Holi-its Vedic significance

Holi-its Vedic significance...

Holi, in virtual Vedic sense is referred to as HOLI'ASHTAKA dahaan or Holi-aagni-dahaan. In actual fact Holi as such is NOT celebrated, it is the "DHULETTI", thereafter or the clearer even meaning implying the immortality of divine eternal supreme VISHNOO or PARAM-ATMAN, whose colour never ever ceases to manifest in rainbows.............So it is the "DHULETTI" that we truly celebrate in colour, dance, music, and fusion of delight in rejoicing the dissolution of evil, darkness, ignorance, stubbornness, ego, selfishness, greed, lust, and the drought...The rain is considered to be auspicious and hence most parts of INDIA around Dhuletti time, it rains. Basically it is the seeking of boon from the higher order the celestial to grant abundance of rain, proliferations, wealth, and fertility to mother earth. Dhuletti is second swaroopam of HOLI, it is the MAA swaroop that is calm, happy and enchantingly overjoyed for the victory of divine over evil (demonic). Dhuletti is what we truly celebrate. Holi-dahaan is a sacrificial fire we invoke and that is why traditionally on the eve of holi, we feed the HOLI fire with grains, ghee, camphor, coconut, jaggery, and give our utmost respect to the bone-fire. The eight or in other parts of India, nine days to Dhuletti signify HOLASHTTAKA. During these eight days, traditionally, penances and jaap and deep sadhana are dedicated to VISHNOO AND Vaishnoodevimata. In northern India, the Vaishnoodevimata hymns and rites and rituals are recited. Maa Vaishnoodevimata is regarded as the adi-shaktee of the kalki-avataar of Eishwaar God (Vishnoo). Eight is therefore considered as number for CHANGE, KARMA, ETERNITY, CELESTIAL SHE SHAKTI, SHAKTI-THAT MOVES and transforms. Main spiritual point of ashthaka-sidhi is transformation from the IGNORANCE TO ILLUMINATION, from the DARKNESS TO LIGHTNESS, from the HATRED to LOVE, from DEATH to IMMORTALITY, from EGOISM to SPIRITUAL AWARENESS. Holi is a she agnee, a fire of self sacrifice, a boon of self-destruction of the internal conflicts and internal congruence. Hence most bone-fires are lit externally in the open air...That is the traditional INDIAN holi as it is. Holi is NOT considered to be a very auspicious occasion rather a sad, remorseful occasion whence we reflect our own life karma and reflect upon our own thoughts and reflect upon our own negativities.....Once, we overcome our own internal fire and rage of anger, sovereignty, egotism, selfishness, greed, desires, and obsessions, we realise that out of the sublime tranquillity and serenity emanates the colourful joy of true light of delight - that which is the EISHWAARYEI JYOTTEE = PARAMJYOTT. In this delight, we transform from the number eight into the number nine format and we become HAMNSSA LIKE (swan like) ever pure, white and calm, on the surface of dirty waters, muddy waters, yet white and detached from all, this, that and the other......we begin to enjoy a happiness that is truly ours - a happiness that is not measured by things, or people but that which transpires in sheer magical occurrences just as the beautiful dusk and the dawn whisper without words in the silent moments of time ---------SHIVOHUMSHIVOOOOOOOOO...ShivohumShivo.....Hamnssa-Hamnssa swaha....Parama-Hamnssa and the entire existence rejoices in the moola mantra of divinity:

"AUM JAYA SATT-CHITT ANANDAA PARA-BRAHMA PURSHOTTAMA PARAMAATMA SHREE BHAGAVATTEE SAMMETHAA SHRI BHAGAVATE EISHWARA NAMAH AUM NARAYANAYA TAT SAT SWAHA"

This is extremely essential perception of MOOLA mantra and why we must endeavour to understand our own Vedic culture in its truest sense rather than that passed on to us in not so clear meanings.

Jyotikar Pattni

March, 11th, 2006.
Copyrights strictly reserved.

Holi commemorates the end of Vedic Year

By Jyotikar Pattni

“In blaze, my spirit of life burns its flame; in blaze burning in the flame of Holi is the dualism of all that matters.”

In good health and wonderful environment, filled with placid planets, when the weather is most pleasant and the spring flowers are in full bloom, skies are clear, days are warm and nights are pleasantly cool, what more could one ask for, except to be covered in the "ranga" (colour) of your beloved!

Health is true wealth and the regulated fire of life burning gracefully is the real true divine fire ‘agnee’ in happy and harmonious state.

To enjoy this human life is but our human right.

However, Vedas call upon the cosmic energies constantly, consistently, and perpetually orchestrates our divinity to feel at one with human life, the light of illumination bestows hope and the flame of sacred dissolution ‘nirritti-bhasma-agnee’ constantly cleanses the dirt, pollution, camouflages, and diseases.

Does one save the world elapsing in time or does one save one’s own spirit of life from becoming worthless ashes of disparity!

