Happy Guru Purnima 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
Guru Purnima is also known as Vyasa Purnima and this day is commemorated as the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa.
The sacred day of Vyasa Purnima which we celebrate as Guru Purnima falls on the 13th of July 2022 ...
Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu
Gurur Devo, Maheshwarah
Guru Saakshaat, Param brahma
Tasmai Sri Guruve Namah
Vyasaya Vishnu Roopaya, Vyasa Roopaya Vishnave |
Namovai Bhrama Nithaye, Vasishtaya Namo Namaha:||
Gukaraschandhakarastu rukaarastannirodhakrut |
Andhakaravinaasitwaat gururityabhideeyate ||
“Gu” means the darkness and “Ru” means the remover; “Guru” is considered as one who dispels the darkness (ignorance) and sets us on a spiritual path.
The Month of Aashada has a special place for those in the Sadhana marga and belonging to any spiritual tradition be it Saiva, Vaisnava, Saura, Ganapatiya, or Sakteya. Each Sadhaka eagerly waits for the Full Moon in Aashada to honor and celebrate the sacred and selfless relationship between a Guru and the Sishya.
The full Moon also depicts the full blossoming of Consciousness. The day is celebrated in honor of Sage Krishna Dwaipayana born to Maharshi Parasara and Satyavati a fisherman’s daughter. Krishna Dwaipayana who is an amsa of Maha Vishnu is credited to have compiled and classified all the Vedas, 18 Puranas, and many other works. On Ashada Purnima every Guru is treated as sage Vyasa and duly honored.
Due to his colossal contributions to the classification of Vedas, Krishna dwaipayana is popularly referred to as Vyasa or Veda Vyasa. In literary parlance also, the word Vyasa means a lengthy literary essay. From Vyasa Purnima, even the Parivrajakas - who are on the move constantly, settle down at any place and practice strict austerities for a period of 4 months known as Chaturmas Deeksha. This period also roughly coincides with Karka Sankranti and the onset of Dakshinayana. For all those on the sadhana path, this period is conducive to reflection and introspection.
JSK everyone 🙏 🇲🇺
What is the meaning behind burning the dead body in Hindu puranam?...
Hindu Garuda Purana to answer this question. The jeeva (spirit) exits out of the body at the time of death and for 11 days, it remains as a Pretha, after which it would proceed to the abode of Yama for his final judgement. A pretha is basically a ghost. Like humans, ghosts experience all kinds of emotions like anger, lust, and hunger but they do not have a physical body or a container to satiate those emotions or to let them out. During these 11 days, it is said that the ghost would be extremely attached to its previous body and family. Especially during the first three days, the ghost of the human remains in a state of confusion failing to understand its existence outside the body, which lies inert and lifeless. Due to the physical attachment to the body, they say, it constantly tries to get back into the body. This is the reason why Hindus insist to burn the dead body before three days.
Fire is considered holy in Hinduism. It burns away everything until nothing remains. On the other hand, burying is a very slow process of dissolving the five elements inside the body back into the five elements of the cosmos. By cremating the body, the physical remnants of the ghost are entirely wiped out from the face of earth, so that the ghost may continue with its journey forward after the 11 days. This also reduces the possibility of remaining as a ghost on the physical plane, for an extended period of time.
Garuda Purana mentions that people who experience untimely and unnatural deaths (due to accidents, suicides, etc) and bodies that do not get cremated as per the rites, remain as ghosts for a long time. This is because the physical body is considered a container of spirit and as long as it remains on earth, the essence and energy of the individual's life still remains over. This is also the reason why in Hinduism, the bodies of great yogis, saints and sages are never burnt but instead buried and on top of it, they install a Shiva linga or make it a place of worship. The body of the sage or saint was a container of divine spirit and by burying it we let the divine energy or essence of the yogi's physical existence, influence the people around it, positively.