Guru Purnima - Tue 11/07/2006.
The festival of Guru Purnima celebrates the paramount importance Hindus attach to spiritual gurus. Gurus are often equated with God and always regarded as a link between the individual and the supreme Lord.
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What is Guru Purnima?
The full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (usually July/August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa. All Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa is said to have even taught Guru Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Supreme Guru of Gurus.
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Significance of Guru Purnima?
On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honour of his divine personage and all disciples perform a pooja of their respective spiritual preceptor or Gurudeva.
Vyasa could be considered as the Adi (original or first) Guru of Hindu Sanatan Dharma.
Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual sadhana from this day.
In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions.
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How to worship the Guru on this day
Of this worship it is said in the Skanda Purana - Guru Gita:
Dhyaana moolam guror murtih pooja moolam guror padam |
Mantra moolam guror vakyam moksha moolam guror kripa
“The Guru’s form should be meditated upon; the feet of the Guru should be worshipped; his words are to be treated as a sacred Mantra; his Grace ensures final liberation”.
The Significance of the Guru
The Sanskrit root “Gu” means darkness or ignorance. “Ru” denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a Guru. Only he who removes our ultimate darkness, known as Maya, and who inspires and guides us on to the path of God-realization is the true Guru. Students also refer to their school teacher or college lecturer as guru. The connotation of the word guru in this case is one who imparts temporal knowledge (Apara Vidya) and is thus accordingly offered respect.
A spiritual aspirant, no matter how brilliant, can never attain such knowledge by his own endeavour. This is stipulated in the Shrimad Bhagwatam in which Jadbharat reveals to king Rahugan: “O Rahugan! One cannot attain knowledge of Atma and Paramatma by performing penance, sacrifices, renunciation, Vedic study or worshipping deities of water, fire or the sun. But when the dust from the feet of a satpurush (God-realized Guru) sprinkles on our heads, then we can surely attain this knowledge.”
The Guru plays a vital role in boosting the aspirant frequently, when he loses track, becomes despondent or simply runs out of steam. The aspirant is thus better able to obey the Guru if he understands the Guru’s glory.
The Glory of a Guru
Skanda Purana – Guru Gita glorifies a Guru:
Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha |
Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha ||
“The guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), veneration to the Guru who is Parabrahman manifest.” The second line of the couplet does not literally mean that the Guru becomes Parabrahman - God, rather he is venerated as if God is represented through him.
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The Guru in Swaminarayan Sampraday
In the Swaminarayan Sampraday, The Spiritual Preceptor is venerated as the Acharya of the respective Gadi. And therefore ultimately on this day, worship is offered to H.H Acharya Maharajshree. Similarly for female aspirants poojan should be offered to H.H. Pujya Gadiwala Shree.
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