e-book

GURU Purnima

By

Tamarapu Sampath Kumaran

About the Author: Mr T Sampath Kumaran is a freelance writer. He regularly contributes articles on Management, Business, Ancient Temples, and Temple Architecture to many leading Dailies and Magazines. His articles are popular in The Young World section of THE HINDU His e-books on nature, environment and different cultures of people around the world are educative and of special interest to the young. His e-books Guide to 108 Divya Desams, Guide to 275 Siva Sthalams, The Path of Ramanuja, Guide to Kancheepuram and Hinduism in a nutshell have been well received in the religious circle. He was associated in the renovation and production of two Documentary films on Nava Tirupathi Temples, and Tirukkurungudi Temple in Tamilnadu.

Acknowledgement: I wish to express my gratitude to the authors from whose works I gathered the details for this book, and Courtesy, Google for some of the photographs. Special thanks to www.scribd.com for hosting my e-books.

Guru is a Sanskrit term for "teacher" or "master", according to

Hindu religion. The Guru-shisya tradition is the religious doctrine transmitted from teacher to student. Guru is a preceptor giving personal religious instructions. Guru is a leader, an intellectual or a spiritual guide. Any person who counsels or advises and a mentor is also being referred as Guru. The word guru is derived from two words, 'Gu' and 'Ru' . The Sanskrit root "Gu" means darkness or ignorance. "Ru" denotes the remover of that darkness. Therefore one who removes darkness of our ignorance is a Guru. The syllable GU means shadows the syllable ru, he who disperses them, Because of the power to disperse darkness the guru is thus named. Advayataraka Upanishad- 14-18, verse 5 'Guru' in India, holds a supreme significance. Guru is a person with revered personality, who by his teachings enlightens us. He introduces us to the vast world of knowledge and shuns our ignorance. He teaches us, he guides us; he protects us from all sorts of dangers and sins. Perhaps, that's the reason why Kabir in one of his songs says, that if God and Guru stand side by side, the first adoration and worship should be offered to Guru and then to God. This is because through Guru we can recognise and realize the significance of God. Skanda Purana glorifies the Guru: Gurubrahma Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwaraha | Guruhu sakshaat Parambrahman tasmai Shrigurave namaha ||

"The guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara (Siva), veneration to the Guru who is Parabrahman manifest." Guru becomes Parabrahman - God, rather he is venerated as if God is manifesting through him. This is subtly illustrated by another famous verse known to all Hindus: Guru Govind donu khade, kisko laagu paay, Balihari Gurudevaki jinhe Govind diyo bataay. The Guru and Govind -God, are present before me, to whom shall I bow down first? Glory to the Guru since he showed me Govind. Guru is not a physical form. Guru is energy, the medium through which jnana or knowledge flows to the sishya or disciple. Guru literally carries the sishya on the journey of evolution. He is a mirror that will show you, your true self and helps you elevate yourself, provided you want to rise. The first sign of a guru is vairagya or detachment. As soon as you come in the proximity of your guru, you experience the same vairagya within -- an indication that you are in the right place.

According to Sage Patanjali. Guru possesses phenomenal energy, radiance and attraction associated with yoga. A sishya experiences this glow and attraction in the gurus company and feels good. Just like a surya sadhak exudes the brilliance of sun, similarly a sishya radiates the glow and attraction of his guru. As you focus on the guru, gradually you start acquiring his qualities and after some time your form starts resembling that of your guru. So you need to be sure of what you follow, because you eventually become what you follow. The Sanskrit root "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. In modern times the meaning of "guru" has been used to cover anyone who acquires followers, 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." In essence, one can only attain salvation by serving the satpurush. Treading the path to God-realization by one's own efforts is likened by the Katha Upanishad as walking on a razor's edge.

Adi Shankaracharya echoes a similar injunction: "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, 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.

