The word “GU” means darkness and the word “RU” signifies moving away or liberating – thereby the word “guru” symbolizing someone who liberates us or takes us away from the path of darkness towards the path of light or wisdom. In this civilization the word “guru” has been used for every source of learning experiences that one can use as a guide – be it our parents, teachers , instructors and even animals or in – animate beings like the sun and planets. ‘Guru Pournima’, so , is the day to commemorate the importance of a guru in one’s life. In our spiritual traditions guru is the one who transcends an individual from the vicious cycle of life and death and helps realize the true nature of our inner self or aatman. The knowledge transmitted by a guru to his shishya is so significant in life that it almost feels like a new birth . One can experience this difference in their lives if one compares the state of mind and body before receiving education and after that.
‘Guru Pournima’ is celebrated on the full moon day of Ashadha month of the Bharatiya calendar. It is the first full moon day of the Ashadh month. This day also marks the birth of the Adi Guru or Shiva , also known as Adiyogi – the first yogi , who on this day gave the knowledge of Yog to the 7 rishis ( Saptarishis ) . Astronomically , Pournima and Amavasya coincide with the waxing and waning of the moon’s phases. Pournima is the full moon day and Amavasya being the new moon day. This moon has huge gravitational influence on Earth , as is visible from the sea tides and the entire oceanic water experiencing an upsurge of energy. 70% of the planet is water , and this is also true for the human body that has a similar percentage of water . Ancients understood this and as they were quite observant also figured out the impacts of these on the human body. If you are willing and sensitive enough towards your mind and body , you would notice the mood changes , especially on these 2 particular days of Amavasya and pournima. People on the spiritual path have huge significance for this day , and if certain practices are followed they can benefit you immensely. As the human body gets aligned with the cosmic geometry on this day , the natural upsurge of energy can be used for spiritual growth and overall well being of the human being. Just sit erect , cross legged ,with a straight spine and keeping a mild focus in the centre of your head , for a few minutes on this day with closed eyes and meditate for a while. Chanting a mantra or guru mantra gives additional benefits. This simple practice helps to experience the non physical dimensions of life. This is a beautiful combination of science & spirituality, which very few people understand.
Culturally , in this land , people used to take a day off from work on Amavasya and Pournima ( and not on Sundays as popularized by the British as they had to go to Church on that day and we have continued this unscientific practice) , as they understood the significance of processes happening around. So it used to be a holiday for them and they could devote time to other activities twice a month.
Guru Pournima is also known as Vyas Pournima , remembered as the birth anniversary of Shri Ved Vyas , the famous sage who edited the Vedas , dividing them into 4 parts ; he also wrote 18 puranas including Srimad Bhagwatam which is considered as the 5th Ved , and the Mahabharat. He is also called as Ved Vyas as its believed that he organized the eternal Vaidik knowledge into 4 separate Vedas as we know them today. The tradition started as it was believed that Vyas Muni was born on this day , and also the day when he began writing the Brahma Sutra. The festival is celebrated across Bharat , Bhutan and Nepal ; all branches of a common civilization. The day was also revived by Gandhiji to pay tributes to his spiritual guru , Shrimad Ramachandra. In Buddhist tradition , it was on this day that Gautam Buddha gave his 1st sermon to his 1st five disciples at Sarnath , near Varanasi. Thereafter the Buddhist ‘sangha’ or a community of his followers was formed. In Jain traditions , Mahavir became the ‘guru’ to his 1st disciple Gautama Swami on this day. The day is also important for farmers as it comes in the monsoon season , wherein farmers pray to nature for good rains and crops. In Hindus , Vyas Puja is performed in many places and relevant ‘mantra’ are chanted. The sacred text of Guru Gita is also recited. Common folk celebrate the day by remembering and wishing their own gurus or teachers.
So , go ahead and observe this day remembering all it significance and also benefit from the spiritual opportunity that this day has to offer to raise human consciousness and energies to a higher level .