Ekāṅta-sevā — Undivided, Single-Pointed Service
"Ekāṅta-sevā" is derived from Sanskrit eka (one), aṅta (end/direction), and sevā (service). The compound conveys service that is directed toward a single end alone — service to Bhagavān unmixed with any other motivation or divided allegiance. The ekāṅtin (one who practices ekāṅta-sevā) is distinguished from the ordinary devotee by the absolute, exclusive character of this orientation.
Piḷḷai Lokācārya, in his seminal Śrīvacana-bhūṣaṇam, articulates ekāṅta-sevā as the defining mark of the pure prapanna. Whereas a devotee may engage in worship for various ends — prosperity, progeny, liberation — the ekāṅtin serves Bhagavān and Bhāgavatas (devotees of the Lord) with no ulterior purpose. Even mokṣa (liberation) is not sought as a personal acquisition but as the opportunity for eternal kainkaryam (service) at the lotus feet of Bhagavān. This selflessness transforms sevā from a transaction into an expression of the soul's essential nature (svarūpa).
Maṇavāḷa Māmunigaḷ and the Śrī Vaiṣṇava ācārya tradition teach that ekāṅta-sevā extends to serving Bhāgavatas as much as Bhagavān Himself. One who serves a devotee of the Lord serves the Lord directly, because the Lord values the honour shown to His devotees above even His own. This principle elevates ekāṅta-sevā beyond personal piety into a comprehensive way of life in community.