Gururdevo Maheshwaraha |
Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman
GLORY OF THE GURU
The Hindu shastras have hailed such a GURU immeasurably:
SKANDA PURANA -GURUGITA
Above famous verse known by heart by all Hindu children glorifies the GURU:
"The GURU is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva), veneration to the GURU who is Parabrahman manifest."
The second line of the couplet does not literally mean that the GURU becomes Parabrahman - God, rather he is venerated as if God is manifesting through him.
On this day of GURU PURNIMA, disciples introspect, and resolve to offer pujan and reverence to the GURU in mind, action and speech; implicitly obey his unvoiced wishes, commands, serving him as one would God and lauding his glory and redemptive attributes.
Bhagwan Ved Vyas The day of full moon, PURNIMA, in the month of Ashadh is traditionally celebrated as GURUPURNIMA by Hindus. Also known as Vyas PURNIMA, the day is celebrated in remembrance and veneration to sage Ved Vyas. He is the Adi (original) GURU of the Hindu Dharma, who classified the Vedas, wrote the eighteen Puranas and the Mahabharat.
ROLE OF GURU IN LIFE
The Sanskrit word "Gu" means darkness or ignorance. "Ru" denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a GURU.
Only he who removes our ultimate darkness, known as Maya, and.
who inspires and guides us on to the path of God-realization is the true GURU.
Students also refer to their school teacher or college lecturer as GURU. The connotation of the word GURU in this case is one who imparts temporal knowledge (Apara Vidya) and is thus accordingly offered respect.
A spiritual aspirant, no matter how brilliant, can never attain such knowledge by his own endeavor. This is stipulated in the Shrimad Bhagwatam in which Jadbharat reveals to king Rahugan :
"O Rahugan! One cannot attain knowledge of Atma and Paramatma by performing penance, sacrifices, renunciation, Vedic study or worshipping deities of water, fire or the sun.
But when the dust from the feet of a satpurush (God-realized GURU) sprinkles on our heads, then we can surely attain this knowledge."
"If a person, despite possessing: a handsome, disease-free body, fame, a mountain of wealth, and even if he has studied the Vedas and all other scriptures, and has himself composed many scriptures, but has not surrendered himself at the feet of a GURU, then he has achieved nothing, nothing, nothing & finally also nothing."
The GURU plays a vital role in boosting the aspirant frequently, when he loses track, becomes despondent or simply runs out of steam. The aspirant is thus better able to obey the GURU if he understands the GURU'S GLORY.
In the presence of the GURU you become more alive. The pinnacle of intellect is awakened intelligence.
The GURU invokes not only intelligence but also the intellect in you. Knowledge may not invoke intelligence, but in intelligence, knowledge is inherent.
Whether you like it or not, the GURU principle pervades your life. Your mother is your first GURU and then from science to spirituality, from birth to death, GURU principle permeates your life.
There is a GURU for every discipline - a religious GURU (dharma), a family_GURU (kula), a raj_guru (GURU for the kingdom), a vidya_GURU (GURU for a particular discipline)and a sat_GURU (spiritual GURU).
In the Upanishads five signs of SAT GURU are mentioned. In the presence of the SAT GURU; Knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha); Sorrow diminishes (Dukha kshaya); Joy wells up without any reason (Sukha aavirbhava); Abundance dawns (Samriddhi); All talents manifest (Sarva samvardhan).
Mind is connected with the moon and full moon is a symbol of completion and pinnacle of celebration.
Among the12-13 full moons in a year the vaishakha full moon is dedicated to Buddha (his birth and enlightenment), jyeshtha full moon to mother earth and .
The aashadha full moon is dedicated to the memory of masters and
this is GURU - PURNIMA.
GURUPURNIMA is also called Vyasa PURNIMA. Vyasa is the embodiment of scriptural knowledge as well as experience. When a GURU or acharya delivers a talk, the seat is called Vyasa peetha.
Vyasa is familiar with every avenue of existence, both material and spiritual. There is a saying Vyaso chishtam jagat sarwam that means there is nothing under the sun that Vyasa has not touched upon.
As no sanchita karma is left in an embodied GURU, self shines through, which becomes very obvious in the presence of the GURU. But all those qualities that you appreciate in a GURU are also in your very nature.
Being with the GURU is like being with one's higher self. GURU, GOD AND ONE'S OWN SELF are synonymous.
Often one recognises wisdom but sees a gap between wisdom and one's own life. The purpose of becoming a disciple is to bridge that gap. Being with a GURU means spontaneous integration of life and wisdom. Respecting the GURU simply means honoring your innermost nature.
GURUPURNIMA is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and in the wakefulness he can't be but grateful. This gratitude is not of dwaita (you and me), but of advaita.
It is not a river moving from somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on GURU-PURNIMA symbolises that fullness.
The purpose of the GURU PURNIMA celebration is to turn back and review and see in this last one year
how much one has progressed in life. For a seeker, GURU PURNIMA is a day of significance.
It is the day to review one's progress on the spiritual path and renew one's determination and focus on the goal.
As the full moon rises and sets, tears of gratitude arise and repose into the vastness of one's own self.
Sarvey Gurudev Namah ll
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