Summary

Guru Poornima is celebrated in India as a day to honor and express gratitude to teachers and gurus, recognizing their role in dispelling the darkness of ignorance and guiding individuals towards wisdom and inner light.

Abstract

Guru Poornima, observed on the full moon day, is a significant festival in India that pays homage to the spiritual and academic teachers. It marks the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, the sage who authored the Mahabharata. The festival emphasizes the profound respect for gurus in Vedic culture, equating their unconditional love to that of a mother. The concept of a guru transcends the physical and is seen as an inner light and source of wisdom. Historically, gurus imparted Vedic knowledge in Gurukuls, where students lived and learned until their mid-twenties, offering Guru Dakshina in return. The article reflects on the story of Ekalavya, a dedicated student who, despite being rejected by Guru Drona, mastered archery and ultimately sacrificed his thumb as Guru Dakshina to honor his guru. The narrative contrasts past limitations in accessing gurus with the modern era, where technology allows for broader and instantaneous connections with teachers and wisdom. The article concludes by wishing a Happy Guru Poornima to those celebrating the enlightenment brought by gurus and promotes an AI service as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus.

Opinions

The author holds gurus in high regard, considering their role equivalent to divine beings and emphasizing the importance of their guidance in one's life.
There is a deep reverence for the traditional Gurukul system, where the bond between guru and student was profound and sacred.
The story of Ekalavya is presented as a poignant example of unwavering devotion and respect for one's guru, despite the harsh demand for his thumb.
The author suggests that contemporary gurus are likely to be more compassionate and accessible than those in ancient times.
The author believes that the advent of technology has democratized access to knowledge and gurus, making it available to all who seek it.
The author endorses an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a valuable and economical tool for those interested in AI capabilities similar to ChatGPT Plus.

VEDIC CULTURE

Why is GURU-POORNIMA so Popular in India?

Guru Poornima- A Time To Celebrate The Inner Light

Today on the 3rd of July 2023 we are celebrating Guru Poornima in India. This day is a thanksgiving day to our respected Teachers and Gurus. Guru Poornima comes on full moon days and is considered the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, The Sage, and Guru who wrote the Epic Mahabharat. I am using this opportunity to offer my humble obeisance to all my Teachers and my Beloved Guru for showing me the light of wisdom through words.

In a famous couplet, Sant Kabir, the mystical poet observes, on any day if Guru and God appear simultaneously in front of him, he will first pay his obeisance to his Guru. Such is the reverence given to Gurus in our ancient Vedic culture. The Love of a Guru is unconditional and is equivalent to a Mother’s love!

Guru is a Sanskrit word that is a combination of two words Gu and Ru.

Gu means the darkness of ignorance.

Ru means dispeller.

Guru is that entity who is the dispeller of Ignorance.

Guru is not the person who appears with a physical torch, He is the inner light, the wisdom within!

Guru can be anyone. In this age of technology, Guru can connect to us easily and instantly.

Whoever wants to learn Guru is present in his life at any moment.

The situation was very different in olden days.

Guru’s wisdom was available only to a selected few!

Young boys at a certain age between 8 to 10 were sent to Gurukul, the home of the Guru for learning. There they lived with their Guru as celibate students learning all kinds of Vedic wisdom and life skills up to the age of 25. Guru considered these young students as his children, and in turn, the students regarded their Guru as the highest authority in their life. They would use all skills learned from Gurukul to fulfill the wishes of their Guru.

No formal fees were paid to the Gurus. After education, the Shishyas (students) offered Guru Dakshina according to their capacity and strength. Gurudakshina is the donation offered to a Guru by his Shishyas. It can sometimes be as huge as an empire or whatever comes in the fancy of a Guru. Those days only the rich Princes from royal families went to a Gurukul. Common people couldn’t afford to be tutored by a noble Guru.

The story of Ekalavya in the epic of Mahabharat is very touching and one remembers him as the finest example of a great Shishya. Dronacharya was the royal and renowned Guru who taught The Pandavas and Kauravas, who were the young princes of Hastinapura. No one could beat the young princes in their archery skills. Ekalavya, the young Nishada Prince secretly longed to be the Shishya of Drona. But he was refused by the royal guru Drona because he was a forest dweller and hence not eligible for the royal tutelage. Ekalavya nevertheless wouldn’t quit. He made a statue of Guru Drona in the forest and practiced archery by himself in front of this statue. Soon he became as competent as Arjuna, the unbeatable archer who was a beloved student of Drona. Like a shadow, Ekalavya followed Drona and the princes.

One day while following his Guru in the forest Ekalavya observed a dog barking constantly and disturbing his guru and disciples. He quietly filled the open mouth of the dog with arrows so that he cannot bark. Upon finding this dog Drona wondered, who must be the talented archer who could accomplish such a masterstroke. Even Arjun couldn’t stop the dog from barking with his skill.

Now Ekalavya appeared in front of Drona and bowed his head. Drona realized the whole story of Ekalavya the shadow student who learned archery skills from him only. But he cannot accept that anyone could be greater than his beloved Arjun. He somehow needed to stop Ekalavya from becoming more potent than Arjun. The wilful guru demanded the right thumb of Ekalavya as Gurudakshina. Ekalavya was delighted to present anything to his beloved Guru and happily chopped off his right thumb for his guru as Dakshina. The story of Ekalavya looms large on every GuruPoornima day as the greatest example of a Shishya who humbled his Guru with his devotion. This is a very touching story in the epic of Mahabharat!

Well, we have evolved and I suppose present-day Gurus are different and more compassionate.

Lucky are the ones who found a Guru and live under His protective Grace even today!

It is said, ‘The Guru appears when the Shishya is ready ‘!

Happy Guru Poornima to everyone who is celebrating the light and wisdom of Gurus today!