Guru & Significiance of Guru pournima

Who is a true Guru?

What is the truth underlying the Guru principle? Is he the one that teaches worldly education? Is he the one that explores the properties of matter, a Guru? Is he the one that describes in detail Natural Sciences, a Guru? No, they are only teachers.

 A true Guru is the embodiment of Brahmaanandha (transcendental bliss). A true Guru is one who enjoys and confers changeless supreme happiness. He is beyond space and time; and there is nothing higher than Him. He is the very form of truth and infinite. He has neither birth nor death, neither beginning nor end. He is God Himself: He is the Guru.

Guru is Brahman. He is the Creator; He Himself is the creation and He is the One that exists in the creation. The universe is filled with Brahman. It becomes clear that the One who Himself has become the universe is the Guru.

Guru is Vishnu. Who is Vishnu? Vishnu is one who has the quality of pervasiveness. He is the Doer and also what is done. The universe is the action, God is the Doer. God is the consciousness behind the cause and effect. The whole universe is the form of Vishnu. This Vishnu is the Guru.

Guru is Maheshvara. Who is Maheshvara? He is the one who rules all beings in the Universe. He commands and ordains everything in the universe in the right manner. Sun-rise and Sun-set go on according to His command. Seasons, rain, the day and night are His commands. Eeshvara is one that makes everything--follow its discipline without any lapse. Guru is not one who merely teaches. A Guru is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent, He is God himself.
The term "Guru" means one who dispels the darkness of ignorance. "Gu" means one who is beyond attributes (gunas), "Ru" implies one who is beyond forms (rupas). This refers only to God. That is why the "Guru" is hailed as Brahma, Vishnu or Siva. Only God is the true Guru. All others are merely teachers, like the teachers of different subjects in a college. "Guru" is the one who reveals the "Guri" (target) to the disciple. "Guri" here refers to the Atomic Principle.
Vyasa was a great Rishi (sage). He is described as an incamation of Lord Narayana. He set down in writing the Vedas which previously were known only in the form of sound. He was the great grandson of Arundhati (wife of Vasishta). He codified the Vedas. As he was born on the full moon day in the month of Aashaada, this day is celebrated as Vyasa-poornima.
Vyasa glorified the divinity that is equally present in all human beings and propagated this truth to the world. After writing the eighteen puranas, he summed up their message in one line : "Paropakaraha Punyaya, Paapaaya Parapeedanam"(Helping others is meritorious harming other is sinful).

"Help ever, hurt never". Vyasa was the great teacher who gave many profound and sacred truths to mankind. Hence his birthday is celebrated as Guru Poornima.

On the Guru Poornima day, people generally take initiation into spiritual life from some preceptor or get some directions for some law and fast or vigil. These preceptors can not claim the status of the guru as delineated in the sloka, Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheswara Guru Sakshath Para Brahma Thasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.

The Guru extolled there is the sage who as transcended name and form and beyond the effects of the three Gunas or attributes, he is neither enthusiastic nor uninterested. He is unaffected, clam and contend.
He is the Atma, having realised that the Atma is the one and only one. He makes you cast off the fear of birth and death; he renders you for the vision of the eternal absolute truth .full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashad (July-August) is observed as the auspicious day of Guru Purnima, a day sacred to the memory of the great sage Vyasa.
All Hindus are indebted to this ancient saint who edited the four Vedas, wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Srimad Bhagavata. Vyasa even taught Dattatreya, who is regarded as the Guru of Gurus.
Significance of Guru Purnima

On this day, all spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Vyasa in honor of his divine personage and all disciples perform a 'puja' of their respective spiritual preceptor or 'Gurudevs'.
This day is of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the much-needed rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is a good time to begin your spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' from this day.
The period 'Chaturmas' ("four months") begins from this day. In the past, wandering spiritual masters and their disciples used to settle down at a place to study and discourse on the Brahma Sutras composed by Vyasa, and engage themselves in Vedantic discussions.

Gurupuurnima means full moon without any defect or lacuna. Moon is nothing but mind. When the mind is completely perfect, it sheds light.
Gurupuurnima is not performed by circumambulation and offerings to the Guru.

What is the real offering? It is the offering of one's love. To know that God exists everywhere is circumambulation.
If you understand these terms, everyday is Gurupuurnima. There is only one Guru, that is God and there is no other Guru. Contemplate on that Guru .

On this day, one should try to transform his heart making it pure and sacred. The realisation of that wholeness is the real guru Poornima. One should resolve today to turn his thoughts to God; to strive for the purification of his heart and to seek self-realization.

The real significance of Guru poornima does not consist in worshipping the guru (preceptor) with some offerings, but in getting rid of the darkness of ignorance.
"Poornima" refers to the full moon, but the full symbolizes the mind filled with delight. There is a close association between the mind and the moon.

Guru poornima signifies the elimination of all darkness and evil from the mind. Thus Guru poornima is an occasion for cleaning the mind to make it absolutely pure. As long as the mind is filled with darkness (evil thoughts) there is no meaning in celebrating Guru Poornima.
Get rid of this darkness. Remember that nothing is impossible, what is required is sincere effort in right direction in right time. Om Shanti!


"Spirituality is neither the privilege of the poor nor the luxury of the rich. It is the choice of the wise man."