“नमोSस्तुते
व्यास विशालबुद्धे फ़ुल्लारविन्दायतपत्रनेत्र
येन त्वया भारततैलपूर्ण:
प्रज्वालितो ज्ञानमय प्रदीप:”
“We
bow in gratitude to the great sage, the lotus petal shaped eyed, Maharshi
Vyas, who made rich contributions to the body of knoweledge with his
classic ‘Mahabharata’”
This is one of
the ‘shlokas’ or verses found in the initial volumes of the ‘Bhagwat
Gita.’ And what a better day to remember him, than today which is believed
to be the Birth Anniversary of Maharshi Vyas! His illustrious body of
work, which includes some of ‘Bharata’s’ best works of literature –like
the ‘Mahabharata’ , the ‘Puranas’ as also the bifurcation of the ‘Vedas’
has had a lasting impact on what the world refers to as ‘Indian’ Culture. Without
indulging oneself discussing the physical feasibility of ‘Mahabharata’ like
many modern day intellectuals would; one can only marvel at the great knowledge
of several aspects of life, of Human Nature, that Vyas penned down –
those which find relevance after more than 2 millennia of its coming into
existence! It is in recognition to his great volume of knowledge, that Maharshi
Vyas is revered by many, as one of the greatest ‘Gurus’ this land ever
produced.
‘Bharatvarsha’
or India as it is referred to in modern times, is the birthplace of knowledge.
It is here that the thought “Knowledge is the only treasure which cannot be
stolen; It is the only wealth which grows when utilised, and vanishes if not.” was
born and blossomed. It is because of
this, that in erstwhile ‘Bharata’, it was believed that knowledge is as
important a need of Man, as is Food, Shelter, Clothing. Likewise, people who
make the process of knowledge gain seamless were regarded as Gurus.
‘Teacher’
is a highly inadequate translation of the Sanskrit word ‘Guru’.
Likewise, we also tried deciphering the popular shloka, “गुरुर्ब्रह्मा
गुरुर्विष्णुः” We are always taught to have an unfair comparison of all
our teachers with the Trinity of Bramha-Vishnu-Mahesh. However we
believe that this shloka is not a praise for Gurus, but in fact a
learning lesson for every Guru in the making! It in fact lays founding
principles to how a Guru should be, and states the respect for he or she
deserves upon attaining that stage.
Knowledge
is not something one can limit to a school or a college classroom. ‘Bharata’,
has been the land of seekers, rather than believers. Hence anyone and everyone
here, is entitled to be a Guru to someone else. The boundaries of age,
sex, occupation, human or non-human doesn’t really limit to one’s process of
seeking and attaining knowledge! Our teachers, our colleagues, even people younger
to us, can have lasting impressions on our lives. A Guru is not a guru because
of his age or position, but because of his simple, thankless contribution of
adding value and meaning to our lives. Hence the last words of the shloka
“तस्मै श्रीगुरवे
नमः“ are
only fitting to acknowledge ‘that person’ on this day.
Today,
the world is in grave need for more Gurus and disciples! Today’s
Student, will be tomorrow’s Guru. In order to pass down the vast body of
knowledge of our rich and varied arts, culture, traditions, we need able Gurus
and disciples. The world in order to sustain - needs India to play a vital role
of a Guru by providing the world order a guiding light, as also that of
a Disciple by accepting new age know-how.
Our blog for today is
dedicated to the millions of persons, animate and/or inanimate who have had/made
valuable contributions to our lives.
Greetings on Guru
Pournima ! God Bless
Saleel
Savarkar - +91-98239-00318
Anuja
Jogdeo +91-8975767599
