Guru Purnima is the day on which all the Spiritual Gurus from time immemorial are worshipped. What are these Gurus doing on earth from time immemorial? They are helping their disciples reach higher levels. Why did they have to take on this job? Why did such a situation arise? This need arose only because the disciple ‘fell down’.

When one descends the stairs and wilfully comes down it is called ‘Avatarana’. But when one slips and falls from the height, it is called ‘Patana’. When God, due to his wilful intention, takes on a gross form it is called ‘Avatar’ (incarnation). When a living being, due to past actions, is forced to enter the womb of a mother and take on a form it is called ‘Janma’ (birth).

This is the being’s fall from ‘divinity’ to ‘individuality’ or from ‘Paramatma’ level to ‘Jeevatma’ level.

From the beginning of creation, Sadgurus come down to earth, pick the fallen jeevatmas (living entities), try to uplift them and help them merge with the Paramatma (Supreme Lord).

If so, when do the living beings fall? When are they born? On a deeper analysis, it will be understood that though the babies are being born all through the year, their fall (descent) happens only during Monsoon.

Upon death, the individual soul travels to either the higher heavenly planets or lower hellish planets) to experience the punya- papa (merits and the sins) which arise due to actions on earth. After exhausting them, it needs to return to earth. Such a being has only one route. It needs to hold on to a drop of water that is falling on earth. Thus, through rainwater it reaches earth. It then enter into a plant. Through the plant or through its fruits it enters into a man’s body from where it reaches the mother’s womb. While in the womb, it takes on a form or a body as required and then finally falls on the earth.

While taking birth on earth can happen any time of the year, the initial fall from other worlds and its entry into the plant happens only during the rainy season! The rains begin in this ‘ashāda’ (around july) month. This is the month when Yatis begin their Chaturmasya.

Bhaktimala Aug 99