Guru poornima or Buddha poornima

On Guru Pournami

This is a very special day for people following Vedic culture, Buddhism and Jainism and hence this special day is celebrated both in India and Nepal in a very special way – called as ‘Guru Poornima’.

When it is celebrated : The festival is celebrated on the full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July) of the Shaka Samvat, as it is known in the Hindu calendar of India and Nepal. This day marks the first peak of the lunar cycle after the peak of the solar cycle. And this year it falls today!

Significance : This was the day when Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa – author of the Mahabharata – was born to sage Parashara and a fisherman's daughter Satyavati; thus this day is also celebrated as Vyasa Purnima. Veda Vyasa did yeoman service to the cause of Vedic studies by gathering all the Vedic hymns extant during his times, dividing them into four parts based on their use in the sacrificial rites, and teaching them to his four chief disciples – Paila, Vaisampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu. It was this dividing and editing that earned him the honorific "Vyasa" (vyas = to edit, to divide). "He divided the Holy Veda into four, namely Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. The histories and the Puranas are said to be the fifth Veda." The seat of Guru is hence called as ‘Vyasa Peetam’ meaning ‘the seat of Vyasa’. It is believed that the ‘Guru’ is in the same lineage as ‘Guru Vyasa’ when he takes the seat of the Guru.

As per Hindu Mythology :

This is the day when Lord Shiva shared his knowledge with the ‘Saptarishis’ the Seven Rishis (Seers) and thus became the ‘Adiguru’ or the ‘First Guru’. This happened on the banks of the lake Kantisarovar, which stands a few kilometers above the Kedarnath Temple in the Himalayas. These Rishis then took the mantle of spreading the knowledge in the entire world.

As per Buddhism and Jainism : 

This is the day when in Sarnath, the great Gautama Buddha first gave his discourse to his ‘first five disciples’ after his enlightenment. 

And this is the day when Mahavira after attaining Kaivalya, made Indrabhuti Gautam, later known as Gautam Swami, a Ganadhara, his first disciple, thus becoming a Guru himself.

Thus, as per any culture or folklore, it is observed that this is the day when the ‘Guru’ initiated his ‘first students’ into his fold of knowledge.

...contd...... 

Beautiful song from the classic film 'Baiju bawra' hero Pradeep kumar's one of the classic movies....expresses beautifully the role of guru and his love for his student.........