Guru Purnima
Encyclopedia
Guru Purnima is a festival traditionally celebrated by Hindus and Buddhists.On this day, disciples offer puja (worship) or pay respect to their Guru
(Spiritual Guide). It falls on the day of full moon
, Purnima
, in the month of Ashadh
(June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar
and Hindu calendar
. Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in the honor the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath
, Uttar Pradesh
, India
. While Hindus celebrate it in the honour of the great sage Vyasa
, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions, and a symbol of the Guru-shishya tradition
. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma Sutras on ashadha sudha padyami which ends on this day, hence their recitations as a dedication to him, are organised on this day, which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.
The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism
, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by his/her disciple. Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to the Guru, during the Chaturmas
, a four month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion, and halt at one selected place; some also give discourses to the local public. Students of the Indian classical music
, which also follows the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this festival, around the world.
– author of the Mahabharata
– was born to sage Parashara
and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati
, thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima.Veda Vyasa, did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic
studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns
extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana
, Jaimini and Sumantu. It was this dividing and editing that earned him the honorific
"Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide).
"He divided the Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda."
- Brahmanda Purana
1.4.21
Vyasa Maharshi is the guru of all gurus.All prayers today to ones guru are directly reaching Vyasa.Vyasa maharshi has helped everyone to know vedas and puranas and lead life in a righteous way.
Guru means one who removes darkness from ones life.
about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks, left him and went to Isipatana.
After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to join and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbisāra heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
. It was given on the full-moon day of Asalha. Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season i.e. Varsha vassa
at Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his fiends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants.
i.e. to observe eight precepts. Vipassana
meditators practice meditation on this day under the guidance of their teachers. Rainy season i.e. varsha vassa
also starts with this day. During the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. During this time Buddhist monks remain in a single place, generally in their temples. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation. During Vassa, many Buddhist lay people reinvigorate their spiritual training and adopt more ascetic practices, such as giving up meat, alcohol, or smoking.
The Hindu spiritual Gurus are revered
on this day by remembering their life and teachings. Vyasa
Puja is held at various temples, where floral offerings and symbolic gifts are given away in his honour and that of the cosmic satguru
. The festivities are usually followed by feast for the disciples, shishya, where the prasad
and charnamrita literally nectar of the feet, the symbolic wash of Guru's feet, which represents his grace, kripa
is distributed.
As a day of remembrance towards all gurus, through whom God grants the grace of knowledge (Jnana
) to the disciples, special recitations of the Hindu scriptures especially, the Guru Gita
, a 216 verse ode to Guru, authored by the sage, Vyasa himself, are held all day; apart from singing of bhajan
s, religious hymns and organising of special kirtan
session and havan
at many places, where devotees from all over gather at the ashram
s, matha
or place where the seat of Guru, Guru Gaddi exists. This day also sees the ritual of padapuja, the worships of Guru's sandals, which represent his holy feet and is seen a way of rededicating to all that a Guru stands for. Disciples also recommit themselves on this day, towards following their teacher's guidance and teachings, for the coming year.
This day is also seen as an occasion when fellow devotees, Guru Bhai (disciple-brother) , express their solidarity to one another in their spiritual journey.
, the 24th Tirthankara, after attaining Kaivalya
, made Indrabhuti Gautam, later known as Gautam Swami
, a Ganadhara
, his first disciple, thus becoming a Guru himself, therefore it is observed in Jainism as Guru Purnima, and is marked special veneration to one's Gurus and teachers.
The relationship between the Guru and the Disciple is considered very sacred. This relationship is purely spiritual in nature and is independent of age of the two. It is based on maturity of Gyan (Spiritual Knowledge) and Shrada (Spiritual Practice). The only awareness that a Disciple should foster is, ‘I should be uplifted spiritually’. The Guru too harbours only one thought, ‘May this Disciple be uplifted’. Relationships other than Guru-Disciple are bound by worldly restrictions wherein the ego constantly manifests itself while Gyan and other Shrada have no value. Since these worldly relationships presuppose ego for their sustenance, at the spiritual level they are rendered false. (Ref : Sanatan Prabhat)
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
(Spiritual Guide). It falls on the day of full moon
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
, Purnima
Full moon
Full moon lunar phase that occurs when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Sun. More precisely, a full moon occurs when the geocentric apparent longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180 degrees; the Moon is then in opposition with the Sun.Lunar eclipses can only occur at...
, in the month of Ashadh
Aashaadha
Aashaadha is a month of the Hindu calendar. In India's national civil calendar, Aashaadh is the fourth month of the year, beginning on 22 June and ending on 22 July. The month is known as Aadi in Tamil...
