Best wishes to our readers for the Gurupoornima festival ahead. We are excited to make this festival more meaningful for you and let us now understand why we celebrate it. The day carries different meanings to different people and opinions may vary. However, we are sharing what we are guided by our Sai Baba.
What is GuruPoornima?
Gurupoornima, one of the full moon days of the year, occurs on the same or different dates as per geographical locations usually in the month of July. However, it also varies from person to person and has a significant meaning in spirituality. For layman’s understanding let’s see what the word literally means. Guru means the One Who guides and shows light. Poornima means completeness. So the meaning of Gurupoornima is the completeness of the self and merging with the guru. So there won’t be any difference between Guru and disciple.
GuruPoornima – As per Sai Baba
Sai Baba has emphasized the Guru Shishya relationship. Though no need, He posed as a disciple even to a pseudo-Guru Javhar Ali as mentioned in Sai Satcharitra. This indicates to us that we should obey and respect our Guru no matter what. The devotion of Baba towards His Guru Venkusha was exceptional. Being Parabrahm Himself He wasn’t bound to such tradition but He did teach us lessons on how to surrender to the Guru who can enlighten us with the correct and true knowledge to achieve the goal.
Sai Baba’s Teaching About Guru
Sai Baba taught us to follow Guru because He wanted every jivatma to become free from the karmic bondage and merge in Him, in short, become Paramatma. Each word coming out of His mouth indicated the only mission. Chapter 32 talks about the importance of Guru and how Baba met in the woods.
Sai Baba Message on GuruPoornima
Our Baba descended on this earth to achieve Brahma Gyan and elevate ourselves. We took birth in this body, so it’s an opportunity for us to set ourselves free. When we are devoted to Baba it means He has held our hand to help us and we are eligible for the Mukti. When we achieve consciousness and reach that level there remains no difference between us and Baba. Baba Who as a light and as a Guru shows us the path now becomes one entity with us. It’s like suddenly one cell out of lakhs of them in the body realizes that it is the whole body itself. A guru becomes Sathguru when he or she makes their disciple a guru.
For us, Our beloved Shirdi Sai Baba is our Sathguru because He is guiding us to realize the guru in us. In the end, there remains no duality. The Guru and disciple become one and what remains is absolute completeness and this festival conveys the message. So this answers the title Guru a Sathguru?
“तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया | उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: ||
— Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3
Transliteration: Tad Viddhi Praṇipātena Paripraśhnena Sevayā. Upadekṣhyanti Te Jñānaṁ Jñāninas Tattva-Darśhinaḥ
Translation word by word: tat – that or the truth; viddhi – Try to learn; praṇipātena – complete surrender to a guru; paripraśhnena – by humble approach; sevayā – by offering services; upadekṣhyanti – can impart; te – unto you; jñānam – knowledge; jñāninaḥ – the enlightened; tattva-darśhinaḥ – those who have realised the truth
Our interpretation: Learn and realise the Absolute Truth by approaching a guru. Inquire from him with reverence and offer service unto him. Such an enlightened Saint can impart knowledge unto you because he has realised the Absolute Truth.
Image Courtesy: (30) Sai Baba Images with GuruPoornima Quotes, Wishes & Messages
More to Explore
© Shirdi Sai Baba Life Teachings and Stories – Member of SaiYugNetwork.com
Get posts in real-time on WhatsApp. Join Sai Vriksha – the WhatsApp group of Sai Yug Network. Be the first to receive spiritual wisdom. Join now!
Jai