The word “Guru” is a confluence of two Sanskrit words, “Gu” meaning darkness, and “Ru” meaning the eradicator of darkness. Our spiritual and academic preceptors remove the darkness of ignorance by imparting us ‘Apara Vidya’ (temporal knowledge). The solemn festival of Guru Poornima is celebrated by the people of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faith with profound sincerity. According to ‘Shaka Samvat’, the Hindu calendar, the day of the full moon in the month of ‘Asadh’ is observed as ‘Guru Poornima’.
Guru came from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘remover of the darkness’. That is to say, one who dispels ignorance and leads to the path of knowledge. Guru Purnima is meant to pay tribute and shower utmost adoration, and respect for the one who like the phrase in Upanishad, which says ‘Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya,' leads in the journey towards light. Hindus observe this auspicious day worshipping, offering homage to their guru. While Buddhists revere Buddha, the enlightened one, who had delivered his first sermon to five monks on this very day. Buddhists observe Uposatha, the eight precepts reverentially. This day also saw the first day of the rainy season as Varsha Vassa. On this day, all spiritual aspirants and followers or devotees pay tribute to their respective (spiritual or academic) preceptor or Gurudev. It is believed that Hindus associate Guru Poornima with the sacred memory of Saint Guru Vyas Dev who taught Dattatreya, the one who is considered the guru of gurus. Ved Vyasa was the one to divide the Vedas into four- Rig, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva.
Hindus all over the world celebrate this sacred festival in remembrance of the sage ‘Vyasa’, the ‘Adi Guru’ of the Hindu religion. He was not only born on this auspicious day to sage Parashara and Satyabati but also he is believed to have started penning ‘Brahma Sutras’ on ‘Asadha Sudha Padyami’ which ends on this day. People of the Buddhist faith celebrate the day to pay homage to Lord Buddha who offered his first sermon on this full moon day at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh. In Jainism, this holy day marks the advent of ‘Chaumasaas’, the four months of the rainy season. It is believed that Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara made Indrabhuti Gautam his disciple on this very day and became a ‘Guru’ himself. The day is observed by Jains to pay tribute to their spiritual and academic leaders.
Guru Poornima is an Indian and Nepalese festival dedicated to spiritual and academic teachers. Celebrated traditionally by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains by offering their tribute to their teachers, this day falls on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Ashadha. Guru Purnima is also held sacred in Yogic tradition for it saw the birth of the Adi Guru who taught the Saptarishis the mechanics of life. However, besides the mythological accounts, Guru Purnima can be commemorated to express one’s love and respect for anybody who played a significant part in shaping and molding one’s paraphernalia of knowledge. That can be one’s mother, father, or any elderly or learned person apart.
