Sewa Panthi Sampradaye

Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and the various Sampradas

Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, when he envisioned a Sikh nation, he envisioned the entire world as his realm, and not just a particular geographical area. Similarly, the All-Knowing Guru, in keeping with the traditional ways of the preceeding Gurus, knowing the core philosophies of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, envisioned an all-inclusive Sikh nation, rejecting the exclusive norms of other faiths. Understanding the ways of the Creator, he allowed some diversity and some distinguished ways within it, and personally and specifically blessed Nirmalas and Seva-Panthis. Earlier, Guru Ram Das Sahib honored and acknowledged Baba Sri Chand, founder of the Udaasi Samprada, as per Guru Nanak Dev Ji's blessing to Mata Sulakhni, for her sons. Again, Guru Hargobind Sahib, offered his eldest son Baba Gurditta and the father of Guru Har Rai Sahib, as successor to Baba Sri Chand.

The five sampardas

These distinguished ways or paths are termed ‘sampardaya’ or 'samprada'. This term has, in the past, been wrongly mis-interpreted or conveyed to the public as ‘sects’ or a ‘cults’, terms that incorrectly imply deviation, arising from dissent with practised beliefs. The term samparda does not mean ‘sect’, but rather order, as in an order of monks. In this sense a sampardaya represents one among several mutually complementary orders. Each one of the major four traditional sampardas began with our Gurus blessings. There are five, traditional sampardas however, starting with the Nirmalas (spiritual scholars), Udasis (scholar mystics), Nihangs (warriors) and Sevapanthis (spiritual mystics serving humanity) and the lesser known Suthra Shahis started by Suthra Shah who was named and raised by Guru Hargobind Sahib.

Sampradaya can be interpreted as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious order’. It signifies a spiritual or a monastic progression serving as a spiritual conduit via an organisation that lends perpetuity of religious identity. It is somewhat in contrast to other Indian Guru Lineages called paramparas, where by receiving an initiation into a parampara of a living guru, one belongs to a sampradaya. The sampradaya is — a succession of spiritual mentors who carry forward and further convey a religious order of holy men. Holy men belonging to particular sampradas follow their traditional way, holding on to their order's unique philosophies, as conveyed by their mentors to their successors, hence perpetuating their identity. Each successor, however, exercising discretion, does keep the organisation further evolving, while staying with the panthic norms and their tradtional ways.

Sevapanthi samprada comprises of holy men who are devoted to selfless service. The name Sevapanthi can be divided into two parts 'Seva' and 'Panthi'. Seva being selfless service and Panthi meaning someone who walks the path. Hence connoting someone who walks the path of selfless service.

Kanhaiya Lal becomes Bhai Kanhaiya

The Sevapanthi samprada started with the yearnings of a pious young man named Kanhaiya Lal, born into a wealthy Dhamman Khatri family of Sodhra in Sialkot District (now in Pakistan). Not having any leanings toward leading a life of a householder, he left the comforts of an opulent home seeking the company of sadhus and saints, who could bless him with spiritual peace. He finally arrived at the feet of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, who initiated him into the Sikh Panth. Bhai Kanhaiya Ji began to serve the Guru with loving devotion.

At Anandpur, he was under the benign umbrella of the Guru. He felt that he was living in paradise and wanted to enjoy the company of the gracious Guru for the rest of his life. He then proceeded to the stables and voluntarily took over the service of serving food and water to the horses in the stables, as well as grooming them. The Guru also began to make surprise visits to the stables and enquired about the state and condition of the horses, which he had never done before.

Once, when Guru Ji was in the stables on one of his surprise visits, Bhai Kanhaiya a moment alone with him. He, emotionally fell on his lotus feet and washed them with his tears of love. He paid tribute to the Guru and said: “Thou knowest all about the past, the present and the future, hence thou art omniscient. Thou art above all three modes of mammon (Satva, Rajas and Tamas) hence thou art immaculate and transcendent. Thou enjoyeth every pleasure and remain poised in gloom or glory, hence thou art beatitude and bliss. As God incarnates in human form to protect his devotes, so are you, an incarnation of God and have appeared to turn people’s minds away from vices. In glory or gloom, in profit or loss, thou never loseth your poise and equanimity of your mind. No power on earth can compete with thee. Thou art omnipotent and victor ludorum. Thou are the financier, thou art the draft and thou art the cashier too. Thou pervadeth everywhere. Other than you, I recognize no one. Somewhere you appeareth as Sant Bans and here thou seemeth Guru Tegh Bahadur. Countless art thy names and forms. Thou art indeed God manifested. It is thine mercy and grace that thou hast summoned thy humble servant into your benign presence and hath conferred upon thy humble servant, the honor of a monarch."'

