Do you know why Teacher’s Day is celebrated?

September 5th Teacher’s Day or Guru Diwas. Then can you tell me what the word Guru means? The word ‘Gu’ means ‘darkness’ and the word ‘Ru’ means ‘light’. The one who guides the path from darkness to light is called Guru. A person has many Gurus in his life. According to the Puranas, the mother is considered the first Guru of the child. Similarly, a person’s life becomes successful only in the presence of many Gurus such as father, teacher, etc.

There is a verse in Sanskrit, “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwar, Guru Sakshat Param Brahma, Tasmai Shri Gurve Namah”. Which means, “Guru is Brahma or the creator, Guru is Vishnu or the preserver and Guru is Dev Dev Mahadev or the destroyer. Guru Sakshat  Param Brahma. I have a hundred proofs to that Guru.” In Hinduism, the importance of having a Guru is very high. It is believed that the need for a Guru is very high to guide one’s life.

So in the Gita, the word ‘Guru’ is described differently. In the Gita, it is said that ‘Gu’ means ‘with qualities’ and ‘Ru’ means ‘formless’. Similarly, in Sanskrit, the word ‘Guru’ means ‘heavy’. ‘Heavy’ means burdensome. That is, a Guru should never be taken lightly. A Guru is the most respected.

We have learned about the meaning of the word Guru. But do you know Why is Guru Diwas celebrated? Today, ‘Teacher’s Day’ is being celebrated everywhere in our country. This day is dedicated to teachers who play a major role in shaping the lives of students. In honor of the first Vice President and second President of the country, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was born on September 5, 1888, his birthday has been recognized as ‘Teacher’s Day’. He has received this honor for his love and affection for students.

He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. In 1936, he was invited to become Professor of Oriental Religions and Ethics at Oxford University, a position he held for 16 years. His philosophical foundation was in Advaita Vedanta, which he reinterpreted to make it more accessible to contemporary people. He was a staunch defender of Hinduism, speaking out against Western criticism. Radhakrishnan is considered a bridge builder between India and the West.