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| Guru Purnima | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Guru Purnima (Guru Worship on a summer full moon day) |
| Observed by | Hindu,Sikhs devotees &Buddhist disciples inUnited States,Canada,Europe,Tibet,Bhutan,Kenya,India,Nepal and other parts of the world. |
| Type | International, religious, cultural |
| Significance | To express gratitude towards spiritual teachers[1] |
| Celebrations | Worship of Guru and temple visit[2] |
| Observances | Guru Puja |
| Date | Ashadha Purnima |
| 2024 date | 21 July (Sunday)[3] |
| 2025 date | 10 July (Thursday) |
| Frequency | annual |
| Explanatory note on Hindu festival dates | |
|---|---|
TheHindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements:māsa (lunar month),pakṣa (lunar fortnight) andtithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz.amānta /pūrṇimānta. If a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar. | |
Guru Purnima (Sanskrit:गुरुपूर्णिमा,romanized: Gurupūrṇimā) is a religious festival dedicated to offering respect to all the spiritual and academicgurus.[5] It is celebrated as a festival inIndia,Nepal andBhutan byHindus,Sikhs andBuddhists. This festival is traditionally observed to honour one's chosen spiritual teachers or leaders. It is observed on thefull moon day (Purnima) in the month ofAshadha (June–July) according to theHindu Calendar.[6][7][8] It is also known as Vyasa Purnima, for it marks the birthday ofVeda Vyasa, the sage who authored theMahabharata and compiled theVedas.[5][9]
The word guru is derived from theSanskrit root words,gu andru. Gu means "darkness" or "ignorance", andru means "dispeller."[10][11] Therefore, a guru is the dispeller of darkness or ignorance.[10]
The celebration of Guru Purnima is marked by spiritual activities and may include a ritualistic event,Guru puja, in honour of theguru or teacher. Gurus are believed by many to be the most necessary part of life. On this day, disciples offer puja or pay respect to their guru.In addition to having religious importance, this festival has great importance for Indian academics andscholars. Indian academics celebrate this day by thanking their teachers as well as remembering past teachers and scholars.[12] Hindu Gurus are revered on this day by remembering their life and teachings. The festivities are usually followed by a feast for the disciples,shishya, where theprasada andcharnamrita (nectar of the feet), the symbolic wash of Guru's feet, which represents hiskripa (grace) is distributed.[13]Special recitations of theHindu scriptures like theGuru Gita are held all day. Apart from the singing ofbhajans, hymns and of specialkirtan session andhavan at many places, where devotees from all over gather at theashrams,matha or place where the seat of Guru,Guru Gaddi exists.[14] This day also sees the ritual ofpadapuja, 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.[15] Disciples also recommit themselves on this day, towards following their teacher's guidance and teachings, for the coming year.[13] 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.[16] In the Vedic Hindu tradition, the day is celebrated in honour of the sageVyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions and a symbol of theguru-shishya tradition. Their recitations are a dedication to him and are organised on this day, which is also known asVyasa Purnima.[17]VyasaPuja is held at various temples, where floral offerings and symbolic gifts are given away in his honour.[18]Hinduascetics and wanderingsanyasis observe this day by offeringpuja to their guru, duringChaturmasya, a four-month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion and stay at one chosen place; some also give discourses to the local public.[19]
The festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honour of theBuddha, who gave his first sermon on this day atSarnath,Uttar Pradesh,India. In the yogic tradition, the day is celebrated as the occasion whenShiva became the first guru, as he began the transmission ofYoga to theSaptarishis.[20] Buddhists observeuposatha, i.e., to observeeight precepts on this day.Rainy seasonvassa also starts on this day, 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.[citation needed]
InNepal, Guru Purnima is a big day in schools. This day isteacher's day in Nepal. Students honour their teachers by offering delicacies, garlands, and special hats calledtopi made with indigenous fabric. Students often organize fanfares in schools to appreciate the hard work done by teachers. This is taken as a great opportunity to consolidate the bond of teacher-student relationships.[21]
This was the day whenVyasa – author of theMahabharata – was born to sageParashara and a fisherman's daughterSatyavati; thus, this day is also celebrated asVyasa Purnima.[5]Veda Vyasa did yeoman service to the cause ofVedic studies by gathering all theVedic hymns extant during his times and dividing them into four parts based on their characteristics and use in rites. He then taught them to his four chief disciples – Paila,Vaisampayana,Jaimini and Sumantu. It was this dividing and editing that earned him thehonorific "Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide). He divided the Vedas into four parts, namely,Rig,Yajur,Sama andAtharva.[22]
Gautama Buddha went fromBodhgaya toSarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before he attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances. His former comrades, the pañcavargika, left him and went to Ṛṣipatana inSarnath.[23] After attaining Enlightenment, theBuddha left Uruvilvā and travelled to the Ṛṣipatana 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 theGanges. When KingBimbisara heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics.[24] When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them theDharmacakrapravartana Sūtra. They understood and also became enlightened. This marked the establishment of the mendicantSangha, on the full-moon day ofAsadha. The Buddha subsequently spent his firstrainy season at Sarnath at the Mulagandhakuti.[25] Thebhikshu sangha soon grew to 60 members; then, Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teachDharma.
According toJain traditions, special veneration is offered to one's gurus and teachers on Guru Purnima.[26] The day falls at the beginning ofChaturmasya. On this day,Mahavira, after attainingkaivalya, madeGautama Swami his first disciple (ganadhara) thus becoming a Guru himself.
