The Guru Purnima is the pure full moon day of the Hindu calender. Guru Purnima festival is held in the month of Ashadh and is also known as “Vyasa Purnima”.
The Guru Purnima is celebrated in honor of the birth of Maharishi Veda Vyasa. This festival is also celebrated as in remembrance and worship to Sage Ved Vyas who classified the accrued religious knowledge of the Vedas under four heads like Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Saama Veda and Atharva Veda. He also wrote eighteen “Puranas”, the “Srimad Bhagavata” and the “Mahabharata.”
The auspicious moment of Vyaasa Purnima is a great significant for all people. Everybody knows that the role of a Guru in real life is very much important. The Gurus are always regarded as God.
Now a days students visit their elders, teachers and guides in order to show respect to them with gifts of coconuts, clothes and sweets. These gifts are called ‘Gurudakshina’. On this day Discourses are held in community gatherings to hear the readings of the holy book, ‘Bhagawad Gita’.
The Sanskrit root “Gu” means darkness or ignorance. “Ru” denotes the remover of that darkness. Thus one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a Guru. The Guru played a very vital role in ancient India, when education system was characterized between the elite mostly by Guru Kulas or residence schools.
The 4 months of Chaturmas starts with Guru Purnima, when aspirants make a fresh resolve to intensify their spiritual practices.
The Shvetashvatara Upanishad tells
“Yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau
Tasyaite kathitaa hi arthaaha prakashante mahatmanaha”
This means, Guru to be worshipped in the same manner as the deity – God, to attain all there is to attain on the path of God-realization. When this Self is within you where is the need to search for someone to teach you!
Gururbrahmaa gururvishnuh gururdevo Maheswarah |
Guruh-saakshaat parabrahma tasmai shrigurave namah ||
That means, “My salutations to the Guru who is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. The Guru is Parabrahma personified” For more information click here.
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