PARCHI BHAI SEVA RAM is a biographical sketch, in Punjabi verse, of Bhai Seva Ram who led the Sevapanthi sect after the death of its founder Bhai Kanhaiya, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). Written by Bhai Sahaj Ram, himself a renowned Sevapanthi saint, the book was edited by Bhai Hira Singh and published by the Sevapanthi Addanshahi Sabha, Patiala. Although the manuscripts of the work extant today bear no date, the work is surmised to have been written towards the close of the eighteenth century.
Bhai Seva Ram, a disciple and close associate of Bhai Kanhaiya, preached the Sikh way of life in distant parts of the country. His life is described in the book in the idiom of myth and miracle. But more than highlighting the deeds of the saint the work concerns itself with elucidateing the Sikh tenets. This further blurs the biographical detail.
References :
1. Gurmukh Singh, Sevdpanthidn di Punjabi Sdhit nun Den. Patiala, 1986
2. Lal Chand, Sri Sant Maid. Patiala, 1955
Parchi Bhai Seva Ram is a notable biographical sketch composed in Punjabi verse that chronicles the life of Bhai Seva Ram, a revered figure in Sikh tradition. The work was penned by Bhai Sahaj Ram, a respected Sevapanthi saint, and later edited by Bhai Hira Singh before being published by the Sevapanthi Addanshahi Sabha in Patiala. Although the surviving manuscripts lack a specific date, scholars generally believe that the text was written toward the close of the eighteenth century. This work plays a crucial role in the literary and spiritual heritage of Sikhism by detailing not only the deeds of Bhai Seva Ram but also by elucidating the fundamental Sikh tenets of selfless service (seva) and universal compassion .
Bhai Seva Ram succeeded Bhai Kanhaiya—a devoted disciple of Guru Gobind Singh—in leading the Sevapanthi (or Sewapanthi) sect. Through this text, his life is portrayed in an idiom laden with myth and miracle, transforming historical events into a poetic narrative that serves both as an inspirational account of saintly virtues and as a guide to living according to Sikh values. The narrative transcends a mere record of events by embedding spiritual lessons and emphasizing the importance of selfless service as a pillar of the Sikh way of life .