Why we need to make Guru ?

Experience is the best teacher; says many but would it be possible for all of us to experience so many things around us. The answer would be certainly no. So what should we do to understand and have the knowledge of the world easily and promptly. The best and possible way is as said in the Upanishads and Vedas as well as in ancient granthas ( books ) : make guru.

Meaning of Guru Purnima and Why is it Celebrated ?

A festival of celebration of devotion, puja, thankfulness, and love for the priceless teaching of Guru is called Guru Purnima. It falls in the month of Ashadh of Hindu calendar. As the name itself says, it is a full moon day. The word Guru is made of ‘Gu’ and ‘ru’. ‘Gu’ means ignorance or the inability to discriminate between good and evil, right and wrong; and sin and religious merit: punya. ‘Ru’ means one who removes the layers of ignorance and provides knowledge; Satvidhya. Thus the word Guru means one who enlightens and shows the real path of ultimate pleasure ; Parmanand  or ultimate freedom ; Moksha. Here Guru means a bridge over the long river of greed, lust, ignorance and social bounding. The bridge leads one to the ultimate truth of life. Guru removes the dense darkness of ignorance, frees from clutches of greed and lust and shows the way to freedom of soul. As Sanskrit verse says; ” सा विद्या विमुक्तेः ” ||

Guru Purnima is also Known as Vyas Purnima. Vyas Purnima is celebrated in worshipping Guru Ved Vyas. His parents were Parashar  Rishi and Matsyagandha. Ved Vyas is remembered on this day because he had taken on the great task of actually classifying the Vedas as – Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Athrvaveda.His name Vyasa itself means to edit, to divide or arrange in a way to have the core meaning in less words. In ancient times, people passed on the Vedas from one generation to the next by word of mouth, but Ved Vyas collected them so that they could be read. He also wrote the Mahabharat and Shrimad Bhagwat. Since he provided the world with such great knowledge, he is known as the original Guru of Hindu Dharma.

गुरुर्ब्रम्हा गुरुर्विष्णु: गुरुर्देवो महेश्वर: l

गुरू साक्षात परं ब्रम्ह तस्मै श्री गुरुवे नमः ll

It means that the Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv and through him God, or Parabrahma is present. This shloka shows the importance of a Guru in our lives. It is only through a Guru that we can reach God.

From the very early time of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna there was a parampara/ tradition of choosing a guru. Going with him in his abode, mostly in forest as near to nature as possible, so that nature itself would help to have the goodh rahasya, the secret knowledge.

Guru Of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna

Lord Rama and Lord Krishna were also disciples of great gurus. This shows the important of having a guru in this world. Rama was the disciple of Sage Vasistha, an incarnation of Lord Brahma himself. Lord Krishna was the disciple of Sage Sandipani. Both Rama and Krishna were omniscient even though they acquired/ learned at the ashrama, abode of the Sage.

Guru Drona: Guru of Great archer Eklavya

A great archer of the time of Mahabharata Eklavya had made an idol when he was denied to be made a disciple by Guru Drona. He worshipped his idol in the early morning when he was ready to learn archery. Only the idol inspired him so much that he became a great archer possibly more powerful than Arjun. Guru Drona when came to know about this he asked dakshina, a gift given at the end of one’s learning. Guru asked his right thumb so that he could no longer practice archery. However, to Drona’s great surprise Eklavya cut his thumb without waiting for a second. This was the real dakshina. This incident made him one of the renowned archers and a great disciple of Guru Drona.

 Story of Chandra Gupt Maurya and Guru Vishnu Gupt Chanakya

The story of Chandraguta Maurya and Chanakya also shows what a guru can do. Chanakya when banished from Pataliputra by King Nanda he declared that he would banish him from his own state. Chankya searched for the best and possible disciple. He found Chandragupta and several boys playing a drama. Chandragupta was playing the role of a king. Chanakya went to him and asked,” Would you honor me with a gift?” Chandragupta said,” I give you these gazing cows.” Chanakya knew that the cows were not his so he asked,” You are giving me these cows but I know that these cows do not belong to you and if the actual owner will come and ask for his cows what would I do.” Chandragupta replied,” You can never be an owner of things if you are afraid of protecting them or cannot protect them.” This made Chnankya believe that this boy could do his work. Later on Chandragupta won Pataliputra. Here the ability of Chanakya and Chandragupta when unified into one as guru and shishya (disciple) worked wonder.

Astrologer Mrityunjai Ojha