The importance of finding a guru who can impart transcendental knowledge (vidy) is emphasised in Hinduism. One of the main Hindu texts, the Bhagavad Gita, is a dialogue between God in the form of Krishna and his friend Arjuna, (a Kshatriya prince of Pandavas) who accepts Krishna as his guru on the battlefield, prior to a large battle. Not only does this dialogue outline many of the ideals of Hinduism, but their relationship is considered an ideal one of Guru-Shishya (Teacher and student). In the Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna of the importance of finding a guru: Acquire the transcendental knowledge from a Self-realized master by humble reverence, by sincere inquiry, and by service. The wise ones who have realized the Truth will impart the Knowledge to you. The role of the guru continues in the original sense of the word in such Hindu traditions as the Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and Bhakti schools. Indeed, it is now a standard part of Hinduism that a guru is one's spiritual guide on earth. In some more mystical traditions it is believed that the guru could awaken dormant spiritual knowledge within the pupil. The act of doing this is known as Shaktipat. In Hinduism, the guru is considered a respected person with saintly qualities who enlightens the mind of his or her disciple, an educator from whom one receives the initiatory mantra, and one who instructs in rituals and religious ceremonies. The Vishnu Smriti and Manu Smriti regard the teacher and the mother and father as the most venerable influences on an individual.

In Indian culture, a person without a guru or an Acharya (teacher)) was once looked down on as an orphan or unfortunate one. The word anatha in Sanskrit

means "the one without a teacher." An acharya is the giver of gyan (knowledge) in the form of shiksha (instruction). A guru also gives diksha (initiation) which is the spiritual awakening of the disciple by the grace of the guru. Diksha is also considered to be the procedure of bestowing the divine powers of a guru upon the disciple, through which the disciple progresses continuously along the path to divinity. The concept of the "guru" can be traced as far back as the early Upanishads, where the idea of the Divine Teacher on earth first manifested from its early Brahmin associations. One must not rush into making a guru; you have to be absolutely sure. Because once you call somebody your guru, you must walk the path shown by him with full faith and devotion. Anything less, any doubt or change of path thereafter amounts to disrespect of the energy of guru. The journey, which begins when you meet your guru, requires continuous and dedicated practice which when followed as niyama culminates into yoga. The guru-shishya tradition is the transmission of teachings from a guru. In this relationship, subtle and advanced knowledge is conveyed and received through the student's respect, commitment, devotion and obedience. The student eventually masters the knowledge that the guru embodies. The dialogue between guru and disciple is a fundamental component of Hinduism, established in the oral traditions of the Upanishads (c. 2000 BC). The term Upanishad derives from the Sanskrit words upa (near), ni (down) and ad (to sit) "sitting down near" a spiritual teacher to receive instruction. In the Upanishads, the guru-disciple relationship appears in many settings (a husband answers a wife's questions about immortality; a teenage boy is taught by Yama, who is Death personified, etc.) In the Vedas, the brahmavidya or knowledge of Brahma is communicated from guru to shishya orally. Knowledge was not regarded as a universal right, as it often is today. Access to knowledge via the guru was the privilege of a very small minority. It was the norm to transmit knowledge in the erudite language of Sanskrit without translation. Mastery of Sanskrit was therefore essential. What was taught by guru was the universal reality of Brahman, but access to this knowledge was highly restricted. Ultimate knowledge was founded on the Veda, and the guru followed the instruction of the texts. According to Brahma Puranam Guru is the God. Guru is Siva sans his three eyes, Vishnu sans his four arms Brahma sans his four heads.

He is parama Siva himself in human form" The Upanishads have profoundly underlined the role of the guru. Mundak Upanishad says to realize the supreme godhead holding samidha grass in his hands one should surrender himself before the guru who knows the secrets of Vedas. Kathopanishad too speaks of the guru as the preceptor who alone can guide the disciple on the spiritual path. Over time the guru's syllabus gradually enlarged incorporating more secular and temporal subjects related to human endeavor and intellect. Apart from usual spiritual works his sphere of instruction now included subjects like Dhanurvidya (archery), Arthashastra (economics) and even Natyashastra (dramatics) and Kamashastra (sexology). Such was the ingenuity of the all pervading intellect of the ancient Acharyas that they perpetuated even shastra like thievery. Shudraka's celebrated play Mricchakatikam tells the story of Acharya Kanakashakti who formulated the Chaurya Shastra, or the science of thievery, which was further developed by the gurus like Brahmanyadeva, Devavrata and Bhaskarnandin. Hermitages turn to Universities

Gradually the institution of Gurukula or in-foresthermitage, where disciples learnt at the feet of guru for long years was evolved. The great urban universities at Takshashila, Vikramashila and Nalanda essentially evolved from these tiny gurukulas tucked away in deep woods. The records of Chinese travellers who visited Nalanda at that time, confirm that there were more than 1,500 teachers teaching various subjects to more than 10,000 students and monks.

Interesting Legends of Guru and Disciple

There were gurus as well as disciples of different hues to whom references were made in scriptures and literary works. The most popular legend is that of the amazing young tribal boy Ekalavya on being rejected by the ace trainer Dronacharya, raised his statue and with great dedication practised the art of archery and left behind Arjuna, the master archer, who actually learnt the art under the living guru. And the heartless guru asked for his thumb as gurudakshina or fees, and made him inferior before his royal disciple. In the Chandogya Upanishad, we meet an aspiring disciple Satyakama, who refuses to tell lies about his caste in order to get an admission in the gurukula of Acharya Haridrumat Gautam.

And in the Mahabharatha we come across Karna who did not bat an eyelid while telling Parashurama that he belonged to the Bhrigu Brahmin caste just to obtain the Brahmastra, the supreme weapon. Guru Purnima is a festival traditionally celebrated by Hindus and Bhuddists. So Guru is most necessary part of lives. On this day, disciples offer puja (worship) or pay respect to their Guru (Spiritual Guide). It falls on the day of full moon (Pournami)., in the

month of Ashad (JuneJuly) of the Shaka samvat of the ,Hindu calander. Traditionally the festival is celebrated by Buddhists in honor of lord Buddha who gave His first sermon on this day at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh. While Hindus celebrate it in honour of the great sage Vyasa, who is seen as one of the greatest gurus in ancient Hindu traditions, and a symbol of the Guru-shisya. Vyasa was not only believed to have been born on this day, but also to have started writing the Brahma sutras on ashadha sudha padyami which ends on this day, hence their recitations as a dedication to him, are organised on this day, which is also known as Vyasa Purnima.

The festival is common to all spiritual traditions in Hinduism, where it is dedicated to the expression of gratitude towards the teacher by his/her disciple. Hindu scetics and monks (sanyasins), observe this day by offering puja to the Guru, during the Chaturmasya, a four month period during the rainy season, when they choose seclusion, and halt at one selected place; some also give discourses to the local public. Students of the Indian Classical music, which follows the Guru shishya parampara, celebrate this festival, around the world. This was the day, when Vyasa author of the Mahabharata was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati, and hence this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima. Veda Vyasa, during his time gathered all the Vedic hymns, and divided them into four parts Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva veda,based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and taught them to his four chief disciples Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumanthu, and this dividing and editing earned him the Honorific "Vyasa" (vyas : to edit, to divide). The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda." This day is of deep significance to the farmers, for it heralds the setting in of the muchneeded rains, as the advent of cool showers usher in fresh life in the fields. It is a good time to begin your spiritual lessons. Traditionally, spiritual seekers commence to intensify their spiritual 'sadhana' from this day.

Swami Sivananda comments: "Do you realize now the sacred significance and the supreme importance of the Guru's role in the evolution of man? It was not without reason that the India of the past carefully tended and kept alive the lamp of Guru-Tattva. 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. For, the true Indian knows that the Guru is the only guarantee for the individual to transcend the bondage of sorrow and death, and experience the Consciousness of the Reality." There are also some who draw their inspiration from a symbol, which for them is the representation of the guru. RSS followers consider that for them the saffron flag is the guru. "We hoist this flag at our offices and allow people to pay their respects and offerings to it. This symbol was given to us by our founder Guruji Golwalkar. This ensures that the one who is considered to be the guru is kept free of human fallacies. . Observances by Hindus, Bhuddists and Jains.

Buddhists observe on this day Uposatha i.e. to observe eight precepts. Vipasana meditators practice meditation on this day under the guidance of their teachers. Rainy

According to the Jain traditions, it was on this day, falling at the beginning of chaturmas, the four month rainy season retreat, Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara, after attaining Kaivalya, made Indrabhuti Gautam, later known as Gautam swami, a Ganadhara, his first disciple, thus becoming a Guru himself, therefore it is observed in Jainism as Guru Purnima, and is marked special veneration to one's Gurus and teachers.