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Baba Jagta Ji Sevapanthi


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A beatuiful story of a Sevapanthi Saint Baba Jagta Ji from the lineage of Bhai Kanhaiya Ji, a true followers of the words.....

"nanak fikai boleeyai tan man fika hoai."

"O Nanak if you speak sour words, your mind and body becomes polluted."

Baba Jagta Sevapanthi was walking through the fields near his village and was walking close to the Maseet (Mosque). When he was close to the Maseet he heard the Maulvi (Muslim Priest) swearing and cursing at his neighbours....

Baba Jagta Sevapanthi stood and looked at the Maulvi

The Maulvi turned around and shouted, "Where have you come from? Where are you going? And what are you looking at?"

Baba Jagta Sevapanthi said with the utmost nimarata (humbleness), "Maulvi Sahib I just came here to do your darshan."

Listening to this the Maulvi was amazed at the nirmarta of Baba Jagta Ji and felt ashamed he put his hands together and said, "Pir Jagta Ji, please come in and allow me to do your seva."

Baba Jagta Ji said, " Maulvi Ji I will come in but will you allow me to ask you a question?"

The Maulvi said, "Go ahead Pir Ji."

Baba Jagta Ji said, "Can you put urine in a pot, then put milk in and expect the milk to be good to drink?"

Maulvi Ji said, "No Pir Ji."

Baba Jagta Ji said, "If you cannot drink the milk which has been polluted with urine how can you expect to be a priest when you shout and swear with the same tongue that you pray with. Your swears and curses are like the urine and your prayers are like milk, Maulvi Ji you defile your tongue with swear words and then do the Namaz. Is this what Allah wants?"

The Maulvi fell to the feet of Baba Jagta Ji and said, "Pir Ji I'm sorry, I will ammed my ways and try to follow Allah's path as best as i can."

From that day forward the Maulvi didnt swear and curse and followed Allah's path with care and respect for all.

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Guest Maha_Pavitar

Thank you so much for this jee..

I'm so interested in the lineage of the Sevapanthis...please share any information you may have with the sangat..I know someone who seems like a perfect Sevapanthi for our day and age..how about Bhagat Pooran Singh was he involved on this front??

Bhagat Jee is my hero by the way :)

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Guest Maha_Pavitar

Thanks for the link veerji..looks like there is still some developing to do..

Is there any set 'criteria'..who deserves to be called a Sevapanthi?

Can it be restored in this lifetime?

Please please tell me more sangat jee!!! :o sorry I'm always anxious to learn..

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Guest Javanmard

sevapanthis still exist today. the criteria to be a sevapanthi is to have a sevapanthi gurdev who will be your ustad. Parampara going back to Bhai Ghanaya is the criteria.

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Guest Maha_Pavitar

sevapanthis still exist today. the criteria to be a sevapanthi is to have a sevapanthi gurdev who will be your ustad. Parampara going back to Bhai Ghanaya is the criteria.

So the next question is..who are the sevapanthi gurdevs now, where are they, and what are they doing as sevapanthis? It's a shame that website is not complete, looks like some interesting lineage and history...

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dhan dhan baba jagta ji maharaj!

It's hard to put into words what I feel about the Sewapanthi samprday. I was blessed by Waheguru to have the opportunity of knowing a young Sevapanthi vidvaan, who unfortunately passed away about a year ago...a painful loss.

There is so much to say about the Sevapanthi/Adhanshahi samprda, and lots to find out. There is literture to read, places to visit and people to meet.

I'm sure you are aware that they started with Guru ji's blessings to Bhai Kanhaiya ji. The Sewapanthis were strong in the western areas, and the central Tikana pre-partition was in a place called Nurpur, now in Pakistan. The Sewapanthis had strong ties to the Sufis in that region, and used important Sufi texts in there derae. Historically few maintained the Khalsa roop, often having cut hair. They lived the life of sadhus, remaining celibate and dedicating their lives to sewa alone. Furthermore, their seva was not limited to humans but animals as well. At some point I hope to write something more in depth in which I will give specifc examples of the sewa that was done to anything needing sewa. Their behaviour bordered on jain-like respect for life. The scope of the samprda stretches from those who were pure compassion, through to scholars such as Pandit Nischal Singh ji Maharaj from Yamun Nagar, who is recognised as a Nirmala as well for his learning.

Baba Jagta who lived during the 19th century was a profound Sewapanthi whose life remains as a testimony to his vow of helping others at whatever expense to himself.

At a scholastic level, Sewapanthis often studied key vedanta texts such Yog Vasistha and Bhagvad Gita, etc, but specialised in Tasuwwuf especially Mevlana and Ghazali. Bhai Sehaj Ram, the foremost Sevapanthi scholar, also had a text in which he explains the life of al-Hallaj. Geographically the people many Sewapanthis were doing Sewa of were largely Muslim, this included the Sewa of adhyatmic gyan. Other authors include Baba Lal Chand, Baba Gopal Das, Baba Ram Kishen (who wrote a famous tika on Japji Sahib, soon to be published for the first time), and others.

