Guru Purnima

Guru Purnima is traditionally held to be Bhagawan Vyasa’s birthday. According to the Indian calendar IT falls on the 15th of the month of Ashada. Bhagawan Vyasa is called Veda Vyasa – or the Compiler of the Vedas. Bhagawan Vyasa saw that, in the coming yugas, men would be of grosser mind and would lack the ability to learn and retain all of the Vedas. So he compiled the Vedas into four parts – the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Veda. The ancient saint, who compiled the four Vedas, wrote 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata.The full moon day in the month of Ashadh in July. This day is as a mark of respect to the “Guru” i.e. a teacher or a preacher. Divine discourse and bhajan samarohas are also organized to make the day more special.The day, also known as “Vyasa Purnima” is observed by devotees who offer pujas worship to their beloved Gurus. Sage Vyasa is known to be the Adi original Guru of the Hindu religion.

The auspicious day of Vyaasa Poornima has a great significance as everybody knows that the role of a Guru in real life is very much important.

Hindus show much respect to their gurus. Gurus are often regarded as God. The Shvetashvatara Upanishad (6/23) 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!

In India, Guru Purnima is at various ashrams, especially with much grandeur at Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh. The day is here on a grand scale with devotees coming from various parts of the country. The same is also at ashram of Satya Sai Baba at Puttaparthy, Ashram in Amritapuri and few other places of spiritual importance. Guru Purnima is also few places outside India. This is a day for spiritual seekers who remain extremely open to their gurus to receive divine power, and for this reason holy people choose to shower everyone with their most auspicious divine blessings.