This year Guru Purnima as well as the Lunar Eclipse (or Chandra Grahan) also falls on the same day which makes this a spectacular event and an extremely auspicious cosmic occurrence. The Purnima Tithi begins at 11:33 AM on July 4 and ends at 10:13 AM on July 5. This Chandra Grahan would unfortunately not be visible in India however.
Significance of this Auspicious Day:
- Guru Purnima is one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals and it is celebrated on Purnima (full moon day) in the month of ‘Ashadha’, the third month of the Hindu calendar
- The word GURU is an amalgam of two words, GU and RU, where GU means “darkness” and RU means “that which dispels”), therefore meaning the “Dispeller of Darkness”
- On this day, disciples remember their Guru (which is the Sanskrit word for teachers) and pay their gratitude to their teachers and mentors
- In ancient times, disciples took to ‘Gurukuls’, much like today’s boarding schools, to complete their education, wherein they learned the value of knowledge, discipline and consciousness from their Gurus
- Epic scriptures like Mahabharata and Ramayana are filled with instances of the special bond between a teacher and his disciple or Guru and Shishya
Many Legends Behind Celebrating Guru Purnima:
1. Guru Purnima is also a significant festival for Buddhists. It is believed that Lord Buddha, who gave up his kingdom and throne in seek of ‘Moksha’, gave his first sermon on this auspicious day that is also known as Buddha Purnima by a few
2. As per the Yogic culture, Lord Shiva is believed to be the first Guru or Yogi, who appeared as a Yogi in the Himalayas and imparted the knowledge of Yogic learnings to the Saptarishis (the seven sages). This the reason why Lord Shiva is also known as Adiyogi
3. It is believed that the writer of great epic Mahabharata, Sage Veda Vyasa was born to Satyavati and Sage Parashar on this very day, hence, it is also called Vyasa Purnima
4. After attaining Kaivalya, the 24th Jain Tirthankara, Lord Mahavira made Ganadhara Indrabhuti Gautam (Gautam Swami) his first disciple. Therefore, it is an important day for the Jain community
Spiritual Customs Followed:
- Since the first and foremost ‘Guru’ among Hindu is God, people wake up early and pray to God on this auspicious occasion and seek his blessings, as well as thank their Gurus. Guru Purnima is well known particularly in India, Nepal and Bhutan and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists the world over
- People who follow astrology, pray to Guru Graha or the planet Jupiter for braveness, confidence, and knowledge while others provide prayers to Veda Vyasa for divine knowledge. Many devotees also provide prayers to Sage Kapila, usually recognized as one of many founders of the Samkhya college of Hindu philosophy. The Vedic sage is regarded as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu
- In ashrams and monasteries, some disciples chant prayers for the Gurus and an offering of charnamarita and special prasadam is offered to visitors. People also observe ritualistic fasts alternatively refrain from eating heavy or non-vegetarian meals, rather opt for a light sattvik meal comprising of khichdi, halwa, papad, kheer etc
We always remain by your side as Your Personal Guide and Spiritual Companion and Divinity World wishes a very Happy Guru Purnima 2020 to all!