Other important historical mahapurush of the Sewapanthi samprday include Baba Shaam Singh ji (who did a lifetime of kirtan sewa at Sri Darbar Sahib on the saranda, and also compiled two texts - one of which has since disappeared, which included info about Raag kirtan), Baba Ram Kishan, Baba Kirpal Singh ji of Dera Sato Waali Gali (which many describe as a 'Gyani' institution, when in actual fact it is a Sewapanthi institution). The list goes on and on.

Since the Singh Sabha movement, the samprda has changed noticeably. The present sri mahant is Mahant Tirath Singh ji who is based at Goniana Mandi near Bhatinda. Nowadays Mahant ji sees no need for men carrying water, but for free hospitals and colleges for all. This is where the samprdas work has been focused on for quite a few years. I had the pleasure of visiting some of these institutions, and they are impressive and well-maintained.

Now regarding the questions you asked;

- To become an initiated Sewapanthi you must be celibate (they are very strict on this) and nowadays these are chelae in the deras.

- Bhagat Puran Singh ji was not a Sewapanthi in the stricter sense of the word (he wasn't initiated into the order) however, Sri Mahant recognised him as such posthumously through the 'Bhai Kanhaiya Award' he honoured him with.

- A Sewapanthi is more than a sewadar. The selfless service offered must be exemplary, and is a spiritual end in itself. The service if needed may also be gyaan. Therefore you will find all Sewapanthi sadhus being well versed in various vidya. My friend for example, wished to learn Urdu simply so that he could read more Tasuwwuf writings. So it is selflessness as a way of life designed to reinforce inner spiritual ideals. There is also a specific rehit for Sewapanthi sadhus.

Summeet, pm me for references and contacts for Sewapanthis

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Guest Maha_Pavitar

dhan guroo pyarey...

It was certainly such a lovely experience just reading this post, now my soul just yearns to read all this literature, visit these places, and meet these people you described with such affection.

Even now is it necessary to be celibate?

What is the involvement of women either in the past or now?

Is there a specific maryada they follow? What banis, etc? Importance on amrit sancahrs?

You mentioned about Sufi texts, my day is not complete without some passages of Rumi jee..is there any particular reason for this connection? The Nirmalay for example study Vedic texts and that seems practical because they are scholars.

How does one get involved with the Sevapanthis..become one?

after all..gurmukh seva PRAN ADHAARA..seva is the BREATH OF LIFE of the gurmukh :D

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Gurfateh Bhenji

I can help you with getting hold of the majority of Sewapanthi literature. Unlike other samprdava (Udasis, Nirmalay, Nihangs), I have yet to come across one female Sewapanthi. To my knowledge, there are none alive presently, and none that I have come across in the past. There has been a suggestion that in one minor historical text, this celibacy goes as far as misogynism...but I have yet to clarify this. However, as sadhus, renunciation is often manifested in attitudes towards women.

They are strict about the celibacy to this day. For example, my friend was explaining how Sant Anoop Singh ji kirtanwale was initially a Sewapanthi, but that he is not nowadays as he is married with children.

They are also numerically very small these days and keep a relatively low profile. There are only about 40 (I have 41 listed) Sewapanthi institutions left. Each with a handful of Sewapanthis attched to it adds up to a small samprda!

I recently went to Konya, Rumi's tomb, in Turkey out of respect for those Sewapanthis who could never make it themselves and derived so much from the Masnuvi. It was interesting talking to the gupt Sufis over there explaining the Sewapanthi link. One of the reasons the Sewapanthis used these texts was because the locations were they were based had 90% or so Muslim population. An interesting insight into pre-partition socio-religious climate is to look at the Sindhi Sufi qalandhars like Hazrat Sai Qutub Ali Shah who was a fan of Pir Guru Nanak as well as Vedant.

I mentioned earlier a change in their thinking post-Singh Sabhia. Sewapanthis were wisened to what the Sabhas were doing to deras, akharas, mandals of the sampradava (there are still records of court cases between SGPC and Udasis and Nirmalay) and prospectively Tikanas as well. The story goes that it was Teja Singh Bhuchur who was heading the reform committee, and had set their eyes on Sewapanthi institutions also. Mahant Gulab Sigh ji, the first Mahant to wear panj kakkar, spoke to them in a typical Sewapanthi manner explaining that he is a daas of the Khalsa Panth, he has inherited the broom and bucket (as is Sewapanthi tradition) and as such will happily hand over the keys to the panth. If they feel they need for the institutions, take them. The SGPC decided that they would permanently reject encroaching on Sewapanthi institutions. Personally, I feel there must have been more politcal posturing than this. For example, the Sewapanthis nowadays are aligned with Chief Khalsa Diwan. All Sewapanthis at a public level wear the panj kakkar, and on important smagams give khande ki pahul (generally annually). There was a specific rehit maryada for Sewapanthis, but this seems less relevant nowadays. This rehit is contained in Sant Lal Chand's 'Sri Rattan Mala'.

Getting involved with the Sewapanthis...hmm. Go speak to them first of all. In fact pm me for more information (public forum and all!). I have a couple of ideas!

But something that needs clarifying. Being a sewadar and a Sewapanthi is not the same thing. One is doing our duty as Sikhs, the other is more akin to the boddhisattva vow in Mahayana Buddhism, that you become a complete sacrfice for the upliftment of others, which requires great committment.

hope that helps

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