I spent the past two months at the Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh. There, I had the opportunity to undertake a very basic course in Yoga and Vedanta. In these 59 days, I learned and experienced a lot. Among all, the two subjects that impacted me the most were Seva (selfless service) and Bhakti (devotion).

Although these were not directly part of our course, the overall environment of the Sivananda Ashram places utmost importance on these two values, as I observed. Along with this, I also came to understand that when devotion awakens within you, service begins to happen through you naturally. And in the truest sense, Bhakti is not even possible without Seva. A seeker does not do Seva or Bhakti—they happen through them by the will of the Divine. It is not a matter of “doing” but of “being.”

I have been in the field of “social work” for the last two decades. During this time, I have worked on several projects related to education, child development, women’s empowerment, environmental conservation, agriculture, livelihoods, health, etc. One common aspect across all these projects has been that we work with people. That is, the project workers (including myself) possess vast, rational, and domain-specific knowledge, which we are supposed to deliver to people so that their lives can improve, or they become aware of their rights and context.

In these projects, the people we work with are often seen as “beneficiaries,” and there are expectations from them as well. Another important underlying perspective is that the project or the worker does something for the beneficiary—undoubtedly, for their welfare or development. There’s also an implicit expectation from the beneficiary that they recognize and acknowledge that something is being done for them. Clearly, there are two sides: the giver and the receiver. I am not criticizing this; I am simply attempting to understand the project perspective as it is.

At the Sivananda Ashram, the attitude of Seva that I was introduced to involves no expectations whatsoever from the one being served. Rather, the person being served is seen as a manifestation of God. By serving them, the seeker (not a worker) moves closer to their Divine.

All the subjects I previously mentioned—education, child development, women’s development, environmental conservation, agriculture, livelihood, health—are also part of the Seva here. But the approach is entirely different. The one being served is primary; the one serving is secondary. The server is simply a seeker, and Seva is merely a medium for their spiritual practice.

After staying at the Ashram for nearly eight weeks, I realized that Bhakti is only possible through complete surrender. The dissolution of the ego—of ‘I’—is Bhakti. This cannot happen at the level of intellect. Bhakti is about transcending the intellect. When true devotion awakens in someone, the separation between the devotee and the object of devotion dissolves. Bhakti is the state of oneness. Nothing remains outside of that oneness—not nature, not the individual soul. Only Brahman remains; all else is illusory.

Chanting of names, singing hymns, kirtan, satsang, remembrance—all of these, along with service, are forms of Bhakti. When you serve in a devotional state, there is no expectation from the one being served. That individual is simply a part of the same Divine oneness you’ve experienced. And in that moment of Seva, whatever best can be done for them, is done.

In modernity, the spirit of Bhakti is often regarded as inferior or insignificant. There, professionalism is emphasized. The human being and their intellect are considered supreme, and managing everything in a controlled manner is seen as effective administration.

There is a scripture written in the question-answer style by Adi Shankaracharya called Tattvabodha. It outlines four prerequisites for attaining Moksha. The very first and most essential is discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal—the ability to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the impermanent.

This kind of discrimination (Viveka) is sorely lacking in modernity. There, whatever the intellect accepts is considered wise or rational—reason alone is considered Viveka. Anything beyond reason is unacceptable in modern frameworks. And yet, reason changes every day. But reality does not change like this. That which is eternal does not shift with time, place, or context. It is ancient and ever-present.

Only when this deeper discrimination (Viveka) arises in a person does true devotion become possible, and they then become inclined toward Seva. It is said that Swami Sivananda must have attained this Viveka, which is why he saw Seva in Bhakti and Bhakti in Seva.

Even today, within the energy of Sivananda Ashram, I experienced these very sentiments deeply infused throughout my two-month stay.

Anil Maikhuri

04 April, 2025