Why is Guru Poornima referred as Vyas Purnima?

Guru Poornima is also popularly known as Vyas Purnima after Sage Vyasa. Most people recognize Sage Vyas as the author of epic Mahabharata. But Saint Vyas is also a compiler and editor of popular Holy Scriptures associated with Hinduism including the Vedas and the Puranas. In 2017, Vyas Purnima is on July 9.

The unparalled knowledge of Santana Dharma that were only registered in the memory of great sages and which were passed on orally from Guru to Shishya for generations was for the first compiled and written down by Sage Vyasa. It is believed that Sage Vyas completed the compilation of the four Vedas on the Purnima day and therefore the day is referred as Vyas Poornima.

The Vedas were written for the first time on ‘Bhoj Patra’ and to complete this job Sage Vyas chose a secluded place and even his close disciples were not allowed to visit him. He went into deep mediation and wrote down from memory the great teachings of the Saints of yesteryear. Knowledge which was passed down orally for generations was for the first time written down for future generations. When Sage Vyas gave darshan to his disciples after completing the Vedas, they referred to the day as Guru Purnima as Sage Vyasa was their Guru.