GURU (VyAsa) POORNIMA

 Significance of GURU

श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः

Sri Gurubhyo Namah

Aashaada Sukla Pournami also called Guru Poornima is celebrated across the country as Vyasa Poornima in the name of Sage Sri VedaVyasa, the divine literary incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

This day (Aashaada Sukla Pournami) is celebrated as Guru Poornima, symbolically honouring and respecting Gurus and teachers who have taught us the Vidya.

It is believed that, Sage Sri VedaVyasaru was born on this day of Pournami in the Lunar month of Aashada. Vaisakha Sukla Trayodasi is also reckoned as Sri Vedavyasa Jayanti.

It is also said to be the day Sri VedaVyasa had commenced his work on Brahma-Suuthras.

Regarded as the Aadi Guru, greatest of all Gurus, a Guru of Gurus He is adored even today by one and all and whose powers and knowledge are unsurpassed.

Though Chaturmasa starts for general public from Hari Sayani Ekadasi, traditionally, Ascetics start their Chaturmasa Deeksha from this day of Guru Poornima. Perhaps, it is considered as the Avatara day of the great sage Sri VedaVyasa an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Festival season starts with Guru Vandana on Guru Pournami day and in Hindu philosophy, Guru (Aachaarya) occupies third position in the quartet of

मातृ देवो भव | पितृ देवो भव | आचार्य देवो भव | अतिथि देवो भव |

(Taittiriya Upanishad, 1.11.2)

Hindu philosophy confers paramount importance to spiritual gurus. “Gu” means darkness and “Ru” is its remover. GURU means the one who removes darkness; the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance.

He is the teacher who removes the fundamental ignorance that hides the knowledge of truth (Yathartha Jnaana) from us.

Gurus are always regarded as a link between an individual and the Immortal. It is not possible for everyone to communicate with God. The divine message is communicated only through the voice of such divine and noble souls who keeps taking birth on this earth time and again.

A true Guru is a transmitting medium, a transporting agent and a transparent embodiment of the divine grace and compassion.

It is said that he alone is the true teacher who is illumined by the light of true knowledge.

There is nothing that a true Guru cannot bestow on his disciples. If we surrender absolutely without any reservation, he will save us from all sorrow and show us the way to salvation.

Through various teachings and practices he helps an individual to progress from the human to the divine consciousness.

It was not without reason that India of the past carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of GuruTattva. It is therefore not without reason that India, year after year, age after age, commemorates anew this ancient concept of the Guru, adores it and pays homage to it again and again, and thereby re-affirms its belief and allegiance to it.

Distinguished Gurus like VedaVyasa are responsible for the unassailable and grand Hindu Philosophy, civilization and culture ie. Bhaarateeya Samskriti.

Hindu heritage and culture would be indebted to this illustrious Sage Sri VedaVyasa forever.

Perhaps the most befitting way to pay our respects and obeisance to this great legendary divine Sage would be, by living according to his ideals and propagating his noble and divine works.

व्यासाय विष्णुरूपाय व्यासरूपाय विष्णवे ।

नमो वै ब्रह्मनिधये वासिष्ठाय नमो नमः ॥

My repeated salutations are to Vyasa

who is a form of Lord Vishnu and to,

Vishnu who is a form of Vyasa,

who is a descendent of sage Vasishta,

who is a treasure of Brahman;

कृष्णं वन्दॆ जगद्गुरुम् - ಕೃಷ್ಣಂ ವಂದೇ ಜಗದ್ಗುರುಂ

Can there be a better teacher than Sri KrusHna ParamaAtma & better teaching than BhagawAdGita ?

Can there be a better GURU than ParamaAtma who is called as... "guruHgurutaMo dHaAmah... (Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stothram sloka #23);

He is not only a Guru but a Guru of Gurus'- the Universal Guru, the best among the best Gurus (gurutaMaH) whether it is...

HayaGreeva,

Kapila Bhagavantha,

Sri Rama,

Sri Krishna,

DattaAtreya,

VedaVyasa, etc.

in all forms the Supreme God Vishnu has played the role of a Guru even for BraHmaAdi Devatas and who is a Shelter/Aashraya (Dhaama) for one and all in this Universe.

Lord Shiva as Dakshinamurthy is a divine preceptor, spiritual guide to IndraAdi DEvatas.

