Gurubramha Guruvishnu Gururdevo Maheshwara

Guru Sakshaat Parambrahman Tasmai Shrigurave Namaha

This shloka reveres the Guru by equating him with the three main deities of our culture, Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Shiva (the destroyer), and ultimately with Parabrahman, the supreme GOD. The Guru embodies the divine and he is the direct manifestation of the ultimate reality. The shloka concludes by offering humble and respectful obeisances to the Guru, recognizing his esteemed position and immense importance in the spiritual journey of a disciple.

Guru Purnima is the most auspicious day in our Hindu Sanskriti because it is a day dedicated to honouring and expressing gratitude to our spiritual and academic teachers who are known as “gurus”. They play a vital role in shaping our lives through wisdom and guidance. Guru is a Sanskrit term that translates to “the one who dispels darkness”, (Gu – darkness. Ru – remover). They illuminate our lives with truth and knowledge.

Guru Purnima is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June-July), and it holds a profound educational, cultural, and spiritual significance. This day is traditionally associated with the birthday of one of the greatest sages in ancient India, Ved Vyasa. He is the author of the four Vedas, the Mahabharata, and the eighteen Puranas, making him an exalted figure in the Hindu tradition. The day is thus also referred to as Vyasa Purnima in his honour.

Guru Bin Gyan Na Upje, Guru Bin Mile Na Moksh Guru Bin Lage Na Satya Ko, Guru Bin Mite Na Dosh

~ Sant Kabir

This doha highlights that true knowledge and spiritual enlightenment are unattainable without the guidance of a Guru. A Guru is essential in imparting knowledge and leading his disciple towards liberation, freeing him from the cycles of birth and death. The absolute truth can be perceived and comprehended only by a Guru, and his guidance is necessary to overcome personal flaws and sins.

As disciples, it is essential that we also commit ourselves to live as per the Guru’s anuvruti. To reflect this commitment, bhoolkus from grades 7 to 12 wrote their personal Guru Purnima promises. These promises were then pasted on vibrant, balloon-themed backdrops with the title ‘તમારા હૃદયાકાશમાં ઉડ્યા કરું; તમારા વચન નિશાને જીવ્યા કરું’ (Ascending in the Guru’s Embrace; Living by His Teachings). The balloon theme symbolized how these promises, like hot air balloons, lift us closer to Guruhari. The promises were then showcased in classrooms, serving as a daily inspiration and reminder of their personal goals.

Just like how a GPS (Global Positioning System) helps us navigate our way through the bustling streets, and reach our destination, we have our very own spiritual GPS, Param Pujya Prabodhjivan Swamiji, who helps us navigate our way through life and reach Akshardham. We are incredibly fortunate to reside in Atmiya Vidya Mandir, which is Swamiji’s house, God’s abode, and we are truly blessed to have a Guru in our lives.

Guru Purnima is marked by a variety of traditional rituals and celebrations. We, at Atmiya Vidya Mandir were blessed to celebrate Guru Purnima in the esteemed presence of Pujya Sarvamangal Swamiji and Pujya Santvatsal Swamiji. While teachers can impart knowledge of the world, a Guru is essential to impart the knowledge of spirituality.

On this divine occasion on July 22, 2024, Vijay Sir, the Principal, and all the elders present performed the poojan of Thakorji. Gautam Sir, the host of the event, elucidated the significance of Guru Purnima by referring to quotes from different scriptures. This was followed by a melodious and mesmerising bhajan sung by the music teacher, Himanshu Sir, with melody further infused by Jaimin Sir and a team of students. Vijay Sir then addressed the Atmiya Vidya Mandir family and enlightened us on the importance of Guru Purnima. He also conveyed, Param Pujya Prabodh Swamiji’s message to all of us, emphasising that Guru Purnima is a day for us to immerse ourselves in the life of His Divine Holiness Hariprasad Swamiji.

He said, while most people need to travel to distant places to meet their guru, our Swamishree is so gracious that for the Atmiya Vidya Mandir family, the gurus themselves come to meet us on this auspicious day. Vijay Sir also shared that the simplest way to remain happy is to immerse ourselves in the prasangs of God’s life, as that is the true source of happiness. He mentioned that Pujya Sarvamangal Swamiji’s unique approach to sharing prasangs of Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji through his Parayans has played a pivotal role in his life as it helped him gain a deeper understanding of life of Swamishree. He also mentioned that to reach our highest potential, we must quit being lazy, avoid procrastination, and fill our minds with only positive thoughts. Once a youth asked Param Pujya Prabodh Swamiji how to become like him, he promptly responded by saying, “Keep the company of Sarvamangal Swamiji.”

Pujya Sarvamangal Swamiji then addressed us, noting that he could sense the palpable vibrations of both devotion and knowledge throughout our campus – truly a blessing for all of us indeed! He illuminated the significance of humility in our lives, highlighting that true knowledge can only be accessed through devotion and humility, which is by becoming Das na Das. Additionally, he shared many short prasangs from the life of Param Pujya Hariprasad Swamiji and Param Pujya Prabodh Swamiji that he has personally witnessed.

He said on one occasion, him and Param Pujya Prabodhjivan Swamiji were in the room with Swamishree. Swamishree remarked that Prabodh Swamiji is the embodiment of a sound body, a sound mind, and a sound soul. Sarvamangal Swamiji added that one should always remain a lifelong student. Despite guiding more than 1,00,000 youths and devotees, Prabodh Swamiji remains humble and modest, often sitting with a diary and pen, taking notes from others goshti, demonstrating his humility.

He also shared insights about the power of faith in God, emphasizing that we must never doubt God’s power. Once, a yogi visited three of the world’s best laboratories, challenging the scientists to feed him poison, claiming he could survive. After ingesting the poison the first time, he expelled it from his body within 30 minutes and survived. The same thing happened a second time. However, the third time, he couldn’t expel the poison within 30 minutes and began to doubt the power of God. His faith wavered, and as a result, the poison entered his bloodstream, leading to his death. From this, we learn that God tests his devotees in many ways, responding with faith allows us to pass the test while reacting with doubt leads to failure. A single negative thought about God can lead to our downfall.

Finally, a renowned dentist and devotee of Swamishree, who had performed many successful operations, was introduced to Swamishree by Sarvamangal Swamiji. Swamishree congratulated him on his achievements, and the dentist attributed his success to Swamishree, saying, “It is all because of you.” Hearing this, tears rolled down from Swamishree’s eyes. And Swamishree responded he is an ideal youth of Hariprabodham Samaj and all our youths should become like him. Through this prasang, Sarvamangal Swamiji emphasized that gratitude and humility are the two most crucial virtues for today’s youth, and those who embody these qualities are invaluable assets to our society.

The program concluded with poojan of all the students performed by Sarvamangal Swamiji and Santvatsal Swamiji. We should remember that Guru Purnima should be celebrated not just one day a year, but every day of the year. Gurus must be honoured daily for their contributions to humanity, as without them, who would reveal the glory of God to us? Guru Purnima is more than just a festival, it is a celebration of the eternal bond between the guru and his disciples. As we celebrate Guru Purnima, let us remember the timeless teachings of our gurus and strive to embody their wisdom in our lives. In doing so, we not only honour our gurus but also contribute to creating a more enlightened and harmonious world.

Atira Ma’am and Shreyarthi Ma’am

Bhoolkus’ Promises on Guru Purnima:

Guru Purnima Utsav Smrutis: