seva is Dhan Dhan through which by chanting Naam, Sukh has been received)
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਿ ਪਿਰਾ ਜੀਉ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਏ ॥
(Do Guru's Seva by meditating Naam).
ਖਿਨੁ ਪਲੁ ਰਹਿ ਨ ਸਕਉ ਬਿਨੁ ਸੇਵਾ ਮੈ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਮ੍ਾਰੇ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
( I can't live for a moment without Guru's Seva - I recite Gurmat Naam).
From these Pankitis it is clear that Guru's Seva is primarily to Japp Naam.
Seva means Service. In the worldly setting we do service through employment. At work we are said to be in service, if we obey what our employer tells us to do. Same way, serving Guru Sahib means obeying what Guru Sahib says. Guru Sahib's Hukams are listed in Gurbani. In other words, obeying Gurbani means serving Guru Sahib.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh