By: Krishna Patel
Gurupurnima is a very important day in our Hindu Dharam because it is the day that we honor our Gurus. A Guru is someone who gives us knowledge and guidance and only with the proper guidance from the right Guru are we able to attain salvation, or moksh. The word Guru means destroyer of darkness and that is what a Guru does. A Guru leads us away from the darkness of the material world and towards the light of Kaival Karta. Paramguru is considered to be the Guru of Gurus and he guides us all towards Kaival Karta. He has done so by preaching the knowledge of Kaival Karta and establishing the Kaival Gyan Sampradaya Gurugadi in Sara. Paramguru has written 15 granths, 9 Mangala Pads, and 10 Prabhata Pads all of which are dense with the gyan of Kaival Karta. He has also written several other hymns and he spent the majority of his life teaching, guiding, and helping bhaktos (devotees). During his time Paramguru would go from village to village giving gyan, doing Kaival Prachar, and performing miracles.
On Gurupurnima we celebrate all that Paramguru has done as well as every Acharya who has led our Sampradaya after him, including our current and seventh Acharya Shree Avichaldasji Maharaj. Pujya Shree Avichaldasji Maharaj has done done so much in his 45 years on the gaadi for our Sampradaya and for the community. He has continued and started several community outreach programs to help poverty stricken individuals including the Sat Kaival Eye Hospital and Paramguru Pathshala. He has started annual walk-a-thons to Amar Dadham Mandir and Bal Kuver Mandir and holds regular nishras and shibirs to spread the gyan of Paramguru and Kaival Karta. These are only a few of the things Guruji has done to help and guide our bhaktos. Currently, our Pujya Guruji was just re-appointed as the “Adhyasksh” (President) of the “Bharatiya Sant Samiti”, a leading organization of Hindu Santos (Ascetics). He was honored and celebrated at the 2016 Ujjain Khumbh Mela. We should honor and appreciate all that our Gurus have done and on Gurupurnima we should do upvas (fast) and take time to go to Mandir to do darshan and Upasana.