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Dwarka News: Dwarkadheesh Shri KRshNa played Holi this week
- Thread starter ameyAtmA
- Start date
ajay0
Well-Known Member
"Holi is about recognizing that essentially, life is an exuberant process. On this day, I want you to be at maximum aliveness because to be alive is the most precious thing. " - Sadhguru
"Holi is another expression of the exuberance of this culture. This exuberance is possible only because of conscious shedding of the past." - Sadhguru
Burning the past, you gear up for a new beginning. - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
The mind tends to live in past memories and imagination of the future, unconsciously missing the present moment awareness, which is the source of physical and mental vitality and joy.
I have noticed that those suffering from trauma often relive their past in conversations and so on. This is because the past is dominating them and forcing them to miss the present.
Festivals like Holi helps people to be more playful which is considered to be an antidote to ego created by domination of the past.
That was such an apt description of the goal of Holi.
Someone asked "How do Hindus celebrate Holi" and I realized I had not done justice to that question, so I will answer it here and link to it.
----
One aspect of Holi is derived from 'Holika'. Prahlad was a 5 year old wise son of the demon HiraNyakashyapu. Prahlad was an exception in his clan because he was an exceptional devotee of Shri VishNu since birth - actually since in the womb. This is because DevaRshi Narad the celestial sage visited Prahlad's mother when she was pregnant and gave her diksha in all about devotion to the Supreme Lord VishNu.
HiraNyakashyapu could not stand Prahlad's one-pointed devotion to VishNu. Being a demon he was an enemy of VishNu who had killed his cruel earth-destroyer brother HiraNyAksh in the form of Yadnya-VarAha (the boar avatar). He commanded his son to STOP worshipping VishNu. Prahlad refused to stop chanting VishNu's names and glories , and influenced his school friends who were also being taught the demon protocols of boycotting VishNu worship.
HiraNyakashyapu was cruel, selfish and went to the lengths of trying to kill his son by cruel means - throwing him off a cliff, trying to burn him! Prahlad was saved by VishNu - the protector of His devotees, each time.
At the last attempt at fire --- HiraNyakashyapu's sister Holika suggested she will hold Prahlad in her lap and since she had the boon from the Goddess that fire (Agni) cannot affect her, she will be saved but Prahlad will be killed. [Writing this makes me shudder actually]
Little did she remember that the boon she had was applicable only if used for a noble selfless cause, not to kill her own nephew. So Holika died of burn wounds while Prahlad was miraculously saved.
Hence this day, PhAlguni PaurNimA (full moon day in the lunar month of PhAlgun) is celebrated by creating a bon-fire-like 'holi' using cow-dung or wood as fuel. This is called Holika dahan (symbolizes strength and victory of pure devotion against wickedness - that loses). A lamp is lit and the neighborhood community that has the common bon-fire gets together goes around the fire.
There is a short puja - in homes of those who observe it. PuraN-PoLi -- a sweet made of chick-pea, jaggery and wheat, garnished with ghee and eaten with milk is the specialty of Holi Purnima day.
The next day is actually called 'ranga-panchami' which is when the colors, colored water (pichkari) are thrown at each other. This is actually an invention of Shri KRshNa - who is a pUrNa avatAr of VishNu, to bring communities together with mutual love and unity.
The legend goes : Lord Krishna, who is known to be very mischievous and playful was concerned about his complexion (dark) and thought that Radha would never like him because she was extremely fair. On complaining about the same to his mother Yashoda (Maiyya, why am I so dark and why is Radha so fair?) , Maiyya asked him to apply colour on Radha and so he did making her look like him. Since that day, the festival became about sprinkling people with colour and Holi also became the festival of love.
In Barsana - Radha's town, Holi is celebrated in a unique way -- known as laTh-maar Holi where the women of Barsana hold a stick each to hit anyone (especially men or boys) who come to their premises to throw Holi colors or water. They shoo them away with the laTh (laaThi - stick) and the men hold a dhaal (shield) to protect themselves from the blows.
