Bright and Beautiful Guru Poornima

Guru Poornima is celebrated on the full moon day of the Hindu lunar month of Ashadha. It was originally celebrated to offer reverence to Rishi Ved Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharata, classified and organised the four Vedas, compiled the eighteen Puranas and documented many more historical, mythological and spiritual learnings. These have benefited humankind for aeons. As time passed, Guru Poornima became an occasion for all to offer gratitude and reverence to their Guru.

The quest for knowledge begins at birth. For small children, parents seem to have the answers to all queries. Parents are our soft spot. In the lap of a parent, a child feels safe. I have a sweet memory of my youngest, sitting in my lap, saying, “World ki best seat!” As children grow up and go through formal education in school, college, university and beyond, they have many teachers. There are two kinds of knowledge that man seeks. Firstly, Loka jnana (worldly knowledge) or all that is taught in a formal system of education. This includes Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Languages, Music, Arts, etc. The purpose of acquiring this knowledge is to earn a living.

The other kind of knowledge is Brahma jnana (knowledge of the Supreme). Brahma Jnana is the direct, experiential realisation that the individual self (Atma) and the Supreme Reality (Brahman) are one. It is the ultimate spiritual wisdom that frees a person from the cycle of birth and death. The Rig Veda says, ‘Prajnanam Brahma’, which means, ‘Consciousness is Brahman’. The question may arise, consciousness of what? Sri Sathya Sai Baba says, “When we experience oneness in all things, it means we have achieved Prajnanam or Supreme Consciousness.”

There is a distinct difference between a Guru and a teacher. A teacher teaches about the outer world. A Guru awakens one to the inner world, the one that exists within each of us.

As we move on in life from education to work, marriage, etc., if we become spiritual seekers, we need someone who can answer the queries of the soul. At the threshold mankind stands today, supreme knowledge is urgently needed. The purpose of human birth is far more than enjoying the ephemeral. The quest for the eternal is of paramount importance.

One day, during darshan time, as Sri Sathya Sai Baba walked amidst the students of his school, he noticed one of the boys holding a science textbook. He asked him, “What are you reading?” The boy offered the book to him, saying, “Swami, it is a book on Quantum Physics.”

With much interest, he turned the pages of the book as the boys around him basked in the bliss of his proximity. As he returned the book to the boy, he asked, “What does your Einstein say?” The boy said, “Einstein gave the formula E = mc² ” Swami nodded. The boys around started to explain more, excitedly. They said, “Swami, E stands for Energy, M stands for Mass, and C is the speed of light …”

He listened like a patient father and then said softly, “E stands for Eswara; M stands for Man, and C … stands for Commitment to God.” He then added, “The other C in C² stands for Community Service.” There was pin-drop silence. He then concluded, “If man has commitment to God and does community service … he becomes Eswara!” How profound! Service to man, is service to God, because the same spark of divinity is immanent in all. This portrays the oneness of creation.

Here, a scientific formula that described mass and energy suddenly transformed into a profound spiritual teaching! What science had expressed through symbols, Baba had illumined through inner meaning. This is how a Guru shows the pathway leading from intellect to spirituality, from learning to living, and from man to God. He had pierced the veil of the mundane to show that everything … has divinity in it. Spirituality begins where Science ends. This is what a Guru simplifies! Baba says, “The Gandha (fragrance or essence) must be extracted from the ‘Grantha’ (spiritual text); that is the test of scholarship. Do not transform the ‘mastaka’ (brain) into a ‘pustaka’ (book) instead.” Yes! Let’s take only the innate learning; learning by rote is futile.

The word Guru is made of two parts, Gu + Ru. ‘Gu’ means darkness or ignorance, and ‘Ru’ its removal. A Guru dispels the darkness of ignorance. He is the one who simplifies and lights up the path to self-realisation.

In the present times, many have been duped by so-called gurus. The society is riddled with conmen who take advantage of the simplicity or helplessness of people who are directionless or disturbed. People want a Guru because they need an anchor or a guide. But sadly, because of what is happening in society, it is scary to have a Guru. Sri Sathya Sai Baba says that there is only one real Guru. God is the only Guru! God is the only guide, protector, anchor … he is all we need. If we ever reach a stage in life when the world brings us to our knees, let us remember that we are in the perfect position to pray! Just like we charge our phone every day, we need to connect to the divine within for a recharge.

God reminds us of his presence all day long. The Human breath chants the Soham mantra 21,600 times every day. Every inhalation says, ‘So’, and every exhalation says, ‘ham’. Even if one knows nothing else, this is enough. Just concentrate on the breath and dwell mentally on any form of God you love. For some time, shut yourself away from the world. Be alone with your breath. Be alone with the eternal Guru/God within.

The average quantity of food eaten by a human is said to be 30000-35000 kg over an average 75-80 year lifespan. The water and fluids consumed are over and above this. The average weight of an adult human is 62 kg. This analogy itself proves that while the human body processes a huge amount of food daily, it absorbs only a minuscule part of it. God has taught the human body and each of its internal organs, the digestive system, the circulatory system, etc., how to process all inputs into the body. Just so, as we are exposed to too many foods, visuals, conversations and thoughts, the Guru teaches us what to absorb and what to filter out and let go of.

Every year, my husband Sanjay and I try to be in Puttaparthi, the ashram of Sri Sathya Sai Baba, to offer gratitude and reverence to Baba on Guru Poornima. Devotees from all over the world throng here all year, more so during festivals. We are grateful to have been amongst the lucky few who got to experience divinity in its human form. When I remember Him, his smile, his loving gaze, his soft voice and the love he exuded, my eyes still well up with tears. His love was comparable to the love of a thousand mothers. He taught us how to live life. We live in the complete awareness that he is watching us, listening to every word we utter and is privy to each thought that occurs in our minds. It’s a great feeling!

July 29, 2026, is Guru Poornima. Do offer reverence and gratitude to the Guru within. Walking the path shown by the Guru is perhaps the best gift we can offer to the Guru on Guru Poornima. With the grace of the Guru, our mind can be illumined and shine as bright and beautiful as the full moon of Guru Poornima!

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This piece has been published in The Daily World on 28.07.2026 https://epaper.dailyworld.in/Details.aspx?id=112298&boxid=78138&uid=&dat=2026-07-28