Guru - The savior of life and beyond !
“Blessed is the knower of the Lord, my true GURU- He has taught me to look upon friend & enemy alike”
( Guru Gobind Singh)
When is Guru Purnima in 2022 ?
This year, Guru Purnima will take place on Wednesday 13th July which also happens to be a full moon during Ashadha month as depicted by Hindu calendars.
History of Guru Purnima
Named after the most honored Guru of ancient India, Ved Vyas Ji, Guru Purnima is also known as Vyas Purnima. It was the day of a full moon of Shukla paksha of Aashaadha month according to the Hindu calendar, which also happens to be the day on which Veda Vyas ji was born. It is also believed that he was the first to provide knowledge of the four Vedas and consequently started the GURU SHISHYA prampra(tradition). This is also the day on which, GAUTAMA BUDHA was said to have delivered his first Sermon (religious lecture), after obtaining a state of enlightenment. Ever since, his followers have dedicated this day to him and it is celebrated in the honor of Buddha and Guru Purnima is therefore also an auspicious festival for Buddhists. Guru Purnima day holds a great level of importance in Jainism as well, for which it is believed that it is the day on which Mahavira (most prominent Tirthankara), received his first disciple, Gautham Swami.
Significance of celebrating Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is the day on which disciples get a chance to offer their gratitude for the unseen hard work of their Guru - Kripa. A true guru focuses the attention of his disciple on spiritual growth, moral, and social development, which in return allows them to become self-sufficient in overcoming all sufferings in their life. A true Guru’s knowledge, unconditional love, hard work, and sacrifice are something that can not simply be paid back. Only way to clear said debt is one should dedicate oneself to following their guru ji’s teachings and put them into practice. That is considered as the real pooja of Guru ji’s “lotus feet.” In India, this holy day is celebrated with a great deal of enthusiasm by worshiping and expressing gratitude towards our Guru/teacher. The day begins by conducting a pooja in the honor of guruji/teachers with a lot of dedication. Students of Indian classical music and dance also follow this Holy guru Shishya Parampara and celebrate and take part in this festival all around the world. At schools, students celebrate by thanking their teachers and performing plays, dances and music programmes in order to honor them. Satprerna celebrates this holy festival in a unique way.
The importance of this day can be summarized quite effectively as Swami Vivekananda commonly expressed his feelings towards his Guru Shri Ramakrishna Paramhansa” in one of his works in which he stated, “In my Guru ji, there was knowledge, devotion and love, infinite knowledge, infinite love, infinite work, infinite compassion for all being-”
Why do we need a GURU ?
A Guru is the personality who destroys the darkness that stems from the ignorance that is within us, and brings us into the divine light of knowledge. In Ramayana (Hindu granth), it clearly states “Guru bin bhava Nidhi tarai nakoi / Jaun biranchi sankara sama hoi.” (V6)
This means not even the most elevated of spiritual aspirants can cross over the material ocean without the grace of a Guru.
To demonstrate the importance of a Guru in order to gain knowledge, Shri Krishna himself took this step: In his youth, he went to the Sandipani rishi ashram along with his elder brother Balarama where he learned all the arts (kalas) and 14 branches of knowledge from his GURU.
Great poet Saint Kabir also supported the need of a true guru through his Bani:
“Guru Gobind Dou Khade, Kake Lagoon Paay,
Balihari Guru Aapne, Govind Diyo Milaye.”
Between God and Guru standing before me, I will first pay my respects to my Guru ji for he is the one who has shown me the way to GOD.
“Waheguru” (Wondrous destroyer of darkness) is the distinctive representation of God’s name in the Sikh religion.
Anandamayi ma (Guru of Indira Gandhi), states, “With implicit faith and sacred regard for the Guru’s instructions, continue your practice with the greatest possible regularity and concentration. Success will be yours."
There is no doubt that once a Guru has accepted their disciple, he/she will continue to remain by their disciple’s side until the desired goal has been attained.
Guru Disciple Relationship
Prernamurti Bharti Shriji preaches in her discourses that the Guru-disciple relationship is based on unconditional love. Once a shishya has put
their complete faith in his/her GURU, they receive a sense of protection from all potential dangers that may come their way. This can be well described through a real incident of Bhai Joga Singh ji, who was a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He lived in the presence of his guru ji and diligently served him for numerous years. One day, his parents requested his Guru ji to take him back home to get him married. Guru ji permitted him to go and told him to return when demanded. To test his devotion, Guru ji sent a note to Joga Singh ji to come back for an urgent sewa (duty). The message was then delivered at the time of his marriage ceremony. On receiving Guru ji’s message, he immediately set out for his ashram, leaving the marriage rituals midway. On his way back, he halted for a night and fell for the charms of a prostitute. He tried to enter her house but was constantly stopped by a guard who appeared to be monitoring the outside in a way that made any entry difficult. He tried to enter on four occasions but had to turn back as he was stopped by the same guard each time. By the time it was dawn, he realized his mistake and was overtaken with a sense of remorse. The following day he came in front of guru Gobind singh, who seemed to be quite tired himself. Upon being asked by Guru ji about the last night, he clearly depicted the incident. Following the confession, Guru Gobind singh ji revealed that he himself was the guard who stopped Joga Singh from entering the prostitute’s home and sinning. After knowing this, he fell at his Guru ji’s feet and begged for forgiveness. This is a prime reminder of how a Guru sacrifices so much for the good of their disciples.
