Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima – The festival of gratitude to Guru
The content of this article is taken from the satsang (spiritual discourse) of H.H. Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu. Swami Vivekananda addressed the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in September 1893. A hundred years after him, Pujya Bapuji addressed the same Parliament in September 1993 and the whole parliament reverberated with the chanting of Hari Om. Both of these world-renowned spiritual leaders addressed the audience for a much longer period than the given time and the audience were absorbed in listening to them.
To save the youth who are being ruined due to the lustful festivals like valentine’s day, in 2007 Pujya Bapu ji-initiated celebrations of Matri-Pitri Pujan Diwas (Parents’ worship day) on 14th February. Pujya Bapu ji felt that, due to the blind imitation of Western culture there has been a steep rise in the incidences of alcoholism, suicide, and other immoral activities, especially among the youth during the last week of December. To rescue the youth from this debauchery and denigration, Pujya Bapu ji came up with the idea of worshipping a sacred Tulsi plant (holy basil). So, with a view to awaken the cultural pride of India and to save the countrymen from mental slavery, in 2014, he initiated celebration of Tulsi Pujan on 25th December. Pujya Bapu ji has always emphasized the necessity to follow rich Indian culture and always said that it is only the Indian culture and Sanatana dharma which can give the world true happiness & peace.
Dear readers, in this article Pujya Bapu ji talks about the importance Guru Purnima. This year Guru Purnima will be celebrated on 21st July 2024. Guru Purnima, also known as Vyasa Purnima, is a significant and auspicious Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July). It is a day dedicated to gurus, teachers, and mentors, where disciples express their gratitude and respect towards their spiritual and academic guides. The word “Guru” in Sanskrit means “dispeller of darkness,” signifying the role of a teacher in enlightening one’s path. On Guru Purnima, devotees worship and honour their gurus by offering special prayers, performing rituals, and seeking blessings for spiritual growth and knowledge. This festival holds immense cultural and spiritual importance in Indian tradition, as it symbolizes the guru-disciple relationship and the transmission of wisdom from one generation to another. People across India and various parts of the world celebrate Guru Purnima with reverence, devotion, and a sense of gratitude towards those who have imparted knowledge and guidance in their lives.
In Indian history, there are numerous legendary examples of the guru-shishya (teacher-disciple) relationship that have had a profound impact on society and culture. Here are a few notable examples:
Lord Krishna and Arjuna: In the epic Mahabharata, Lord Krishna served as the charioteer and spiritual guide to Arjuna, imparting the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Their relationship symbolizes the importance of guidance and mentorship in times of moral dilemmas and challenges.
Gautama Buddha and Ananda: Ananda was a devoted disciple of Gautama Buddha and served as his attendant for over 25 years. Ananda not only supported Buddha in his teachings but also played a crucial role in preserving his teachings after his passing, contributing to the formation of early Buddhist scriptures.
Swami Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa: Swami Vivekananda, a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world, was deeply influenced by his guru, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Ramakrishna’s teachings and spiritual practices shaped Vivekananda’s outlook and mission to spread Vedanta philosophy globally. Talking about the religious merits of Guru Purnima, Pujya Bapu ji says that everyone should contemplate and reflect on the significance of Guru Purnima festival.
Sat Guru is called Vyasa. Vyasa means one who organizes and channels our scattered energy, vrittis, desires and capability. Just as the scattered sunrays are converged by a convex lens to produce heat energy, the great men who have the ability to make arrangements for channeling our scattered energy to produce the desired effect on a particular point are called ‘ Vyasa’.
