The full moon of the month of Ashadh is on Sunday, July 21. Guru Purnima, the great festival of Guru worship, is celebrated on this date. Not only common people, but even God has gained knowledge from the Guru. Guru Purnima is the birth date of Maharishi Ved Vyas. Ved Vyas edited the Vedas. Along with the 18 main Puranas, he composed texts like Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagwat Katha.
Shri Ram gained knowledge from Rishi Vasishtha and Vishwamitra, Shri Krishna’s guru was Sandipani. Hanuman ji made Sun God his guru. Lord Dattatreya made 24 gurus. That is why the place of the Guru is considered the highest. On Guru Purnima, worship your Guru, give a gift according to your ability and pledge to follow his teachings. Only then can you get happiness, peace and success in life.
According to Ujjain’s astrologer Pt. Manish Sharma, knowledge cannot be attained without a Guru and the scriptures say that those who do not have a Guru cannot even attain salvation. Without a Guru, happiness, peace and success cannot be attained, we cannot learn the art of living.
This is how you can celebrate Guru Purnima
- On Guru Purnima, wake up early in the morning and after offering water to the Sun, worship in the home temple.
- Proceed to your Guru’s home after doing Puja at home. Place the Guru on a lofty platform and honor him with rice, kumkum, flowers, and garlands.
- Offer sweets, fruits and flowers to the Guru. Give gifts and dakshina according to your capacity.
- On Guru Purnima, also worship Vedavyas and recite chapters from his scriptures.
- Take a pledge in front of the Guru to implement his teachings in life.
You can also do this auspicious work on full moon
- On Ashadha Purnima, one can donate grains, money, clothes, shoes, umbrellas, blankets, rice, food and scriptures.
- Donate money to take care of cows in a Gaushala. Feed green grass to the cows. Donate pooja material to a temple.
- Offer water and milk on the Shivling. Apply sandalwood paste on the Shivling while chanting the mantra Om Namah Shivaya.
- Light a lamp in front of Hanumanji and recite Sunderkand or Hanuman Chalisa.
- Offer butter and sugar candy to Lord Krishna along with Tulsi.
