What the scriptures say about service

What do the scriptures say about service?

The texts call it sevā (सेवा). Acting for others' good is loka-saṅgraha in the Gita and para-hita in the Manas. They set it against ego, emptiness and loneliness.

  • 74 verses
  • 22 stories
  • Heals the mind
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Krishna

संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः । ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ | te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||

Restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, they too reach me.

Bhagavad Gita 12.4

Service in the texts' own words

Verses that show it in a person, or name it outright.

  • Krishna

    संनियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः । ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥

    saṃniyamyendriyagrāmaṃ sarvatra samabuddhayaḥ | te prāpnuvanti māmeva sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ ||

    Restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, they too reach me.

    Bhagavad Gita 12.4

  • Krishna

    सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत । कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥

    saktāḥ karmaṇyavidvāṃso yathā kurvanti bhārata | kuryādvidvāṃstathāsaktaścikīrṣurlokasaṃgraham ||

    As the unwise act with attachment to their work, Bharata, so should the wise act without attachment, wishing to hold the world together.

    Bhagavad Gita 3.25

  • Ram

    पर हित सरिस धर्म नहिं भाई। पर पीड़ा सम नहिं अधमाई॥ निर्नय सकल पुरान बेद कर। कहेउँ तात जानहिं कोबिद नर ॥

    par hit saris dharma nahiṃ bhāī| par pīṛā sam nahiṃ adhamāī|| nirnay sakal purān bed kar| kaheuṁ tāt jānahiṃ kobid nar ||

    There is no duty equal to doing good to others, brother, and no baseness equal to causing others pain. This is the verdict of all the scriptures; the wise know it.

    Ramcharitmanas · Uttar Kand

How it grows, step by step

Sequences the texts state outright, in their own order.

The chariot that wins

Ramcharitmanas, Lanka Kand 80 (Gita Press)
  1. Fear
  2. Self-respect
  3. Steadiness
  4. Discernment
  5. Service
  6. Forgiveness
  7. Compassion
  8. Equanimity
  9. Surrender
  10. Letting go
  11. Contentment
  12. Peace
  • Ram

    सौरज धीरज तेहि रथ चाका। सत्य सील दृढ़ ध्वजा पताका॥ बल बिबेक दम परहित घोरे। छमा कृपा समता रजु जोरे ॥

    sauraj dhīraj tehi rath cākā| satya sīl dṛṛh dhvajā patākā|| bal bibek dam parahit ghore| chamā kṛpā samatā raju jore ||

    Valour and patience are the wheels of that chariot; truth and good conduct are its firm flag and banner. Strength, discernment, self-control and kindness to others are its horses, yoked with the reins of forgiveness, compassion and evenness of mind.

    Ramcharitmanas · Lanka Kand

What it heals

The states the texts set it against.

EgoEmptinessLoneliness

Practices that grow service

Verses that give something to do, today or in the hard moment.

  • Bhartrihari

    दानं भोगो नाशस्तिस्रो गतयो भवन्ति वित्तस्य । यो न ददाति न भुङ्क्ते तस्य तृतीया गतिर्भवति ॥

    dānaṃ bhogo nāśastisro gatayo bhavanti vittasya | yo na dadāti na bhuṅkte tasya tṛtīyā gatirbhavati ||

    Wealth has three destinies: giving, enjoying and loss. Whoever neither gives nor enjoys it meets the third.

    Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam

  • Bhartrihari

    प्रदानं प्रच्छन्नं गृहमुपगते सम्भ्रमविधिः प्रियं कृत्वा मौनं सदसि कथनं चाप्युपकृते । अनुत्सेको लक्ष्म्यामनभिभवगन्धाः परकथाः सतां केनोद्दिष्टं विषममसिधाराव्रतमिदम् ॥

    pradānaṃ pracchannaṃ gṛhamupagate sambhramavidhiḥ priyaṃ kṛtvā maunaṃ sadasi kathanaṃ cāpyupakṛte | anutseko lakṣmyāmanabhibhavagandhāḥ parakathāḥ satāṃ kenoddiṣṭaṃ viṣamamasidhārāvratamidam ||

    Giving in secret, a warm welcome for whoever comes home, silence after doing a kindness, speaking in public of kindness received, no arrogance in wealth, talking of others without a whiff of contempt: who taught the good this vow, hard as walking a sword's edge?

    Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam

  • Bhartrihari

    श्रोत्रं श्रुतेनैव न कुण्डलेन दानेन पाणिर्न तु कङ्कणेन । विभाति कायः करुणापराणां परोपकारैर्न तु चन्दनेन ॥

    śrotraṃ śrutenaiva na kuṇḍalena dānena pāṇirna tu kaṅkaṇena | vibhāti kāyaḥ karuṇāparāṇāṃ paropakārairna tu candanena ||

    The ear is beautiful through learning, not earrings; the hand through giving, not bracelets; the body of the compassionate shines through helping others, not through sandal paste.

    Bhartrihari · Niti Shatakam

    Shows the body shining by helping. our reading

  • Savitri

    अद्रोहः सर्वभूतेषु कर्मणा मनसा गिरा / अनुग्रहश्च दानं च सतां धर्मः सनातनः

    adrohaḥ sarvabhūteṣu karmaṇā manasā girā / anugrahaśca dānaṃ ca satāṃ dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

    To bear no ill will toward any being in deed, thought or word, to help, and to give: this is the timeless way of the good.

    Mahabharata · Vana Parva · Vana: Savitri

    Shows giving. our reading

  • Ram

    जानि तुम्हहि मृदु कहउँ कठोरा। कुसमयँ तात न अनुचित मोरा॥ होहिं कुठायँ सुबंधु सहाए। ओड़िअहिं हाथ असनिहु के धाए ॥

    jāni tumhahi mṛdu kahauṁ kaṭhorā| kusamayaṁ tāt na anucit morā|| hohiṃ kuṭhāyaṁ subaṃdhu sahāe| oṛiahiṃ hāth asanihu ke dhāe ||

    Knowing you are gentle, I still say something hard; in hard times, brother, it isn't wrong of me. In bad times it is good brothers who help; it is the hands that rise to block a thunderbolt.

    Ramcharitmanas · Ayodhya Kand

    Shows taking the hard share for one's family when times are bad. our reading

  • Ram

    मुखिआ मुखु सो चाहिऐ खान पान कहुँ एक। पालइ पोषइ सकल अँग तुलसी सहित बिबेक ॥

    mukhiā mukhu so cāhiai khān pān kahuṁ ek| pālai poṣai sakal aṁg tulasī sahit bibek ||

    A leader should be like the mouth: it alone eats and drinks, yet with good sense it nourishes and sustains every limb of the body.

    Ramcharitmanas · Ayodhya Kand

    Names leading as nourishing. our reading

  • Ram

    पर हित सरिस धर्म नहिं भाई। पर पीड़ा सम नहिं अधमाई॥ निर्नय सकल पुरान बेद कर। कहेउँ तात जानहिं कोबिद नर ॥

    par hit saris dharma nahiṃ bhāī| par pīṛā sam nahiṃ adhamāī|| nirnay sakal purān bed kar| kaheuṁ tāt jānahiṃ kobid nar ||

    There is no duty equal to doing good to others, brother, and no baseness equal to causing others pain. This is the verdict of all the scriptures; the wise know it.

    Ramcharitmanas · Uttar Kand

    Names others' good as the highest dharma. our reading

  • Prajapati

    त्रयाः प्राजापत्याः प्रजापतौ पितरि ब्रह्मचर्यमूषुर्देवा मनुष्या असुरा उषित्वा ब्रह्मचर्यं देवा ऊचुर्ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति । तेभ्यो हैतदक्षरमुवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा३ इति । व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुर्दाम्यतेति न आत्थेत्योमिति होवाच व्यज्ञासिष्टेति ॥ अथ हैनं मनुष्या ऊचुर्ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति । तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्षरमुवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा३ इति । व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुर्दत्तेति न आत्थेत्योमिति होवाच व्यज्ञासिष्टेति ॥ अथ हैनमसुरा ऊचुर्ब्रवीतु नो भवानिति । तेभ्यो हैतदेवाक्षरमुवाच द इति व्यज्ञासिष्टा३ इति । व्यज्ञासिष्मेति होचुर्दयध्वमिति न आत्थेत्योमिति होवाच व्यज्ञासिष्टेति । तदेतदेवैषा दैवी वागनुवदति स्तनयित्नुर्द द द इति दाम्यत दत्त दयध्वमिति । तदेतत्त्रयꣳ शिक्षेद् दमं दानं दयामिति ॥

    trayāḥ prājāpatyāḥ prajāpatau pitari brahmacaryamūṣurdevā manuṣyā asurā uṣitvā brahmacaryaṃ devā ūcurbravītu no bhavāniti | tebhyo haitadakṣaramuvāca da iti vyajñāsiṣṭā3 iti | vyajñāsiṣmeti hocurdāmyateti na ātthetyomiti hovāca vyajñāsiṣṭeti || atha hainaṃ manuṣyā ūcurbravītu no bhavāniti | tebhyo haitadevākṣaramuvāca da iti vyajñāsiṣṭā3 iti | vyajñāsiṣmeti hocurdatteti na ātthetyomiti hovāca vyajñāsiṣṭeti || atha hainamasurā ūcurbravītu no bhavāniti | tebhyo haitadevākṣaramuvāca da iti vyajñāsiṣṭā3 iti | vyajñāsiṣmeti hocurdayadhvamiti na ātthetyomiti hovāca vyajñāsiṣṭeti | tadetadevaiṣā daivī vāganuvadati stanayitnurda da da iti dāmyata datta dayadhvamiti | tadetattrayaꣳ śikṣed damaṃ dānaṃ dayāmiti ||

    The gods, humans and demons, the three children of Prajapati, lived with their father as students. The gods asked for teaching; he said the syllable 'Da' and asked if they understood. 'Be self-controlled (damyata),' they said. 'Yes.' The humans asked; 'Da.' 'Give (datta),' they said. 'Yes.' The demons asked; 'Da.' 'Be compassionate (dayadhvam),' they said. 'Yes.' The divine voice of thunder repeats it: Da Da Da: be self-controlled, give, be compassionate. One should learn these three: self-control, giving, compassion.

    Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 5.2.1-3

    Shows datta: give according to your means. our reading

People who lived it

Someone in the scriptures came to this, and the story shows how.

  • From the Mahabharata

    Vyadha Gita: the butcher who taught a sage

    A proud ascetic, Kaushika, is sent to learn from a meat-seller in Mithila. The butcher teaches him plain goodness: don't return evil, repent and resolve, keep envy away, care for your parents, and don't spend your one life making enemies.

    Wisdom lives in ordinary people doing ordinary work honestly. Care for your parents.

  • From the Mahabharata

    The parrot who stayed with the withered tree

    A hunter's poisoned arrow withers the tree where a parrot has always lived. The parrot refuses to leave it. Indra, moved by its loyalty, restores the tree.

    Loyalty means staying through the bad season, not only the good.

  • From the Mahabharata

    The golden mongoose and the handful of flour

    At the end of Yudhishthira's lavish horse sacrifice, a half-golden mongoose declares it worth less than a poor family's gift. In a famine, a gleaner, his wife, son and daughter-in-law each gave their last handful of flour to a hungry guest; rolling in the spilt flour turned half the mongoose to gold.

    A small gift, honestly earned and given from little, outweighs the grandest show.

  • From the Ramayana

    Bharat rules from a hut for fourteen years

    Bharat places Ram's sandals on the throne and lives outside the city in a hut, sleeping on grass, fasting, governing only as a caretaker. The palace's riches are all around him and do not touch him, like a bee in a champak garden.

    You can live amid plenty without being owned by it.

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Questions people ask

What is the Sanskrit word for service?
Sevā (सेवा). Service.
Which Bhagavad Gita verse speaks about service?
Bhagavad Gita 12.4: Restraining all the senses, even-minded everywhere, rejoicing in the welfare of all beings, they too reach me.

Verses, translations and stories come from the Wisdom library, read with the traditional commentaries. A line marked stated in the text is a link the verse or a named commentator makes; our reading is Wisdom's own reading of the verse.