(June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, Indian national calendar
Indian national calendar
The Indian national calendar is the official civil calendar in use in India. It is used, alongside the Gregorian calendar, by The Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, and calendars and communications issued by the Government of India.The term may also ambiguously refer to the...
and Hindu calendar
Hindu calendar
The hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization, and today there are several regional Indian calendars, as well as an Indian national calendar. Nepali calendar, Bengali calendar, Malayalam calendar, Tamil calendar, Telugu calendar, Kannada...
. Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in the honor the lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath
Sarnath
Sarnath or Sārnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. While Hindus celebrate it in the honour of the great sage Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions, and a symbol of the Guru-shishya tradition
Guru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma Sutras on ashadha sudha padyami which ends on this day, hence their recitations as a dedication to him, are organised on this day, which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.
The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by his/her disciple. Hindu ascetics and wandering monks (sanyasis), observe this day by offering puja to the Guru, during the Chaturmas
Chaturmas
Chaturmas is a holy period of four months , beginning on Shayani Ekadashi—the eleventh day of the first bright half, Shukla paksha, of Ashadh —until Prabodhini Ekadashi, the eleventh day of the first bright half of Kartik in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.Chaturmas is reserved the...
, a four month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion, and halt at one selected place; some also give discourses to the local public. Students of the Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, which also follows the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this festival, around the world.
Hindu Legend
This was the day, when Krishna-Dwaipayana VyasaVyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
– author of the Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
– was born to sage Parashara
Parashara
' is a Rigvedic Maharishi and author of many ancient Indian texts. Parāśara was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parāśara as an author/speaker...
and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati
Satyavati
Satyavati was the queen of the Kuru king Shantanu of Hastinapur and the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes . She is also the mother of the seer Vyasa, author of the epic...
, thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima.Veda Vyasa, did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic
Vedic period
The Vedic period was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed roughly between 1700–1100 BCE, also...
studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana
Vaisampayana
Vaishampayana was the traditional narrator of the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. He was an ancient Indian sage who was the original teacher of the Black Yajur-Veda. The Ashvalayana Grihya Sutra mentions him as Mahabharatacharya...
, Jaimini and Sumantu. It was this dividing and editing that earned him the honorific
Honorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
"Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide).
"He divided the Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda."
- Brahmanda Purana
Brahmanda Purana
The Brahmanda Purana is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of eighteen Hindu religious texts and has been assigned the eighteenth place in almost all the lists of the Puranas.Brahma in Sanskrit means "the biggest", anda/andam means globe...
1.4.21
Vyasa Maharshi is the guru of all gurus.All prayers today to ones guru are directly reaching Vyasa.Vyasa maharshi has helped everyone to know vedas and puranas and lead life in a righteous way.
Guru means one who removes darkness from ones life.
Buddhist History
The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to SarnathSarnath
Sarnath or Sārnātha is the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. Sarnath is located 13 kilometres north-east of Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India...
about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pañcavaggiya monks, left him and went to Isipatana.
After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to join and teach them. He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbisāra heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his first sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta
The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta is traditionally the Buddha's first discourse after he attained Bodhi and Nirvāṇa.-Sources:In the Pali Canon, this sutta is contained in the Sutta Pitaka's Saṃyutta Nikāya, chapter 56 The Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Pali; Dharmacakra Pravartana Sūtra, Sanskrit;...
. It was given on the full-moon day of Asalha. Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season i.e. Varsha vassa
Vassa
Vassa , also called Rains Retreat, or Buddhist Lent, is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners...
at Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his fiends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants.
Observances by Buddhists and Hindus
Buddhists observe on this day uposathaUposatha
The Uposatha is Buddhist day of observance, in existence from the Buddha's time , and still being kept today in Buddhist countries. The Buddha taught that the Uposatha day is for "the cleansing of the defiled mind," resulting in inner calm and joy...
i.e. to observe eight precepts. Vipassana
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
meditators practice meditation on this day under the guidance of their teachers. Rainy season i.e. varsha vassa
Vassa
Vassa , also called Rains Retreat, or Buddhist Lent, is the three-month annual retreat observed by Theravada practitioners...
also starts with this day. During the rainy season lasting for three lunar months from July to October. During this time Buddhist monks remain in a single place, generally in their temples. In some monasteries, monks dedicate the Vassa to intensive meditation. During Vassa, many Buddhist lay people reinvigorate their spiritual training and adopt more ascetic practices, such as giving up meat, alcohol, or smoking.
The Hindu spiritual Gurus are revered
Reverence
Reverence may refer to:* Reverence a subjective response to something excellent in a personal way* Reverence , the acknowledgement of the legitimacy of the power of one's superior or superiors...
on this day by remembering their life and teachings. Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
Puja is held at various temples, where floral offerings and symbolic gifts are given away in his honour and that of the cosmic satguru
Satguru
Satguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
. The festivities are usually followed by feast for the disciples, shishya, where the prasad
Prasad
Prasād is a mental condition of generosity, as well as a material substance that is first offered to a deity and then consumed...
and charnamrita literally nectar of the feet, the symbolic wash of Guru's feet, which represents his grace, kripa
Kripa (philosophy)
Kripa is the concept of divine grace in Hinduism. It is the central tenet of Bhakti Yoga and Bhakti movements, which are seen as reform movements in Hinduism as compared to the Hinduism which finds its origins in the Vedas; though variously it can mean "grace", "mercy", or "blessing", depending...
is distributed.
