Gurupurnima: its significance

Gurupurnima and its Significance
- Betendra Kumar Dahal
betendra49@gmail.com

Gurupurnima is known as the full moon day of the month of Ashadh (Ashad Sukla Paksha) of every year. Guru (teacher) is regarded as the topmost portfolio in our culture. We feel great to the gurus more than our parents. Gurus make the pupils light the world which are suffered as the darkness similar to the system of moon reflecting the sun light. Hence, gurus have the functions/roles to link soul to heaven as the bridge.
Gurus (teachers) are always respectful and respected by their pupils. But the way and context is seen varied. October 5 is dated as the World Teacher's Day in the western cultural where Hindus celebrate Gurupurnima on the full moon day of Ashad. This year Gurupurnima has fallen on 25th Ashad according to the Nepali Calendar. This day has been celebrated remembering the teachers of own as this was the same day when Gur Byas was born in. It is believed that Guru Byas wrote four Vedas, eighteen Purana, Mahabharata, and Shrimad Bhagawat Gita. He is also known as the guru of Dattatraya, guru of gurus.
On the day of Gurupurnima, all the Hindu followers worship guru Byas along with their gurus (parents, teachers, and so on) with due respect. In Hindu culture, this day is taken as appropriate to learn any tantras, mantras and meditations. It is believed that in an era, all the rishi-munis assembled and began to learn what was in the holy books. It is the period of enjoying after plantation of paddy where there is the beginning of rainy seasons. The beauty of natural sceneries depicts the excited appearances among the ordinary people, too.
Etymologically, the term 'guru' has been taken from the Sanskrit language in which 'gu' means 'darkness' and 'ru' means the light to break such darkness. Thus, 'guru' is defined as such superior persons who bow the seed of knowledge as the light in the blank darken life. That's why, it can be said that 'gurus' are only those who can identify us about to be us by avoiding selfness, rage, and other matters which led to form darkness in our life. In such ways, gurus are elevated as the powerful god themselves and it is impossible to imagine the knowledge without gurus.
In ancient time, the system of getting knowledge from devoting to the gurus (i.e. called gurukul system) was prevalent. In gurukul system of education there was the tradition to serve the gurus while getting education/knowledge. Nowadays, the world has been changed in various dimensions; the system of providing and acquiring education becomes modernized but the significance of gurus has not been lessened. Either in schools, colleges, universities or in any art institutions there is the requirement of teachers to make the pupils learn the knowledge of concerned subject.
Guru is this who transfers the right path to the next generation through various techniques. Those are our teachers who cease our obstruction of inability and make entrance of rays of knowledge without any biasness. They help us to add beauty of humanity in our life. Nowadays which we can find the various inventions, discoveries, and other crux of human existence, these all are the productions of the teachers. From whose inspirations, their students are encouraged to do so. Gurus spread the fragrance of resplendent courtesy. Gurus also become amicable (friendly) with the students for developing cooperative frame of education. They erode the stains the negative attitudes and produce a successful, conscious and follower. Only those, who know of gurus they understand the prominence of knowledge.
Gurus, who provide education of truth and valuable teachings, are the greatest to make our strengths. On the day of Gurupurnima, the pupils respect and remember their teachers with full of dedication. They use to gift sweets, fruits, clothes and so on along with great devotion towards them memorizing their teachings in the past. Such gift given by the successors of gurus to them is called 'gurudakshina'.
Moreover, the right gurudakshina for the teacher is to follow the right path and utilize the education in the right domain from getting knowledge provided/taught by the teachers. Teachers are always seen happy if they have opportunities to see the students' progress in their life which again elevate our gurus to be the teachers. The wise teacher is never beyond of the students' achievement. They have zero proud rather than providing right knowledge to the learners.
In the present day, gurus are named as teacher, tutor, lecturer, professor and so on. Those, all are our teachers/gurus who made us learn the letters, learn speaking, learn stepping, learn eating and wearing, learn the importance of knowledge and other all the right things and show the right way for our life career. This is the special day to remember and respect our gurus but it is too justifiable to respect them forever. Let's remember, respect and honor all the gurus on the occasion of this respected day 'Gurupurnima' and get more and more inspiration, affection and blessing.