Guru Purnima -The Biggest Day of the Year

Guru Purnima refers to the Full Moon dedicated to the Guru. Purnima, the Full Moon, is when the Moon is at its brightest in its fully circular shape, which occurs about once a month. The Purnima that happens in the month of Ashada (June-July) is the Ashada Purnima, which people observe in honor of the Guru as Guru Purnima.

Who is a Guru?

It is a tradition to hold a religious head, a spiritual advisor or guide, or a chief of a monastic order in high reverence as the Guru. The word ‘Guru’ itself has a profound meaning. It consists of 2 terms, ‘Gu’ and ‘Ru’; ‘Gu’ means darkness, and ‘Ru’ is that which dispels. Thus, Guru becomes ‘the one who removes darkness.’ Here, one can equate the darkness to negativities like ignorance and illusion, and a Guru is a torch bearer who ignites the flame of knowledge and wisdom and helps people lead a life of purpose and fulfillment.

A true Guru imparts knowledge born out of his experience and establishes a connection with the understanding of the true purpose of a person’s journey of life on earth. Only such knowledge can open the mind’s eyes and lead a true seeker on the path of spiritual advancement, opening the possibility of the person experiencing the supreme reality. A Guru, thus, can enable seekers to free themselves of the bondage of worldly existence and karmic patterns, raise their consciousness beyond the illusory effects of material life, and help them experience the bliss of truth.      

Guru Purnima is a special occasion to celebrate the divine enabler, the Guru, who is present in physical form.

Importance of the Day

But why did scriptures or ancients choose Ashada Purnima as the occasion meant for the Gurus?

The reasons vary according to beliefs.

As per the sacred texts, Ashada Purnima is the Day of birth of Maha Rishi Vyasa. This great sage is renowned as the author of the celebrated epic Mahabharata. Besides, he is also credited with the authorship of 18 Puranas, the legends, and Brahma Sutra, the text on Upanishadic thoughts and practices. Scriptures also refer to him as Veda Vyasa because he is believed to have compiled the Vedic texts, the vast storehouse of ancient wisdom, and organized them into 4 sections based on their import. With such a stupendous contribution to subjects like religion, philosophy, and literature, which had a lasting impact on the learned and the commoners alike, Vyasa was hailed as an incarnation of Vishnu himself and revered as an acclaimed Guru. So, it is no surprise that his Day of Advent became an occasion for celebration as Guru Purnima.

As one who produced and made such a wealth of knowledge and literature available to humanity, sacred texts hail Vyasa as a universal teacher and revere him as a Guru. Guru Purnima, Vyasa’s birthday, is also called Vyasa Purnima in his honor.

Ashada month is also when the rains begin in many parts of the country. As the monsoon season started then, religious heads, monks, ascetics, and those who embraced the monastic order made it a point to refrain from traveling from place to place, as they usually do; instead, stay at a place and devote the period entirely to the spiritual activities like reading and discussing scriptures, explaining the message of the sacred texts to the devotees, and observing austerities, and vows.  Such an observance is known in religious parlance as the Chaturmasya Vrat, which starts on the Guru Purnima. Thus, Guru Purnima is significant as the beginning of the holy period exclusively dedicated to spiritual pursuits.     

But Guru Purnima’s significance runs across faiths and is not confined to Hinduism alone.  

Guru Purnima is a big day for Buddhists. It was on this Day that Buddha, on his enlightenment, started spreading his Divine message among the public and delivered his first sermon in Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh. Thus, Guru Purnima remains a day of celebration in Buddhism.      

Mahavira is the 24th Tirthankara in Jainism. According to beliefs, Mahavira attained Kaivalya on Guru Purnima and accepted a celestial being as the first disciple. Thus, Mahavira became a Guru and also a Treenok Guha; hence, Jainism celebrates this Full Moon as the Treenok Guha Purnima.    

Guru Purnima Observance

The Ashada Full Moon of Guru Purnima represents a unique alignment of stars and planets. This bright Moon represents a high-frequency, auspicious light energy filled with love, compassion, and devotion. Beliefs claim that even the heavenly angels regard this occasion as worthy of celebration.

People can utilize the occasion to honor their teachers, tutors, coaches, guides, and elders, who have contributed variously to shaping their lives and also be of any assistance to them. People can also visit temples and pray to the Divine Gurus, who came down to earth, took on the role of preceptors, and guided people in the path of righteousness and virtue.