Guru Pournami 2026

Guru Pournami is the sacred day of honouring and thanking one's gurus, observed on Ashadha Shukla Pournami. It is believed to be the birthday of Veda Vyasa, who divided the Vedas into four and gave us the Mahabharata and the eighteen Puranas, so it is also called Vyasa Pournami.

Veda Vyasa and the Guru Parampara

Krishna Dvaipayana, born to Parashara Maharshi and Satyavati, arranged the Vedas into Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva and became known as Veda Vyasa. He is revered as the Adi Guru, the source of our guru parampara. The word guru means one who removes darkness, that is, ignorance. In the yogic tradition this full moon marks the day Adiyogi Shiva taught the Saptarishis, and Buddhists honour it as the day the Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath.

Guru Puja Steps

• Bathe in the morning and place an image of Veda Vyasa, Dakshinamurthy or your own guru in the puja space.
• Begin with the shloka "Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnuhu" and worship with flowers, akshatalu and sandalwood paste.
• Those who have the guru's padukas should perform paduka puja; Guru Stotram or Guru Gita may be recited.
• Visit living gurus and teachers, offer fruit, clothes or dakshina, and bow to them.
• Parents are our first gurus, so seek their blessings too.
• Offer payasam, pulihora and fruit as naivedyam and give annadanam.

Guru Pournami in Telugu Lands

Shirdi Sai Baba temples across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are crowded with devotees for special pujas, bhajans and annadanam on this day. Datta peethams, ashrams and mathams hold grand Vyasa puja and paduka puja. Students of music, dance and other arts offer guru dakshina to their teachers.

Significance

Our shastras say true knowledge comes only by walking the path a guru shows. Beginning new learning, receiving mantra upadesham or starting a sadhana on Guru Pournami is considered auspicious. Fasting is optional; devotion to the guru is what matters.

With the blessings of our gurus, may the lamp of knowledge shine in every life.