KATHMANDU: Guru Purnima, also known as Teachers’ Day, is being observed across the country today with reverence and gratitude toward teachers and mentors.
Observed on the full moon day of Ashad Shukla Purnima in the lunar calendar, the festival holds deep spiritual and cultural significance as a day dedicated to honoring gurus, those who impart wisdom and guide others on the path of knowledge.
In Hindu tradition, gurus are revered for initiating disciples into the Gayatri Mantra during rites of passage such as bratabandha, teaching reading and writing, and chanting Vedic hymns during religious rituals.
The word guru is derived from Sanskrit, where ‘gu’ means darkness and ‘ru’ means light, symbolizing one who dispels the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge.
Teachers are regarded as divine figures, comparable to the Hindu trinity of Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Maheshwar (the destroyer), and are held in the same esteem as parents.
Schools, colleges, and various institutions are marking the occasion with special programs to honor teachers and recognize their invaluable contributions.
The day also coincides with Vyas Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the revered sage Ved Vyas, who is credited with composing the 18 Puranas, 18 Upapuranas, and compiling the four Vedas.
His teachings promote the humanistic principle Paropakara punyaya, papaya parapidanam, which means that virtue lies in helping others, while causing harm to others leads to sin.
Comment