As a day of remembrance towards all gurus, through whom God grants the grace of knowledge (Jnana
Jnana
Jñāna or gñāna is a Sanskrit and Pali word that means knowledge. It has various nuances of meaning depending on the context. The idea of jnana centers around a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced...
) to the disciples, special recitations of the Hindu scriptures especially, the Guru Gita
Guru Gita
The Guru Gita is a Hindu scripture authored by the sage, Vyasa. It is a part of the larger Skanda Purana. It describes a conversation between the Hindu God, Lord Shiva and his wife, the Hindu Goddess Parvati, in which she asks him to teach her about the Guru...
, a 216 verse ode to Guru, authored by the sage, Vyasa himself, are held all day; apart from singing of bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s, religious hymns and organising of special kirtan
Kirtan
Kirtan or Kirtana is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions. A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed...
session and havan
Havan
Havanam is the term for a sacred purifying ritual in Hinduism that involves a fire ceremony. It is a ritual of sacrifice made to the fire god Agni. After lighting a Havan Kund , objects such as fruits, honey, or wooden goods are put into the sacred fire...
at many places, where devotees from all over gather at the ashram
Ashram
Traditionally, an ashram is a spiritual hermitage. Additionally, today the term ashram often denotes a locus of Indian cultural activity such as yoga, music study or religious instruction, the moral equivalent of a studio or dojo....
s, matha
Matha
A matha ) is a term for monastic and similar religious establishments of Hinduism and Jainism. A matha is usually more formal, hierarchical, and rule-based than an ashram.-Advaita Mathas:...
or place where the seat of Guru, Guru Gaddi exists. This day also sees the ritual of padapuja, the worships of Guru's sandals, which represent his holy feet and is seen a way of rededicating to all that a Guru stands for. Disciples also recommit themselves on this day, towards following their teacher's guidance and teachings, for the coming year.
This day is also seen as an occasion when fellow devotees, Guru Bhai (disciple-brother) , express their solidarity to one another in their spiritual journey.
Jainism
According to Jain traditions, it was on this day, falling at the beginning of chaturmas, the four month rainy season retreat, MahaviraMahavira
Mahāvīra is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamāna who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. According to Jain tradition, he was the 24th and the last Tirthankara. In Tamil, he is referred to as Arukaṉ or Arukadevan...
, the 24th Tirthankara, after attaining Kaivalya
Kaivalya
Kaivalya , which is the ultimate goal of yoga, means solitariness or detachment.The 34 Yoga Sutras of Patanjali of the fourth chapter deals with impressions left by our endless cycles of birth and the rationale behind the necessity of erasing such impressions...
, made Indrabhuti Gautam, later known as Gautam Swami
Gautam Swami
The Ganadhara Gautam Swami was the chief disciple of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Jain Tirthankara. His real name was Indrabhuti Gautam, but he is after referred to as Gautama because that was his gotra. He was born in the Gochchar village in the Magadh kingdom to a Brahmin couple Vasubhuti and Prithvi...
, a Ganadhara
Ganadhara
In Jainism, a Ganadhara "Troupe leader" is a primary disciple of a Tirthankara. All twenty-four Tirthankaras had ganadharas, but the number varied....
, his first disciple, thus becoming a Guru himself, therefore it is observed in Jainism as Guru Purnima, and is marked special veneration to one's Gurus and teachers.
Significance
Seekers try to get as much opportunity to do Satseva of the Guru as possible during this period. As the Guru principle is 1000 times more active during this period, when compared to any other day during this year, the satseva done on Guru Poornima fetches substantial grace of the Guru for their spiritual progress. (Ref : Sanatan Prabhat)The relationship between the Guru and the Disciple is considered very sacred. This relationship is purely spiritual in nature and is independent of age of the two. It is based on maturity of Gyan (Spiritual Knowledge) and Shrada (Spiritual Practice). The only awareness that a Disciple should foster is, ‘I should be uplifted spiritually’. The Guru too harbours only one thought, ‘May this Disciple be uplifted’. Relationships other than Guru-Disciple are bound by worldly restrictions wherein the ego constantly manifests itself while Gyan and other Shrada have no value. Since these worldly relationships presuppose ego for their sustenance, at the spiritual level they are rendered false. (Ref : Sanatan Prabhat)
External links
- On Guru Pournima by Forum For Hindu Awakening
- On Guru Purnima by About.com
- On Guru Pournima by Sanatan Sanstha