Guru Purnima (Poornima) 2022
(13.07.2022)
-Rohit Kumar Parmar
गुरूर्ब्रह्मा गुरूर्विष्णुः गुरूर्देवो महेश्वरः ।
गुरूर्साक्षात परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ।।
Guru Purnima/Buddha Purnima (Purnima is full moon) is celebrated on full moon during Ashadha month (corresponding to June–July). Guru refers to (spiritual) teacher/guide who enlightens disciples by his knowledge/teachings. The word Guru is a combination of two words, gu and ru. The Sanskrit root gu means darkness or ignorance, and ru denotes the remover of that darkness. Guru is one who removes darkness/ignorance.
Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima and this day is commemorated as birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, author of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, who was one of the greatest Gurus in ancient Hindu traditions and a symbol of Guru-shishya parampara (tradition).
Veda Vyasa did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by gathering all Vedic hymns, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the rites and characteristics; and also teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. This dividing and editing earned him the honorific "Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide)." He divided the Holy Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.
In the yogic tradition, Guru Purnima is celebrated as the occasion when Shiva as the Adi (first) Guru began the transmission of yoga to the Saptarishis.
On Guru Purnima, disciples offer Puja and/or pay respect to their Gurus. Celebrations of Guru Poornima are marked by spiritual activities and may include a ritualistic event in honour of the Guru. Students of Indian classical music and Indian classical dance, who follow the Guru-shishya parampara (tradition) also celebrate this.
Guru Purnima is also celebrated by Buddhists in honour of Gautama Buddha to commemorate the day when Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India. Gautama Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about five weeks after his enlightenment.
On Buddha Purnami devotees fast and perform Shri Satyanarayana Puja.
Guru Purnima is a tradition dedicated to spiritual/academic Gurus, who are enlightened, and are ready to share their wisdom with very little/no monetary expectation, based on Karma Yoga. This tradition is very different from the commercialization of education that we see around us. Guru Purnima is celebrated as a festival in India, Nepal and Bhutan by the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists.
In Nepal this is celebrated as teacher's day.
According to Jain traditions, on Guru Purnima day, Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, after attaining Kaivalya, made Indrabhuti Gautam, later known as Gautam Swami, a Ganadhara, his first disciple, thus becoming a Treenok Guha himself. Therefore it is observed in Jainism as Treenok Guha Purnima, and is marked special veneration to one's Treenok Guhas and teachers.
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