Quick answer: Guru Purnima is the full-moon day (Purnima) of the Hindu month of Ashadha, when students and devotees honour their teachers. It fell on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, and the next Guru Purnima is on Sunday, 18 July 2027, according to Drik Panchang. Below are Guru Purnima quotes, Hindi messages and wishes, with a note on who actually said what.
What is Guru Purnima and when is it?
Guru Purnima, also called Vyasa Purnima, is observed on the Purnima of the lunar month of Ashadha, usually in June or July. It is traditionally regarded as the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, credited as the author of the Mahabharata, and is a day for honouring gurus and performing Vyasa Puja.
- Guru Purnima 2026: Wednesday, 29 July 2026 (already passed).
- Guru Purnima 2027: Sunday, 18 July 2027. In New Delhi, the Purnima tithi runs from 6:48 pm on 17 July to 9:14 pm on 18 July 2027, according to Drik Panchang.
Buddhists observe the same full moon as Ashadha Purnima, or Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas, which marks the Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath. The International Buddhist Confederation, under the Ministry of Culture, holds its annual observance on this day.
Guru Purnima quotes in English
Many “guru quotes” online carry the wrong name. We have checked each attribution below. Where we could confirm the source, we name it; where we could not, we say “often attributed to”.
- “Guru Purnima celebrates the human ability to rise beyond physical nature, and the Greatness of Adiyogi, who made this possible.” – Sadhguru (published on the Isha Foundation’s Guru Purnima page)
- “Guru and God both appear before me. To whom should I prostrate? I bow before the Guru who introduced God to me.” – an English rendering of the doha “Guru Govind dou khade”, traditionally attributed to Kabir
- “Guru is the creator Brahma, Guru is the preserver Vishnu, Guru is the destroyer Shiva. Guru is directly the supreme spirit. I offer my salutations to this Guru.” – the “Gurur Brahma” shloka from the Guru Gita, traditionally placed in the Skanda Purana. An earlier version of this article credited it to Adi Shankara; we found no source for that.
- “He alone teaches who has something to give, for teaching is not talking, teaching is not imparting doctrines, it is communicating.” – Swami Vivekananda (The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)
- “There is no deity superior to the Guru, no gain better than the Guru’s grace… no state higher than meditation on the Guru.” – often attributed to Swami Muktananda; the idea echoes verses of the Guru Gita
- “Guru is Shiva sans his three eyes, Vishnu sans his four arms, Brahma sans his four heads. He is parama Shiva himself in human form.” – a traditional verse in praise of the guru, often credited to the Brahmanda Purana; we could not confirm the source
- “Worshipping the feet of the Guru is the ultimate of all worships.” – from a traditional Guru pranam (salutation); exact source unconfirmed
- “I bow at his feet constantly, and pray to him, the guru, the true guru, has shown me the way.” – often attributed to Guru Nanak; we could not trace this exact translation
- “My guru said that when he suffers, it brings him closer to God. I have found this, too.” – often attributed to Ram Dass
- “The enemy is a very good teacher.” – often attributed to the Dalai Lama. His books do teach that an enemy can be our best teacher of patience, but we could not find this exact wording.
Guru Purnima messages in Hindi
- गुरु, आपके उपकार का
कैसे चुकाऊँ मैं मोल,
लाख कीमती धन भला,
गुरु हैं मेरे अनमोल।
हैप्पी गुरु पूर्णिमा! - गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः।
गुरुः साक्षात् परब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः॥
गुरु पूर्णिमा की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। - करता करे न कर सके, गुरु करे सब होय,
सात द्वीप नौ खंड में गुरु से बड़ा न कोय।
सब धरती कागज करूँ, लेखनी सब बनराय,
सात समुद्र की मसि करूँ, गुरु गुण लिखा न जाय।
गुरु पूर्णिमा की हार्दिक बधाई!
(The second couplet is from the Kabir tradition; some collections read “हरि गुण” for “गुरु गुण”.) - आपसे सीखा और जाना,
आपको ही गुरु माना,
सीखा सब आपसे हमने,
कलम का मतलब भी आपसे जाना।
गुरु पूर्णिमा की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ! - सही क्या है, गलत क्या है, ये सबक पढ़ाते हैं आप,
झूठ क्या है और सच क्या है, ये बात समझाते हैं आप,
जब सूझता नहीं कुछ भी हमको, तब राहों को सरल बनाते हैं आप।
हैप्पी गुरु पूर्णिमा! - गुरु बिन ज्ञान नहीं,
ज्ञान बिन आत्मा नहीं,
ध्यान, ज्ञान, धैर्य और कर्म,
सब गुरु की ही देन हैं।
शुभ गुरु पूर्णिमा! - गुरु की महिमा है अगम, गाकर तरता शिष्य।
गुरु कल का अनुमान कर, गढ़ता आज भविष्य॥
गुरु पूर्णिमा की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ! - वक्त भी सिखाता है, टीचर भी,
पर दोनों में अंतर इतना है कि टीचर सिखाकर इम्तिहान लेता है
और वक्त इम्तिहान लेकर सिखाता है।
शुभ गुरु पूर्णिमा!
Sayings on teachers and the mind
- “Reshape yourself through the power of your will… The will is the only friend of the Self, and the will is the only enemy of the Self.” – a popular English rendering of Bhagavad Gita 6.5, spoken by Krishna in the text traditionally ascribed to Veda Vyasa. (The original version of this article credited the line directly to Maharshi Veda Vyasa.)
- “Through shallow intellect, the mind becomes shallow, and one eats the fly, along with the sweets.” – often attributed to Guru Nanak; we could not match this exact wording to the Guru Granth Sahib.
- “There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – widely attributed to the Buddha, but we found no source in Buddhist scripture.
- “Always be thankful for what you have, many people have nothing.” – widely attributed to the Buddha, with no scriptural source we could find.
- “There is nothing so disobedient as an undisciplined mind, and there is nothing so obedient as a disciplined mind.” – widely attributed to the Buddha; it is not a scriptural quotation, though the Dhammapada (verse 35) teaches that a disciplined mind brings happiness.
For more verified sayings from Indian texts, see our Bhagavad Gita quotes and Chanakya Niti quotes.
Guru Purnima wishes for teachers
- Teachers are our parents in school, and I have been blessed to have the best of them. Happy Guru Purnima to all the lucky students!
- Many teachers came into my life, but none made a difference like you. You are certainly better than the best. Happy Guru Purnima!
- Be devoted to your Guru on this holy day and always, and thank them for making you so wise and clever. Happy Guru Purnima!
- You introduced me to myself and showed me the right way. Thank you for making me who I am. Wishing you a happy Guru Purnima!
- Everyone has a Guru to lead them, and I had you. You brought me out of my ignorance and taught me to handle my problems. I always pay my tribute to you. Happy Guru Purnima!
- May the name of the Guru be enshrined in your heart. May Guru ji’s divine love and blessings be with you always. Happy Guru Purnima!
- The Guru’s whole work is to bring back the flow of life, so that you start becoming joyous and utterly happy and blissful for no reason at all.
- Today is the best day to pay tribute to your Guru. On this auspicious day of Guru Purnima, make a promise to follow in your Guru’s footsteps. Happy Guru Purnima!
- Guru Govind dou khade, kaake laagoon paaye, balihaari Guru aapne, Govind diyo bataaye. Thank you for being my Guru!
How to use these Guru Purnima messages
- For a school or college teacher: the “Guru Purnima wishes for teachers” section suits a card or a message to a class group.
- For a spiritual guru or elder: the Gurur Brahma shloka or the Kabir doha is a respectful choice, especially in Hindi script.
- On social media: if you post a quote with a name, use the attribution notes above. Many widely shared “Buddha quotes” are not from Buddhist texts.
- Add a personal line: name one thing your teacher taught you. It means more than any quote. Teachers who now teach online may also enjoy our piece on lessons online teachers can learn from classroom teachers.
Frequently asked questions
When is Guru Purnima in 2027?
Sunday, 18 July 2027, according to Drik Panchang for New Delhi. Check your local panchang, as tithi timings vary by place.
Why is Guru Purnima also called Vyasa Purnima?
The day is traditionally observed as the birth anniversary of Veda Vyasa, who is credited with composing the Mahabharata and is honoured as one of the great gurus of Hindu tradition.
Do Buddhists celebrate Guru Purnima?
Buddhists mark the same full moon as Ashadha Purnima, or Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas, the day the Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi.
Who wrote “Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu”?
The shloka comes from the Guru Gita, a dialogue between Shiva and Parvati that tradition places in the Skanda Purana. Its author is not known for certain, and we found no evidence that Adi Shankara composed it, although it is often credited to him online.
Dates in this article were checked in October 2026 against Drik Panchang (New Delhi). Quote attributions were checked against the Isha Foundation, the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Guru Gita sources and scripture databases; lines we could not trace are marked “often attributed to”.
