Guru Purnima is celebrated in the fourth month of lunar calendar Ashada on the full moon. This date is dedicated to the teachers who showed us the path to the inner world. It is very difficult to find some one who is interested in the meta physical science. Even if we are interested it is even more difficult to find a Guru who can show us the right path. The path should free us from confusion, darkness and repeated coming and going to freedom, bliss, illumination and liberation. A combination of individual effort, Guru’s guidance and God’s Grace are needed for a success in our journey.
The Skanada Purana give the definition of Guru. Gukaro andhakaro hi rukara teja ucchyate.
Gu means darkness. Ru means light. The indweller of all, the inner Guru, the all-pervading principle is beyond all darkness is Light of all Lights. He is called as Vasudeva as He is indweller of all and is Light of all Lights – the Cosmic Light.
To introduce Him to us we need an external teacher who is called as Guru and through that external Guru alone we are able to meet our inner Guru. We come across many teachers in the world talking about the material science. But we rarely come across the teacher who talks about the inner science.
The Sakanda Purana says atma jnana pradanena tasmai shri Gurave namaha – our salutations to the one who has introduced us to the (Apnoti iti atma -One who pervades everywhere is Atma).
The Svetasvatara Upanishad says
yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau tasyaite kathitā hy arthāḥ prakashante mahatmanaha prakashante mahatmanah ||
Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed and he also becomes great.
In Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishna tell Arjuna if we come across anyone with special skills especially the knowledge of the inner science, there is a Grace of His Grace manifesting through him.
yad yad vibhutimat sattvam srimad urjitam eva va
tat tad evavagaccha tvam mama tejo-‘msa-sambhavam || 10.41 ||
Know that all beautiful, glorious, and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendour.
We have to offer our respects to such a teacher who shows the path to our Inner Guru for our inner Freedom. This is a Tapas as mentioned by Shri Krishna and without this one cannot come out of inner darkness.
deva-dvija-guru-prajna-pujanam saucam arjavam
brahmacaryam ahimsa ca sariram tapa ucyate || 17.14 ||
The austerity of the body consists in this: worship of the Supreme Lord, the brahmanas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother. Cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence are also austerities of the body.
The Mundakoanishad says by tuning the mind to the realised master we can accomplish the goal of our life.
yam yam lokam manasaa samvibhaati vishudda satvaha kaamayate yaamscha kaamaantam tam lokam jayate taamscha kaamaan tasmat aatmajnam hyarchayet bhootikaamaha || 3-10 ||
Whatever sphere the man of purified nature desires, whatever objects he fixes his heart upon, he obtains those world and those objects. Therefore, he who is desirous of prosperity should honour the man of Self-realization.
Guru Purnima is a special occasion to remember and pay our respects to our external Guru who out of compassion showed us the path to our inner Guru.
– Rajendra Yenkannamoole