ವಸುದೇವಸುತಂ ದೇವಂ ಕಂಸಚಾಣೂರಮರ್ದನಂ

ದೇವಕಿ ಪರಮಾನಂದಂ ಕೃಷ್ಣಂ ವಂದೇ ಜಗದ್ಗುರುಂ

वसुदॆव सुतं दॆवं कंस चाणूर मर्दनम् ।

दॆवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दॆ जगद्गुरुम् ॥

vasudeva sutaṁ devaṁ kaṁsa cāṇūramardanam |

devakī paramānandaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ vande jagadgurum ||

harirEva parO

कुरु भुंक्ष्व च कर्म निजं नियतं हरिपाद विनम्रधिया सततं |

हरिरेव परो हरिरेव गुरुः हरिरेव जगत् पितृमातृगतिः ||

ಕುರು ಭುಂಕ್ಷ್ವ ಚ ಕರ್ಮ ನಿಜಂ ನಿಯತಂ ಹರಿಪಾದ ವಿನಮ್ರಧಿಯಾ ಸತತಂ |

ಹರಿರೇವ ಪರೋ ಹರಿರೇವ ಗುರುಃ ಹರಿರೇವ ಜಗತ್ ಪಿತೃಮಾತೃಗತಿಃ ||

kuru bhuMkShva cha karma nijaM niyataM haripAda vinamradhiyA satataM |

harirEva parO harirEva guruH harirEva jagat pitRumAtRugatiH ||

(Dwaadasa Stotra)

Hari is the Supreme Being, Hari is the father and mother, Hari is the teacher (GURU) and Hari alone is the final support for the souls.

Therefore, do your prescribed duties always with reverence to the feet of the Lord. Accept the fruits there-of also with the same submission to His will.

The Creator is the father as he brings the souls into being as embodied beings. He is also the mother as He maintains their existence in the world. He is the Gathi or final destination for the souls after their sojourn in the world. He is the source of all knowledge as without Him, none of the Indriyas will exist (including the mind). प्रीणयामो वासुदेवम्

ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಾಂತಾ ಗುರವಃ ಸಾಕ್ಷಾದಿಷ್ಟಂ ದೈವಂ ಶ್ರಿಯಃಪತಿಃ

ಆಚಾರ್ಯಾಃ ಶ್ರೀಮದಾಚಾರ್ಯಾಃ ಸಂತು ಮೇ ಜನ್ಮಜನ್ಮನಿ

ब्रह्मांता गुरवः साक्षादिष्टं दैवं श्रियःपतिः

आचार्याः श्रीमदाचार्याः संतु मे जन्मजन्मनि

[Let Aachaarya Sri Madhva (Aanandatheertharu) be my Guru in every birth]

न माधवसमो देवो न च मध्वसमो गुरुः

न तद्वाक्यसमम् शास्त्रम् स च तज्ञसमः पुमान् ॥

ನ ಮಾಧವಸಮೋ ದೇವೋ ನ ಚ ಮಧ್ವಸಮೋ ಗುರುಃ

ನ ತದ್ವಾಕ್ಯಸಮಮ್ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಮ್ ಸ ಚ ತಜ್ಞಸಮಃ ಪುಮಾನ್ ||

na mAdhavasamo devo na cha madhvasamo guruH | na tadvAkyasamaM shAstraM na cha tajj~nasamaH pumAn.h ||

[There is no God equivalent to Madhava (Lord Vishnu) and there is no Guru equivalent to Madhvachaarya the preceptor of Madhva Siddhantha]

ಆಪಾದಮೌಲಿ ಪರ್ಯಂತಂ ಗುರೂಣಾಂ ಆಕೃತಿಂ ಸ್ಮರೇತ್

ತೇನ ವಿಘ್ನಾಃ ಪ್ರಣಶ್ಯಂತಿ ಸಿಧ್ಧ್ಯಂತಿ ಚ ಮನೋರಥಾಃ ||

आपादमौलि पर्यंतं गुरूणां आकृतिं स्मरेत्

तेन विघ्नाः प्रणश्यंति सिध्ध्यंति च मनोरथाः ||

āpādamauli paryaṃtaṃ gurūṇāṃ ākṛtiṃ smaret

tena vighnāḥ praṇaśyaṃti sidhdhyaṃti ca manorathāḥ ||

(Right from toe to top Guru's form should be meditated upon gradually; as a result, all obstacles would be wiped out and ones’ wants be fulfilled)

Concentration should first be set on Guru's feet so that His gracious looks should be cast upon your head as a result of which Jnaana or wisdom flows into your head. From the feet, stomach, chest, hands, besides the dress and ornaments worn by Him should be meditated upon.

Hindu religion has produced several prominent saints and philosophers, Gurus, in the post era of Lord Sri Krishna, out of which three great spiritual personalities are in the forefront. They are Sri Aadi Sankaracharya who advocated Advaita Philosophy, Sri Ramanujaacharya who advocated Visishtaadvaita philosophy and Sri Madhvacharya who advocated Dvaita Philosophy.

All the three are together known as the trinity of Aacharyas. These three great Saints who have taken the glory of Hindu spirituality to new heights have left a marked influence on the Hindu religion with their doctrines.

For more insights, please continue read/share/download from...

https://archive.org/details/guru-vyasa-poornima-a-note-on-significance-of-guru

naham karta harih karta

Hari Sarvottama - Vaayu Jeevottama

Sri GuruRaajo Vijayate