Time forever moves onwards forward towards its perpetuity in a never failing karmic cycle comprising the rotation and revolution from the dusk to the dawn. Never ceasing, it moves away from life of life into the eternity beyond the space ‘akaal’ (beyond which death manifests not).

The Vedic Time (Kaal) is held by the two nodes namely the northern hemisphere node where at the nectar of ‘amrutt’ is held and the southern hemisphere where at the point of death is construed as being the destiny of mortals of the earthly humankind. Hence, the humankind can only live, experience and journey this human life in the passage of time under imperfect conditions and imperfect circumstances. End of a cycle means change.

When a human spirit of life is freed from its ‘Karma’ (collective human deeds), the individual soul travels beyond the northern hemisphere into another sphere either the spiritual sphere or the celestial world where at it becomes either one of the cosmic stars or disperses into the ether and never get re-born.

Moksha-muktee (spiritual liberation) is rare, ideally known as soul salvation of the jivan atman (individual soul) merging into param atman (divine cosmic soul)!

The entire philosophical religion of the Vedas culminates the cycle of life and death in stages of karma.

The Vedas speak of birth, growth, spiritualism, enlightenment, awareness, light and delight on the one hand of progressively moving towards the illumination.

On the other hand, the Vedas look at dissolving karma, neutralising bad karma and dissolving and destroying the un-worthy, non-useful or negative karma or karma that brings darkness. From the mundane gross dreary darkness of ignorance, manifests all the illusions that entice the fiery of fire of earthly life – The fire of life burns away the purity of ‘swastha-pranna’ (divine life-breath) and creates toxins through vikarma (adverse karma). These toxins enter into our bodies and finally emanate as diseases. Disease, plight, grief, adversities, sorrows, sufferings, pain, hurt, and anguish, stare at us in agony as if almost causing us to fret and to fear from life of life.

Vedic mantras are initiated by the spark of Agnee; the Vedas invoke the cosmic celestial gods like the ‘Surya’ (cosmic soul), ‘Chandra’ (cosmic mind), the deities of the cosmos namely AGNEE, VAYAU, YAMA, NIRRITTA, KUBERA, VARUNA, ISSANAYE, RUDRA, BRIHASPATTAYE, VASUS, NAKSHATTARA, RASHI, etc., and all the planets and constellations, put together to proliferate progressive mantras and mantras of the Surya. Brahma wisdom never leaves out the flame of fire - agnee.

The flame of fire is twofold. One is ‘divine agnee’ and the other is nirritti-bhasma or the destruction flame. Divine flame brings proliferations. Holi removes evil.

Holi is very ancient in its origin. It commemorates an ultimate triumph of the 'good' over the 'evil'. Literally "Holi" signifies "burning" in Indian language. This burning is dissolution.

The gist of VEDIC perception of flame that dissolves our karma of previous twelve months into holy fire of HOLI signifies that we cleanse our closets, our houses and our minds.

Mythology says that it is the legend of Hiranyakashipu, to whom the celebration of Holi is associated. A pyre was lit up and Holika sat on it, clutching Prahalad. Yet, at the end Prahalad emerged unscathed by the fire, And Holika, the demon, was burned to ashes. The earnest devotion and complete submission to Lord Vishnu saved young Prahlad. Thus was the triumph of Prahlad, the representative of good virtuous spirit.

Another myth says that it is from Holika, that the Holi originated. This legend is relived even today on the Holi-eve when the pyre is re-lit in the form of bonfires. Even today, people celebrate this occasion. Huge bonfires are lit up every year on the eve of the full moon night of the Holi to burn the spirit of the evils. Hence the story associated with the soul of the celebration.

Following Holi together with HOLI is “dhulletti” or colour where people all over India celebrate in colour the victory of accomplishing dissolution of bad spirits, burning of bad karma and bad feelings, removing negative thoughts, and cleansing our consciousness.

The Vedic meaning behind HOLI can only be co-related to its metaphysical and physical consciences within the confines of time, space, karma, and life here on human earth. Astrologically therefore, HOLI is a time for us all to remove from our lives any adverse thought, feeling, or energy into the pyre of flame of holi.

Holi signify dissolution of old thoughts, worn out pattern of lifestyles and rejuvenating our life with the true life breath filled with renewed revitalised spiritual HEALTH, consciousness, virtue, religion, compassion, love, and above all awareness of the world around us, the world within us and the world beyond us. If we truly implement the scientific meaning of HOLI, then the VEDAS are rightfully correct. Every so often, we need to cleanse our body, our homes, our minds, our consciousness, our hearts, our spirits, our sublime intellect and our subtle karma. HOLI entails all of these.

God give you joy. God give you grace; to shield the truth and smite the wrong, to honour Virtue, Valour, and humane Worth; to cherish universal faith and foster divine song. So may the lustre of your days outshine the deeds.

JAYA AMBE!

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