Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is the Full Moon of the Gurus. This is the occasion dedicated to the teachers, particularly to the saints and spiritual guides. Astrologically, Moon is held as Mano Karaka, the signifier of the mind. It remains the brightest and most resplendent on the Full Moon day, and so that occasion is believed to be highly suitable for uplifting the mind and making it open for noble thoughts to flow in. Of the Full Moon days, the one falling in the Ashada month (June – July) is regarded as very sacred and is observed as Guru Purnima.
Ashada Purnima is the day of the advent of Vyasa, the well-known sage, who is also regarded as a great Guru. And so, that is held as Guru Purnima, an occasion to remember the Gurus with gratitude and pay respects to them.
Vyasa
Vyasa was a great sage, but he was also a saint-poet whose contributions have enriched the ancient devotional literature immensely. He is credited with composing as many as 18 Puranas that include the highly sacred Bhagavata Purana. He is also the creator of the great epic Mahabharata. Besides, he compiled, edited, and classified the ancient Vedic texts that contain some of the greatest wisdom on earth. In acknowledgment of is painstaking endeavor in this regard, his name remains permanently linked to the holy Vedas, and he is generally known only as Veda Vyasa.
Guru
‘Guru’ is a Sanskrit word. As per the explanation given in an ancient Upanishad text, this word comprises 2 terms, ‘Gu’ and ‘Ru.’ The syllable ‘Gu’ denotes darkness, and ‘Ru’ is the destroyer. Hence Guru is the divine light that can dispel the darkness of illusion and ignorance and lead one towards wisdom and enlightenment.
Thus, Guru remains a spiritual master, regard edeven as the embodiment of God. There are many ancient hymns that speak about the greatness of the Guru. The famous one of these equates him to the supreme Trinity of Gods, the creator, sustainer, and destroyer. Guru is regarded as the creator, as he opens our mind’s eyes to see the reality of our own selves and understand and appreciate our potential. He also instills noble traits in people, raises them to higher levels, and stabilizes them in a state oftranquility and perfection as the sustainer. He achieves these by assuming the role of the destroyer, by annihilating our ignorance and illusions through the light of true knowledge and insight. A Guru stands for the nobility of character, moral values, spiritual attainment, and divine wisdom. By entrusting our lives in the hands of a Guru, we can be assured of the right thoughts, and words, and purposeful actions. He is the supreme guide who can provide ordinary mortals full of weaknesses and failings like us with a taste of divinity. He thus remains a divine medium through which one can approach the ultimate truth or the supreme reality.
A Guru, therefore, remains the spiritual mentor and guide who can make us realize the purpose of our lives, identify our short comings that are stopping our progress, help clear them, and lead us towards our goals and realization.
Guru Purnima Significance
The Guru Purnima Full Moon also denotes the starting of the monsoons. This rainy season lasts for about 4 months, and hence the period is called Chaturmas. This Chaturma s is the time when people like monks, ascetics, and religious heads stay at the same place and devote their time to studies of sacred texts, austerities, and spiritual pursuits. This Chaturm as is considered a spiritually productive period, and so, Guru Purnima day, when the holy period begins, is regarded as a sacred occasion. Hence, Guru Purnima remains one of the most propitious occasions to begin spiritual practices and pursuits.
However, Guru Purnima’s importance is not confined to the religious or spiritual domains only. The day marks the beginning of rains after a long and severe summer, and so remains a cause for celebration by the farmers. They hold Guru Purnima as auspicious and begin their farming activities and cultivation of land right earnest on that day.
Guru Purnima Observance
People observe the sacred occasion by remembering saints and Gurus like Dattatreya, Dakshinamurthy, Guru Graha, planet Jupiter, and others. They also visit their teachers and family elders, show their respects to them, serve them, and take their blessings. People also light lamps in their homes as a means of seeking enlightenment.
