Guru Purnima

Disclaimer: This is for Hindus. If you’re not Hindu, you can go ahead and read but you might not understand everything I’m saying because I didn’t write this for non-Hindus.

screenshot Veda Vyas, a dark skinned sage with long white beard and hair is seated in lotus position on a deerskin on a carved chair, with a carved stone pillar behind him on the right and a blue lake surrounded green trees behind him on the left.

Guru Purnima this year is Thursday July 10 2025.

Our first gurus are our parents and elders. They teach us how to walk, talk, speak, eat, drink, play, pray and so much more. Then we have gurus who teach us how to read, write, count, dance, sing, defend ourselves, and much more.

Then there is the Sadguru, who might teach us all of those things too, but who also awakens us to our spiritual journey and guides us through the many storms of life.

Guru Purnima is about honoring all of our gurus but most of all our Sadguru. This is because the Sadguru guides us to self-realization which is the whole point of having a human body.

Some of us are lucky enough to grow up with a Sadguru because our families showed us our guru. Being in the presence of such a divine personality, we became disciples.

Not everyone has that privilege, however. Guru Purnima is just as important for those who have no Sadguru because it is the best time to pray for a guru to enter our lives. (It's always a good time to pray for a guru but Guru Purnima is a special full moon when that energy is so potent).

One reason why Guru Purnima is powerful is because it is the birthday of Maharishi Veda Vyas. Vyas compiled the Vedas and wrote the Mahabharat and Puranas. Vyas wrote and preserved so many of our shastras for us all to learn from today which is why wherever a guru sits is called the Vyas peeth — the seat of Vyas.

This year, 2025, Guru Purnima is even more special because it falls on a Thursday. We call Thursday Guruvar, the day of Devguru Brihaspati. As the guru of the celestials, Brihaspati (called Jupiter by westerners) grants many blessings to all who pray to him. To celebrate Guru Purnima on a Guruvar is a special blessing that does not come every year. On top of that, Brihaspati is right now atichari, which means that from Earth it appears that he is moving very fast. Energies are aligning in ways we cannot fathom and that gives us an opportunity to learn more and progress even further in our spiritual journey.

Traditionally, Hindus try to visit their guru on Guru Purnima, donate to their guru, or listen to recordings of their guru, or read their guru’s books and writings. Some try to do all of these things combined if they can. In some way, we Hindus use this day to give back just a little to the Sadguru who has already given and continues to give us so much.

Those of us who have no Sadguru can still take part by donating to different gurus, reading books of different gurus, watching or listening to recordings of different gurus, and visiting different gurus to learn and maybe find their own Sadguru. Through the last one thousand years of invasion, we wouldn’t exist as Hindus today if our gurus throughout the centuries had not protected us and educated us and instilled sanatan dharma deep within us. Our Indigenous existence is proof of the power of our gurus. Deep gratitude is necessary from all of us.

This is why many Hindus also donate to gurukuls on this day. Gurukuls are Indigenous Hindu schools that ensure that Hindu children continue to learn our traditions, our ancient Sanskrit language, and our spiritual philosophy. In this way our children can embody our authentic identity and can thus teach their own children in the future.

If you wish to and are able, these are some links to donate. (If you know of other gurukuls that take donations, please send me their information so that I can add them to this list.)

If you’re in the USA, you can send Zelle and Paypal payments to Agastya Gurukulam:

Zelle: archana@agastyagurukulam.org

Paypal: payments@agastyagurukulam.org

If you are a Hindu parent outside of India and wish to enroll your child in at least some kind of Indigenous gurukul experience, check with your local Hindu temple to see if they hold classes. If you're not near a Hindu temple, here are some other resources.

If you'd like to learn more about our ancient Indigenous gurukul system, and understand how Hinduphobic colonial lies have slandered our gurus and harmed our tradition, these are some resources for you.

Jai Gurudev.