The Guru appreciated his cordial and heartfelt tribute and smiling cast his look upon him and said, “You have proved yourself to be very earnest and sincere in your efforts and endeavors to attain a state of poise and beatitude. I appreciate all your actions and say, Bravo.” After these words of appreciation, he departed. After a lapse of four months, Bhai Kanhaiya again had a solitary moment with him in the stables. The Guru then instructed the mace-bearer at the gates of the stables not to admit anybody in, until he permitted him to do so. He glanced at Bhai Kanhaiya and cast his most kind and generous look at him. It was a jubilant occasion for Bhai Kanhaiya. It was a vision of God for him. He then praised the Guru and said, “My Lord! Thou art the holiest of the holy, most pious and the purest of the pure. Thou fulfillest the earnest desires of thy devotees and beautify them with your grace.” The Guru then graciously addressed him and said, “Dear lad! On who the benign Lord looks at with favor and grants him the Ambrosial Nectar of Naam, they share their bounties with others. You too have been granted the same Ambrosial Nectar of the Divine Name. The responsibility now rests with you, to share this gift with others." Bhai Kanhaiya then supplicated, “My dearest dear Satguru, my benign master! I pray that you allow me some more time in your sublime service. I have no shelter other than your lotus feet. Just as a child is dependent on his mother, I look upon thee to give me refuge under your gracious umbrella. Thou art the only support of my distracted mind. But I cannot even dare to deny your esteemed command.” The Guru then reiterated, “You have been granted perfection by Divine Providence, so it is advisable that you now go and share your attained gift with others who desire Divine Bliss." But Bhai Kanhaiya, could not bear to separate from him, and he resubmitted, “I long to have your godly glances for a little more time. Though your command is supreme and I dare not disobey it, yet I ask for your grace to grant me some more time to enjoy your kind and benevolent association. The Guru then advised him, “A Guru, essentially, is an object of Divine Knowledge Naamand to digest that knowledge, one has to bring it into practice. To impart your attained Divine Knowledge to others and to earn pleasure of those yearning souls is the application and the recitation of the Gurmantar in the real sense. You should, therefore, leave Anandpur for a place of your choice and establish there a Dharamsala (Ashram). Serve people with the Divine Name and go and impart the Divine Knowledge that you have attained by the Grace of God. Be happy yourself and keep others happy. That will be real service to humanity." Bhai Kanhaiya then paid his most respectful obeisance to the Guru, fell on his lotus feet and bade him goodbye.

Bhai Kanhaiya Ji then proceeded to set up a dharamsal at Kavha, in Attock district, presently in Pakistan where he started serving the local people and travellers, providing them with water, food and shelter and conveying the message of Guru Nanak Sahib to everyone that came to the dharamsal.

Many years later, in 1704, during the Battle of Anandpur, when Anandpur Sahib was besieged by the army of Mughal General Ramzan Khan and the Rajput (Hindu) Hill Chiefs, Bhai Kanhaiya naturally recognized his duties. He entered the battleground with no regard for his personal safety, serving water and giving first aid to the fallen and injured with no discrimination for friend or foe. Being a devout Sikh, he remembered the bani composed by the 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev in Raag Kanraa:

ਕਾਨੜਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥

ਬਿਸਰਿ ਗਈ ਸਭ ਤਾਤਿ ਪਰਾਈ ॥

ਜਬ ਤੇ ਸਾਧ ਸੰਗਿਤ ਮੋਹਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ੧ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਨਾ ਕੋ ਬੈਰੀ ਨਹੀ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ

ਸਗਲ ਸੰਗਿ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਬਨਿ ਆਈ ॥੧॥ ੮॥ ਪੰਨਾ ੧੨੯੯

Kaanraa, Fifth Mehla:

I have totally forgotten my jealousy of others,

since I found the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. ||1||Pause||

No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone. ||1||

Page 1299 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib

This outraged some of the Sikh soldiers who witnessed his acts. They reported what they had seen (rather their opinions) to their superiors, who in turn brought the matter to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's attention.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Darbar

Guru Gobind Singh Ji summoned Bhai Kanhaiya to his Darbar, and asked him if the complaints against him were true. He asked Bhai Kanhaiya if he served the Mughal soldiers in battlefield with water, and Bhai Kanhaiya denied it. Then Guru Ji asked him if he served water to the Rajput (Hindu) Hill chiefs soldiers in the battlefield and Bhai Kanhaiya denied doing that, as well. Then Guru Sahib asked him if was serving the Sikh warriors in the battlefield, and he denied that as well. Then Guru Ji asked him if was fulfilling his duty of serving water in battlefield and Bhai Kanhaiya said he did.

Then Guru Ji asked him, if you did not serve the Mughal soldiers, the Hindu soldiers or the Sikh soldiers, then who did you serve water to?

Bhai Kanhaiya replied, as related by Sant Rattan Mala:

Tainu paiyaa pilavaan paani, sir meree dey saaeen, Turk aturk na disda mainu, Tu saare dis ayeen.

He said, "Guru Ji, I only see your face in everyone I serve. I only serve you, water."

Guru Gobind Singh Sahib got up and held Bhai Kanhaiya to his chest. He had only done this once before to Bhai Jaita Rangreta, who had brought him the severed head of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib.

He then told his Sikhs, that Bhai Kanhaiya has understood his teachings well.

Again Sant Rattan Mala narrates:

Tutthe te gull laayaa Satgur, dubbi hath pharaaee. Paani naal malham bhi rakhin, lor paee te laaeen.

Guru Ji took a his own box of special ointment from his waistband and gave it to Bhai Kanhaiya to apply to the wounds of the soldiers as well, if needed.

“The human spirit at Anandpur manifested its joyous spiritual energy in many ways. On every day that dawned there were new ideas in the very air, and the Khalsa crystallized in many shapes. The Sevapanthis, the Nirmalas, the Sahej-dharis, set forth new shining resolutions...Sevapanthis reserved themselves for the creed of service; later on they formed the first ‘Red Cross’ corps of Gobind Singh, serving friend and foe alike. They carried water on their backs in the battlefield, and held the bowl of mercy to the thirsty lips of the dying. They carried on (them) a stock of first aid, and gained special knowledge in surgery and medicine...”

(Prof. Puran Singh, The Book of the Ten Masters, page 107-108)

WORK BEING CONTINUED.....

See also Sewapanthi/Addanshahi Sampardaye