Guru Purnima: the day of Vyasa and of teachers

What Guru Purnima is

Ashadha's full moon is Guru Purnima or Vyasa Purnima. Tradition holds it as the birthday of the sage Veda Vyasa, who divided the Vedas and composed the Mahabharata. So Vyasa is remembered as the root of the line of teachers, and people bow to their own guru, teachers, parents and mentors.

The same day begins the ascetics' Chaturmasa (staying in one place for four months) in the rainy season.

How the date is decided

Shastra (Dharmasindhu): on this Purnima the ascetics' tonsure and Vyasa puja are given as part of the Chaturmasa vow, and for this rite the Purnima with three muhurtas from sunrise is taken: the one lasting at least three muhurtas (about 2 h 24 min) after sunrise. Nirnaya Sindhu gives Vyasa puja on this Purnima too.

If in some year the Purnima lasts under three muhurtas after sunrise, panchangs take the previous (Chaturdashi-joined) day. Our calendar shows the day by this rule. Note: in the text this worship is in the context of ascetics; householders' honouring of teachers comes from tradition.

The story: tradition / Purana story

Tradition holds that Veda Vyasa (Krishna Dvaipayana) was the son of the sage Parashara and Satyavati, born on an island in the Yamuna. He divided the one Veda into four so people could learn it, and so was called ‘Vyasa’ (the divider). The Mahabharata, and by tradition the Puranas, are linked to him. His disciples Paila, Vaishampayana, Jaimini and Sumantu carried the Vedic branches forward; Dharmasindhu's Vyasa puja invokes these five.

In Buddhist tradition the Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath on this full moon, and in Jain tradition too it is a day of honouring the teacher.

How families celebrate

Ashrams and maths hold guru puja, discourses and community meals. In music and dance traditions, students touch their teacher's feet and offer guru-dakshina. Schools and colleges honour teachers. Many homes keep the Satyanarayana katha or the Purnima fast. In Nepal it is a national day of honouring teachers. For farmers it comes in the middle of the sowing season.

A simple puja

1. Morning bath; a picture of Vyasa and of your own guru or chosen deity at the shrine.
2. A lamp, flowers, sandal, rice; ‘Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnuh…’ or the mantra your teacher gave.
3. Read a little from a text, a book, or what you are learning.
4. Meet, call or write to a teacher, a parent or anyone you learned from, and say thank you.
5. Teaching someone what you have learned is also honouring the guru.

No paid ‘guru diksha’ is needed.

Safety

Ashadha is the rainy season: take care on slippery temple and ashram steps, with strong currents at riverbanks, and with landslides on hill roads. Drink clean water at community meals. If you keep the Purnima fast, do so as your health allows; for health, the doctor comes first.

In ePandit

In ePandit: our calendar shows the festival day with your city's sunrise and sunset. The day is decided once, for Ujjain; your city's times are shown separately. We don't compute muhurta yet, and we never call a festival good or bad for anyone.

Frequently asked questions