#GuruPurnima, #KokilaVratStory, #VyasPurnima,
Importance of Guru Purnima and Story of Kokila Vrat
The Guru, by facilitating the path for his disciples to aesthetically meet God, makes disciples free from the bondage of birth and death, so the Guru's place in the world is of special importance. By the grace of Parashar ji, Ved Vyas ji was incarnated on the full moon day of Ashada month, hence, Ashadh Shukla Purnima is specially worshiped by his people to worship their Guru. Maharshi Vyas Ji is also considered the guru of the gurus. This Guru Puja is world-famous. It is also called the festival of Vyas Puja.
Just as knowledge cannot be salvation without science, similarly knowledge cannot be attained without connection with Sadhguru. The Guru makes you sail through the ocean of the world and his knowledge is said to be like a boat, a man, after getting this knowledge, crosses from Bhavsagar and becomes grateful.
It is Written in Shree Ram Charitra Manas that
Shri guru charan Saroj Raj nij man mukursudhaari I Baranau Raghuvar bimal jasu jo daayak phal chaari II
After cleansing with the dust of holy Guru's Lotus feet the mirror of the mind, I, henceforth describe the pure, untained fame of Shri Raghuvar that goes to award the four fruits of life [ Religion (Dharma), Wealth (Artha), Lust (Kama), and Salvation (Moksha) ]
Guru Purnima is also called Vyas Purnima. Ved Vyas ji, is the son of Parashar Rishi, said to his mother shortly after birth, now I have to go to penance. Mother said children are born to serve their parents, to complete the unfinished work of the parents but you are going away from us now. Vyas ji said, his birth happened for some purpose but he will appear before her whenever she will remember him. Vyas ji then left for Badrika's ashram and started living in solitude there.
He is also called ‘Badarayana’ because he is used to live on a tree in Badrika Ashram. Vyas Ji's incarnation took place on the island, hence his other name is Dvaipayan. As he was of dark complexion (black) so he is also called Krishnadapayana. He expanded the Vedas hence his name is also, Ved Vyas. It is difficult to find a poet bigger than him, the teacher of the unlimited ocean of knowledge. Ashadh Shukla Purnima is named Vyas Purnima only after the name of Lord Ved Vyas.
It is considered the biggest Purnima (full moon), among all Purnimas; Because this Purnima gives you the knowledge of God, leads to the meditation of God and embarks your journey towards the love of God. It is also called 'Guru Purnima'.
Vyas Ji did the Vedas portfolios. Vyas Ji created the 'Brahma Sutra'. The fifth Veda Mahabharata was created by Vyas Ji. Bhakti Granth Bhagavata Purana is also composed by Vyas Ji and the other 17 Puranas have also been given by Lord Ved Vyas Ji. All the religious texts in the world, irrespective of the religious sect, if there are any sattvic and welfare things in them, they are directly taken from the scriptures of Lord Ved Vyas Ji.
Story
Daksha once organized a grand yajna to which all the Gods were invited, with the exception of Sati and Shiva. Wanting to visit her parents, relatives, and childhood friends, Sati sought to rationalize this omission. She reasoned within herself that her parents had neglected to make a formal invitation to them only because, as family, such formality was unnecessary; certainly, she needed no invitation to visit her own mother and would go anyway. Shiva sought to dissuade her, but she was resolved upon going;
Sati realized during yagna that abuse was being heaped on Shiva only because he had wed her; she was the cause of this dishonor to her husband. Her intense anger made her assume the celestial form of Adishakti. Adishakti burnt Sati's body because of her radiance and heat as she was the Goddess of all energy and power. Shiva sensed this catastrophe, and his rage was incomparable. He danced the terrible Tandava or Rudratandava, a terrible dance of destruction and the power of his dance wrought havoc upon the Earth and threatened to give rise to Pralaya or the Great Destruction.
Lord Vishnu went to Lord Shankar to calm his rage. After the night of horror, Shiva, the all-forgiving, restored all but cursed Sati, who did not follow his advice to become night angle or Kokila for the next 10,000 years. Sati transformed into Kokila or night angle remained in Nandanavan for 10,000 years in the form of Kokila, after this, she incarnated in the form of Parvati. She fasted in the month of Ashada and as a result, she received Lord Shiva as her husband.
This fast, which is observed on the day of Ashadh Purnima, begins the fasting for the whole life. In this fast, the Goddess is worshiped in a cuckoo form. It is said that Mother Sati worshipped for years to get Lord Shiva in cuckoo form. she did penance, and as auspicious result of her penance, she was incarnated as Parvati and got married to Lord Shiva.
