Guru Poornima: Meaning and Significance

The Guru is the teacher who removes the fundamental ignorance, which hides the knowledge of this truth form us. The poornima or the full moon day has been fixed for revering him, for, the effect of the knowledge is to put an end to scorching agony and to shed cool comfort on the mind of man. Vyasa is reversed as Narayana Himself, for who but God can inspire such illumination?


Guru Poornima is a sacred day. It is the day when we honour Sage Vyasa, who gave mankind the precious gem of Saguna worship (worship of God with Form) and the hope and assurance that Manava (man) can become Madhava (God), that Nara can become Narayana, that Jeeva can become Brahman or rather that Jeeva (individual soul) is Brahman (Universal soul).


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.


Guru poornima is sacred for many reasons. This day, the seeker who suffers from identification with the false objective world is initiated into the reality of the ‘Unseen Motivator’ within him. This day, those who have no urge to tread the spiritual path are inspired to seek the bliss which that path will confer; and aspirants are helped to achieve the consciousness of the One; which is known by many names and though many forms, in various languages and land. With the rise of sun, the world is bathed in light and heat. So too, the oncoming of Guru Poornima, the human heart is bathed in peace and security. Guru poornima is not just one day in the year, marked out in the calendar. It is all days when the mind of man becomes full of pleasant wholeness, fully illumined with the light from the moon.


One thing which we must resolve to follow, this day, Guru Poornima (the full Moon day dedicated to the Divine preceptor). Do not seek to find fault in others, give up Paradushana and Parahimsa (maligning and injuring others); do not scandalise any one, do not feel envy or malice. Be always sweet in temperament, in talk. Fill your conversation with devotion and humility.


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.


There is a saying that "It is good to be born in Church; but, it is not good, to die in it". That is to say, before life ends one must go beyond the limits set by institutionalised religion and reach the vast limitless expanse of the Atman, which pervades all.

Today’s festival is called Guru Poornima It is a name full of meaning. Poornima means, the effulgent full moon. Guru means (Gu- ignorance, Ru-destroyer) he, who removes the darkness and delusion from the heart and illumines it with the higher wisdom.

There is no guru other than the one divine as along as you consider yourself as a disciple. But when you realise that you are the embodiment of the Atma, you become you own Guru.

What is real Guru Poornima day?

Is it simply the full moon day in the month of Aashaada (4th month in the Telugu Calendar)? This is the common view. But the great ones have given other meanings to it. One meaning is that it was on this day Vyasa began writing the Brahma Sutra. It was also on this day that the Buddha attained enlightenment and taught his disciples, "All is sorrow All is transient; All is void". For these reasons, the day is known as Guru poornima. 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 not the offering of pada puja to some guru and obtaining a mantra from him. One should resolve today to turn his thoughts to God; to strive for the purification of his heart and to seek self-realisation.

There is only one guru. He is God. That Guru is within you. You are seeking the guru all over the world. Your qualities are in you in the form of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara and can protect you, elevate you or ruin you. when you act righteously and pursue the right path, they will protect you by their divine potency.

Significance of Guru Poornima:

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 symbolises 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. The true Guru is in our heart. Purify the heart to let the Divinity dwell in it. Guru poornima is an occasion for cleaning the mind to make it absolutely pure. What does Poornima (full-moon) signify? It signifies wholeness. When the mind is filled with love, it achieves fullness.

Happy Guru Poornima