In GURU GRANTH SAHIB, it is stated that “One who sells his mind to the true GURU. That humble servant’s affairs are resolved.”(Ang 26 ).
Power of devotion towards a Guru
History is full of examples of how devotion and a complete surrender at one’s guru’s feet turns an ordinary man into one who is extraordinary. It was only this that made Shivaji, a disciple of Samarth Ram Das Ji, a great king, hero, bhakta, and the real son of India. After being inspired by the highest ideals from his Guru, Shivaji became so unbeatable and powerful that his enemies were afraid of simply his name. Certainly it was only the power of devotion towards his Guru that made it possible for SHIVAJI to successfully defy the Mughal power, cast off foreign domination, and win freedom from the rule of the Mughal powers.
Famous cricketer Sachin owes a great share of his success to his childhood coach Ramakant Achrekhar. Sachin Tendulakar wrote on twitter about his coach, stating, “He not only taught us cricket, but instilled the belief in us that one day we’ll play for India if we played with sincerity and honesty. You cannot ever thank someone enough for a gift like this”
A complete surrender at the feet of Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa made Swami Vivekananda capable of boldly delivering his historic speech in the midst of audiences and participants in the city of Chicago, filling the heart of every Indian with pride. Swami ji’s speech, which he presented at the platform of the World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893, made the world aware that India holds such great value in Hindu religion and culture. It was his devotion towards his Guru that made him famous across the world.
During the historical war of Mahabharata, Arjuna achieved victory and respect from others only after he surrendered himself in the lotus feet of his guru Krishna. Prior to the start of Mahabharata, he possessed a sense of ignorance and attachment which therefore caused him to unknowingly be a coward. Had he not surrendered himself in the lotus feet of Krishna as a disciple at that very moment, it is quite easy to say that Arjuna would have lost everything.
Feeling Of A Disciple On Guru Purnima-
On this special day, we cannot forget Sahajo Bai (a great poet-saint) from Rajasthan . Her love and devotion for her Guru gave her the courage to put her Guru at a higher place than God. With a deep sense of gratitude in her mind towards her Guru ji, she writes-“I may abandon Ram (God) but I can never forget my Guru , I don't see God with the same sense of gratitude as my Guru”.
Swami Vivekananda considered his Guru as an incarnation of God. He further said that his Guru had the “head of Adi Shankara'' and the “hearts of Ramanuja and Chaitanya.” He considered it his good fortune that he could see that man so close. As a result, he owed everything to his Guru Ramakrishna Paramahamsa
The cricketer Sachin Tendulkar shows his gratitude and respect for his Guru and coach Ramakant Achrekar by stating that “His contribution to my life cannot be captured in words. He built the foundation that I stand on. Achrekar Sir taught us the virtue of playing straight and living straight.”
Guru Gobind Singh (10th Guru of Sikh religion) stated “I am a sacrifice to the Guru who has totally cured me of the fatal disease of egoism,” showing the indefinite respect of a disciple towards his Guru.
Prernamurti Bharti Shriji also looks up to Her mother, Pujya Lakshmi Devi Ji, as Her Guru as it is with the help of Her teachings that She is now so strong willed and capable of guiding many youngsters towards the correct path of life.
How to celebrate this Special Day ?
Worshiping one’s guru is equivalent to worshiping God. Respecting one's Guru is the respect of God. Similarly, salutation to one’s Guru is the same as salutation to God. To properly celebrate this day -
1. Get up early in the morning
2. Shower and then worship the “lotus feet” of your guru.
3. Offer flowers and fruits to the idol of your guru.
4. Study and listen to the teachings of your guru.
5. You can also arrange a satsang at your home or society and spread the glory of your guru and their messages
6. Some may prefer to fast for the entire day, while also maintaining a vow of silence (Mouna). However, most choose to simply consume only fruits and milk for the day
7. Disciples should spend their day praying to their guru for their spiritual progress.
On this holy day of Guru Purnima, let us pray together to our Gurudev , as they are the one who are illuminated by the light of true knowledge.
Although words cannot truly summarize the impact that a Guru has on the lives of his/her disciples, I would like to sum up with Kabir ji’s bani :
सब धरती काजग करू, लेखनी सब वनराए ।
सात समुद्र की मसि करूँ, गुरु गुण लिखा न जाए ।
“Even if I convert all the oceans on this planet into ink, all forests into a pen, and the entire Earth into paper, it would still not be enough to completely acknowledge the importance of a Guru.”
Please let us know how you celebrated Guru Purnima 2022 in the comments section.
Happy Guru Purnima!
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