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Sevaya means

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 4

Sevayā means "by service."
SB 4.20.4, Translation and Purport:

If a personality like you, who are so much advanced because of executing the instructions of the previous ācāryas, is carried away by the influence of My material energy, then all your advancement may be considered simply a waste of time.

In this verse the word vṛddha-sevayā is very significant. Vṛddha means "old." Sevayā means "by service." Perfect knowledge is acquired from the ācāryas, or liberated souls. No one can be perfect in knowledge without being trained by the paramparā system. Pṛthu Mahārāja was completely trained in that line; therefore he did not deserve to be considered an ordinary man. An ordinary man, who has only a conception of bodily existence, is always bewildered by the modes of material nature.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Sevayā means service.
Lecture on BG 4.34-38 -- New York, August 17, 1966:

If we can find out such a person who is experienced in the Absolute Truth, and if we follow the principles, as it is stated here, praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. Praṇipāta means to surrender, and paripraśna means to inquire, and sevayā means service. Three things. You should find out a person who is self-realized, who has experience in the Absolute Truth, and, on your part, you have to surrender there, and you have to inquire, and you have to render service. When these things are completed, there is no doubt about one's spiritual salvation.

If we have actually found out a person who is self-realized and we have surrendered there honestly, with inquiry and service, then we must know that our spiritual salvation is guaranteed. Guaranteed. There is no doubt about it.

Sevayā means service. To make the place nicely cleansed so that devotees will sit down and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā will be discussed, this is called bhāgavata-sevā, serving the Bhāgavata.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Diego, July 1, 1972:

If you hear daily... Just like we are holding class daily in the morning. And bhāgavata-sevayā. Sevayā means service. To make the place nicely cleansed so that devotees will sit down and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Bhagavad-gītā will be discussed, this is called bhāgavata-sevā, serving the Bhāgavata. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā... Naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu. The whole difficulty is that our heart is covered with so many dirty things. So by this process, this bhāgavata-sevayā, the dirty things will be cleansed. Not that exactly all cleansed. Even a little portion is cleansed, naṣṭa-prāyeṣu, not fully cleansed, prāyeṣu, almost, then immediately, bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī (SB 1.2.18), immediately you come to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Little cleansed. Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Not that... Therefore, we sometimes see that one who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, still, he is committing something wrong. But that is not very, that is not a case of discouragement. You stick to this principle. Kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā. Api cet su-durācāraḥ. We should not willingly do anything wrong. But due to our past habit, if we do something wrong, that we should not be discouraged, But stick to the principle, then gradually you'll be cleansed. Naṣṭa-prāyeṣu abhadreṣu. Prāyeṣu means almost cleansed, not completely clean. So we don't claim that we have become liberated from all dirty things. There are so many dirty things still. But little clearance will help us to become a devotee of the Lord.

Bhāgavata-sevayā means not only reading Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam, but we have to study from the person bhāgavata. That is required.
Lecture on BG 13.4 -- Miami, February 27, 1975:

And bhāgavata means the book Bhāgavata and the person bhāgavata. The person bhāgavata is spiritual master or any exalted devotee. He is bhāgavata, mahā-bhāgavata, bhāgavata. So bhāgavata-sevayā means not only reading Bhagavad-gītā and Bhāgavatam, but we have to study from the person bhāgavata. That is required. Caitanya Mahāprabhu advised, bhāgavata paṛā giyā bhāgavata-sthāne: "If you want to learn Bhāgavata, then go to the person bhāgavata who is realized soul."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Bhāgavata-sevayā means to serve the person bhāgavata, whose life is simply Bhāgavata, to serve him.
Lecture on SB 3.25.16 -- Bombay, November 16, 1974:

So the process is that nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. Daily we should devote our time for understanding Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. And bhāgavata-sevayā means to serve the person bhāgavata, whose life is simply Bhāgavata, to serve him. Nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā.

naṣṭa-prāyeṣv abhadreṣu
nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā
bhagavaty uttama-śloke
bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭhikī
(SB 1.2.18)

By this process then you attain the stage of bhagavad-bhakti, naiṣṭhikī, fixed up, not tiltering, fixed up. Bhagavati naiṣṭhikī. Anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā. This naiṣṭhikī, or niṣṭhā, firm faith, is achieved when anartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt. Anartha. This anartha means ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8), kāma-lobhādibhiḥ. This is anartha. We don't require all these things. Why I shall think, "This is my country, my family, my body..."? Nothing is mine. It is false. But people are wasting time in this way. "My country, my nation, my body, my family." Ahaṁ mameti (SB 5.5.8). They are wasting time. So nityaṁ bhāgavata-sevayā. We can vanquish all these false conceptions of life. Then sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. These are the... Kāma-lobha... But even if it is not completely finished, these dirty things, but even if you come to the platform of sattva-guṇa, then you'll not be disturbed. But these tamo-guṇa and rajo-guṇa always disturb. Then if you are not disturbed by these kāma and lobha, then sthitaṁ sattve prasīdati. Then you will be pleased, you'll feel happiness, when you are on the sattva-guṇa. And then you have to surpass the sattva-guṇa. Śuddha-sattva. Sattvaṁ viśuddhaṁ vasudeva-śabditam. The vasudeva platform. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Then you will understand your relationship with Kṛṣṇa and then you'll be happy.

