Also known as: Vyasa Purnima, Ashadhi Purnima, Vyasa Puja · Observed: Across India and Nepal; also observed by Buddhists and Jains
Significance of Guru Purnima
Guru Purnima is the day for honouring the guru, the teacher who removes the darkness of ignorance. In Indian tradition the guru is not only an instructor but a guide to self-knowledge, and the guru-shishya relationship is regarded as sacred. On this full moon, disciples express gratitude to their teachers, renew their commitment to learning and seek blessings for their spiritual progress.
The day is also called Vyasa Purnima because it celebrates the birth of Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, the sage who arranged the Vedas into four collections, composed the Mahabharata and is credited with the Puranas and the Brahma Sutras. Vyasa is considered the adi guru of the Vedic tradition, and every guru lineage traces its teaching back through him.
Traditions and Legends
In the yogic tradition, Guru Purnima is the day when Shiva, as Adiyogi, turned south and began teaching the science of yoga to the seven sages, the Saptarishis, becoming the Adiguru, the first teacher. In Buddhist tradition, the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the Dharmachakra Pravartana Sutta, to five companions at Sarnath on the full moon of Ashadha, setting the wheel of dharma in motion. Jains honour the day as the occasion when Mahavira accepted Gautama Swami as his first disciple. These overlapping traditions all make the day one of teaching and transmission.
How Guru Purnima Is Celebrated
Disciples rise early, bathe and perform guru puja, worshipping the guru in person or through his padukas (sandals), photograph or samadhi. Offerings of flowers, fruit, clothes and dakshina are made, and the Guru Gita or Guru Stotram is recited. In monasteries and ashrams, sannyasis perform Vyasa Puja, honouring Vyasa and the line of teachers. The day also begins Chaturmasya, the four-month period during which wandering monks stay in one place to teach and observe vows.
Students in schools, music and dance academies honour their teachers with gifts and performances. In Maharashtra, devotees flock to Shirdi and to the samadhis of the saints, and the Pandharpur pilgrimage tradition continues. In Nepal the day is observed as Teachers' Day. Buddhist monasteries mark the beginning of the rains retreat, Vassa.
How the Date Is Determined
Guru Purnima falls on Ashadha Purnima, the full moon tithi of the lunar month Ashadha, during the early monsoon. The observance is set on the day when Purnima prevails at sunrise or through the main part of the day, following standard almanac rules for full-moon vratas. Because it closes the month of Ashadha, it usually comes a few weeks after the summer solstice.
Rituals and customs
- Guru puja with flowers, fruit and dakshina
- Worship of the guru's padukas or samadhi
- Recitation of the Guru Gita and Guru Stotram
- Vyasa Puja by sannyasis and start of Chaturmasya
- Study of scripture and satsang
- Students honouring teachers