Gurupurnima being celebrated today

KATHMANDU, July 21: Gurupurnima, also known as Ashad Shukla Purnima, is being celebrated today. The festival honors the gurus who imparted Vedic mantras, taught the Gayatri mantra, and initiated followers.

The term 'Guru' combines 'Gu', meaning darkness, and 'Ru', meaning light. Prada Devmani Bhattarai, a theologian and member of the Nepal Panchang Jury Committee, explained that a guru is someone who dispels the darkness of ignorance with the light of knowledge, as outlined in Tantric and Dharma Shastra texts.

The scriptures revere such teachers as manifestations of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwar, emphasizing their divine role in spreading enlightenment.

Vyasa Jayanti

Today also marks Vyasa Jayanti, celebrating the birth of Ved Vyas. Vyasa is renowned for composing the 18 Puranas and 18 Upa Puranas, which explain the Vedas—Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda—in simple Sanskrit. Vyasa Jayanti is observed on Ashad Shukla Purnima, the day Ved Vyasa was born, in recognition of his efforts to convey the meaning of the Vedas through his writings.