Sevayā means service. So because the service is wanting, so one has to serve the spiritual master.
Lecture on SB 7.7.29-31 -- San Francisco, March 15, 1967, (incomplete lecture):

So Prahlāda Mahārāja said, tatra, uh, guru-śuśrūṣayā. So you have to begin your spiritual, your Kṛṣṇa consciousness by accepting a bona fide spiritual master in the disciplic succession. And your first business will be guru-śuśrūṣā. Ṣuśrūṣā means to please the Supreme, this is spiritual master, by service, sevayā. In the Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). If you want to learn that transcendental science, then you have to adopt three processes in the beginning. You have to select one, a bona fide spiritual master. Then you have to surrender. The same surrender process. You have to select such a spiritual master that you can surrender there. If you think, "Oh, this, this swamijī or the spiritual master is less intelligent than me or less educated than me or less in so many ways," then you cannot select a spiritual master. You have to select another person where you will find that "Here is a mind, here is man where I can surrender. Yes, he is greater than me in so many respects. Therefore I can surrender." This is called praṇipāt. So selection of spiritual master means first of all you must agree that "Here is a personality where I can bow down my head, yes." Everyone is proud. Why shall he bow down before a person unless he understands that "Here is a personality who is greater than me"? So this is the first condition, praṇipāt. Praṇipāt means prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa nipāt. You have to become blank slate: "Now, sir, whatever I have learned, oh, I forget. It is now blank slate. Now you write whatever you like." This is the first condition. Praṇipātena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. So because the service is wanting, so one has to serve the spiritual master. It is indicated that even if you are the greatest personality, you have to approach and serve the spiritual master just like ordinary menial servant. Menial servant. If the spiritual master says, "My dear boy, you just cleanse my shoes," or any, I mean to say, abominable, oh, he'll be ready. This is called sevayā. And praṇipātena, sevayā. Praṇipātena..., paripraśnena and sevayā. Paripraśna means when you cannot understand, you must place, "Sir, I cannot understand this portion." This is the process.

General Lectures

Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender.
Lecture -- London, September 14, 1969:

Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). These things are required. You should try to understand the transcendental subject. First of all surrender, praṇipāta. Then paripraśna. You cannot question if you are not surrendered. Just like the other day one rascal was asking—he is not a surrendered soul—"Swamijī, you know Kṛṣṇa consciousness?" Just see. So this is not the process of question. One must surrender. Otherwise, you have no right to question. Praṇipātena, paripraśnena, and sevayā. Sevayā means service. You must find out a suitable person where you can question and get the proper answer, a spiritual master. That means surrender. Then question. Question is not a challenge. Question is to understand. Which I could not follow, I may ask repeatedly to understand. So two sides: sevā, service; and surrender. And in the middle, paripraśna. So paripraśna is required. Otherwise how one can understand? So questions are required. But that question is not a challenge. You should not question any person by challenging spirit. You should simply question, being inquisitive to know. That is bona fide. Otherwise, if you question just to examine his strength, that will create only fighting spirit. That is not good.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Sevayā means serving. So, religion means to serve the Supreme Lord, that is religion.
Room Conversation -- December 12, 1971, Delhi:

Prabhupāda: We are serving, if not to the Lord, we are serving māyā. But my, that characteristic to serve is continued. So religion is presented simply on formulas and stereo-typed ideas, but actual religion is this surrender. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Bhakti means serving. Bhaja sevayā. Sevayā means serving. So, religion means to serve the Supreme Lord, that is religion. Anything which has no such idea, that is not religion. Then again (you) have different types of religion, how far they are making progress with, on that ultimate goal, serving Kṛṣṇa. The more we advance, the more you become perfect, our real religious life becomes manifested, that is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. We say this is real religion. So what others have to say on this point? We say this is real religion. Bhāgavata says dharmaḥ projjhita-kaitavo 'tra (SB 1.1.2), "All cheating type of religion is thrown away." The cheating type of religion means which does not teach people how to serve the Lord, that is cheating. They take advantage of the religious feeling. They say, "I am God" or "I am everything, you serve me, you give your money unto me, I shall give you some material benefit, atonement. You have made your confess, you are sinful, give me some money and you are excused." In this way religion is being perverted. Therefore, people (who) are educated, (they) say "What is this, religion?" They are becoming disgusted.

Page Title:Sevaya means
Compiler:Rishab, Kanupriya
Created:10 of Jan, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=1, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:8