It is obvious that this tradition from thousands of years in Barsana must have come up because the girls and women of Barsana (gopis) wanted to avoid getting the color thrown on their clothes -- since the days of Shri KRshNa leela in dvApar yug.
Today devotees honor their IshTa dev , especially Krishna , by applying gulAl to His Lotus Feet , and to Bal KrishNa's cheeks as a token symbol for celebrating the day. Of course , the sweets are part of the celebration.
Someone asked "How do Hindus celebrate Holi" and I realized I had not done justice to that question, so I will answer it here and link to it.
----
One aspect of Holi is derived from 'Holika'. Prahlad was a 5 year old wise son of the demon HiraNyakashyapu. Prahlad was an exception in his clan because he was an exceptional devotee of Shri VishNu since birth - actually since in the womb. This is because DevaRshi Narad the celestial sage visited Prahlad's mother when she was pregnant and gave her diksha in all about devotion to the Supreme Lord VishNu.
HiraNyakashyapu could not stand Prahlad's one-pointed devotion to VishNu. Being a demon he was an enemy of VishNu who had killed his cruel earth-destroyer brother HiraNyAksh in the form of Yadnya-VarAha (the boar avatar). He commanded his son to STOP worshipping VishNu. Prahlad refused to stop chanting VishNu's names and glories , and influenced his school friends who were also being taught the demon protocols of boycotting VishNu worship.
HiraNyakashyapu was cruel, selfish and went to the lengths of trying to kill his son by cruel means - throwing him off a cliff, trying to burn him! Prahlad was saved by VishNu - the protector of His devotees, each time.
At the last attempt at fire --- HiraNyakashyapu's sister Holika suggested she will hold Prahlad in her lap and since she had the boon from the Goddess that fire (Agni) cannot affect her, she will be saved but Prahlad will be killed. [Writing this makes me shudder actually]
Little did she remember that the boon she had was applicable only if used for a noble selfless cause, not to kill her own nephew. So Holika died of burn wounds while Prahlad was miraculously saved.
Hence this day, PhAlguni PaurNimA (full moon day in the lunar month of PhAlgun) is celebrated by creating a bon-fire-like 'holi' using cow-dung or wood as fuel. This is called Holika dahan (symbolizes strength and victory of pure devotion against wickedness - that loses). A lamp is lit and the neighborhood community that has the common bon-fire gets together goes around the fire.
There is a short puja - in homes of those who observe it. PuraN-PoLi -- a sweet made of chick-pea, jaggery and wheat, garnished with ghee and eaten with milk is the specialty of Holi Purnima day.
The next day is actually called 'ranga-panchami' which is when the colors, colored water (pichkari) are thrown at each other. This is actually an invention of Shri KRshNa - who is a pUrNa avatAr of VishNu, to bring communities together with mutual love and unity.
The legend goes : Lord Krishna, who is known to be very mischievous and playful was concerned about his complexion (dark) and thought that Radha would never like him because she was extremely fair. On complaining about the same to his mother Yashoda (Maiyya, why am I so dark and why is Radha so fair?) , Maiyya asked him to apply colour on Radha and so he did making her look like him. Since that day, the festival became about sprinkling people with colour and Holi also became the festival of love.
In Barsana - Radha's town, Holi is celebrated in a unique way -- known as laTh-maar Holi where the women of Barsana hold a stick each to hit anyone (especially men or boys) who come to their premises to throw Holi colors or water. They shoo them away with the laTh (laaThi - stick) and the men hold a dhaal (shield) to protect themselves from the blows.
It is obvious that this tradition from thousands of years in Barsana must have come up because the girls and women of Barsana (gopis) wanted to avoid getting the color thrown on their clothes -- since the days of Shri KRshNa leela in dvApar yug.
Today devotees honor their IshTa dev , especially Krishna , by applying gulAl to His Lotus Feet , and to Bal KrishNa's cheeks as a token symbol for celebrating the day. Of course , the sweets are part of the celebration.
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