🔘Guru Purnima

GURU PURNIMA :-

Guru purnima is the birthday of Ved Vyasa also known as Vyasa Purnima  This is the spiritual tradition in Hindu culture that dedicates itself to the spiritual and academic gurus who developed or enlightened people and are ready to share their knowledge, based on karma yoga, with very little or no monetary expectation. 

- It is a festival, celebrated by the Hindus, Jains and Buddhists in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Traditionally the Hindus, the Buddhists and Jains observe this festival in order to honor and show their appreciation for their chosen spiritual teachers.

- The Guru Purnima is one of most auspicious festival and it takes place in the month ‘Ashadha’ on Purima.

Significance of Guru Purnima:-

- Most disciples took ‘Gurukules’ to complete their studies before the emergence of Western-styles, whereby they learned the importance of education and discipline from their gurus.

- Not only did they study, but they stayed there throughout their years of development.

- Old Scripture such as Mahabharata and Ramayana is full of instances in which a teacher has special relationships with his disciple or Guru and Shishya.

- This day is the birth anniversary of Ved Vyasa who was the author and the epic character of Mahabharat. 

- This day also includes some of the great other gurus like Adi Shankara, Sri Ramanuja Acharya and Sri Madhvacharya.

- Upon this day, Sage Veda Vyasa and Sage Parashar were born to Satyavati. He is hailed as the author of the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic. 

- He was also a key figure. The wise is known as the embodiment of intelligence and learning. The Vedas is thought to have been listed in four separate texts-Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. He had four primary followers — Paila, Jaimini, Sumantu and Vaisampayana, and the disciples took his legacy forward. 

- Therefore, Vyasa Puja is performed on Guru Purnima in memory of his contributions.

- Ayurveda is regarded as one of the ancient most science of life in the world, which is having its root of origin 

in Vedas. Teaching and propagation of Vedas were dependent on Guru Shishya Parampara (Teacher-Disciple 

Tradition) wherein the knowledge was transmitted by teacher to the disciples directly by speech and 

hearing method that is why Vedas were also known as Shruti (gained by hearing) . 

- The same method of 

teaching was also used for Ayurveda till the development of writing materials such as ink and paper made of 

Bhoja patra (Bark of Betula bhojpattra) .This lead to formation of Tantra such as Agnivesha Tantra and 

Samhita like Charaka Samhita. 

- There has been gradual evolution of teaching and learning methodologies 

through historical periods i.e. pre Vedic period (Before 10000 B.C.), Vedic period (10000-500 B.C.), Samhita

period (200 B.C.-400 A.D.), and medieval period (400 A.D. -1600 A.D.) and modern period (1600 A.D.to till 

date).

- In ayurveda there are many Acharyas who has made important contribution in advancing ayurveda. So on today's occasion we will given some information about ayurvedic acharyas:- Charaka and Sushruta.

1)Charaka:-

- Charaka was one of the principal contributors to Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Indian Subcontinent.

- He is known as the compiler or editor (प्रतिसंस्कर्ता) of the medical treatise, the Charaka Samhita  - Charaka's location is unknown, although various assertions have been made that he lived either in Taxila or in Kapisthal, located between Iravati (Ravi River) and Chandrabagha (Chenab River) rivers in Punjab.

-  The treatise that Charaka compiled is one of the foundational treatises of classical Indian medicine(Ayurveda).

2)Sushruta:-

- Sushruta was an ancient Indian physician known as the main author of the Sushruta Samhita.

- The Mahabharata, an ancient Indian epic text, represents him as a son of Vishvamitra, which coincides with the present recension of Sushruta Samhita. - Kunjalal Bhisagratna opined that it is safe to assume that Sushruta was the name of the clan to which Vishvamitra belonged.

- He is one of a number of individuals described as the "Father of surgery" and "Father of Plastic Surgery".