Guru Purnima marks the incarnation day of Bhagavan Veda Vyasa ji. Veda Vyasa ji wrote the world’s foremost and best text on philosophy entitled ‘Brahma Sutra’. He started to write it on the full moon day in the month of Ashadh. This day also marks the conclusion of the writing of the great epic, Mahabharata. ‘Vyasa Purnima’ is celebrated in memory of the great man who performed unforgettable service to mankind in its deliverance. His memory is so pleasant, enlightening, and gracious that even Lord Krishna and Lord Rama heard and instructed respectfully, his books, scriptures and commentaries and considered them authentic. Celebrating Vyasa Purnima gives religious merit equivalent to celebrating all the Purnimas in a year. It also bestows sublime understanding! Brother! Even if you make material progress to any extent, or even get a golden city like Lanka, but if you do not get repose in the Self by eradicating desires, what is the use? Adi Shankaracharya said, “What purpose does it serve?” How miserable was the state of Ravana? Hiranyakashyapu practiced such a terrible penance and so intelligent was he that he made Hiranyapur. His name was Hiranyakashyapu. ‘Hiranya’ means ‘gold’. He constructed a city of gold. Finally, he got involved in it so deeply that he could not attain the bliss of inner Self, the omnipresent Narayana. Lord Vishnu blessed him with a son named Prahlada. In the end, Hiranyakashyapu, tired of worldly riches, was defeated and Prahlada emerged victorious. History is replete with such examples. King Nriga was born as a chameleon in his next life. He was a very renowned king. King Aja became a python in his next life. Sant Kabir ji said:
“What should we do and accumulate for this short life? Everyone is departing this life leaving his body, house, wealth and kingdom.
When you must have to leave your body, house, wealth, and kingdom, do something which will ensure that you get eternal happiness.
Highest manifestations of God
Worship of Guru means worship of God (supreme). As long as mankind’s love for true knowledge persists, Gurus will be worshipped.
As long as man does not complete his journey to attain That which enables all learning possible, man should remain an aspirant of knowledge. Even after Self- realization, Ramakrishna Paramahansa said, “So long as I live, I am a student, and I shall keep learning.”
We have attained a lot of bread winning education. But the objective of Vyasa Purnima is to learn how to trample on the head of death by filling the heart with knowledge of the Beloved. And the great men who made the realization of Vyasa Deva as their own realization are very extraordinary. They learn from fools and have the capability to teach the learned. Although they are scared of mosquitoes, they can fight lions. Though they keep nothing with them they can give everything to the person who begs from them. They may subsist on alms if required, but they have the power to make a helpless pauper a king.
Swami Vivekananda said, “Higher and nobler than all ordinary ones are another set of teachers; the Avataras of Ishvara in the world. They can transmit spirituality with a touch, even with a mere wish. The lowest and the most degraded characters become, in one second, saints at their command. They are the Teachers of all teachers, the highest manifestations of God through man. We cannot see God except through them. We cannot help worshipping them; and indeed, they are the only ones whom we are bound to worship.”
Guru Pumima embodies respect for knowledge
Vyasa Pumima, Guru Pumima is the full moon day to respect knowledge. Here knowledge does not mean worldly knowledge of iron, wood, bricks and lime but the knowledge of the Supreme Truth that governs the entire creation.
In the Mahabharata, the relationship of friendship between Lord Krishna and Arjuna is also given the name of Guru-disciple (teacher-student). In Mahabharata, many incidents of the friendship of both are recorded. Both Arjuna and Shri Krishna had genuine feelings for each other. The relationship begins with the birth of Lord Indra’s son Arjuna at the beginning of the Mahabharata. During Govardhan Leela, Lord Krishna accepts Indra’s prayer and promises that he will always help Arjuna by becoming a friend. Shri Krishna always kept this promise. The relationship of friendship between Lord Krishna and Arjuna is also given the name of Guru-disciple (teacher-student). The bond between them becomes even stronger when Arjuna marries Lord Krishna’s sister Subhadra. Lord Krishna was not only Arjuna’s friend, but he had guided Arjuna all the time.
So, in conclusion, in Hinduism, Guru Purnima is a festival that is extremely significant. You can express your gratitude to your teachers on the day of Guru Purnima. We can see that Guru Shishya Parampara continues to be followed in Indian traditional dancing and music classes. This reinforces the need for Guru Purnima observance.
Guru Purnima is a day of gratitude. On this auspicious day, we can be thankful for the knowledge and wisdom shared by our revered Gurus. However, we cannot provide anything in return that equals what our Gurus have given us. Sharing the light of knowledge with others is the only way for us to improve what we have acquired or learned from our Gurus. It is always about passing on wisdom to others and keeping it alive. For Guru Purnima, we are not celebrating an individual teacher or Guru. Here, we are trying to pay our respects to all the spiritual and academic Gurus who have helped us grow.
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