Whilst the asura King Hiranyakashyapu was busy unleashing a reign of terror on earth, his son Prahlada was absorbed in his devotion to Lord Vishnu, much to the chagrin of his haughty father. The evil king had abolished all divine worship, anointing himself as the supreme deity that everyone should bow to, and naturally he was eternally angry with his little son, who took no heed of his warnings.
Having tried and failed with all possible ways to assassinate his own son, Hiranyakashyapu turned to his evil sister Holika, who had magical and illusory powers, to help put an end to the menace that he considered Prahlada. Holika was delighted, and told her brother about the boon she had where she could enter a burning fire and come out unscathed. She proposed that she would make Prahlada sit in her lap, charring him, whilst she would remain unaffected, and that would be the last they would see of him.
So arrangements were made, and a pyre was lit. As Holika entered the burning flames, she motioned for little Prahlada to follow her, who stepped in unperturbed, still chanting ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’, focussed on Lord Vishnu as ever. He came and sat in his aunt Holika’s lap, and much to her horror, the flames consumed her, reducing her to ashes, leaving Prahlada completely unaffected. After all, precious little of anything could harm one of Lord Vishu’s favourite devotees! The evil demon king was distraught, losing his sister, and both angry and worried how his little son had survived a burning fire!
The story is an important reminder of how wishing harm for another can very often cause us to dig a pit for ourselves. We may be consumed by feelings of inadequacy, anger or jealousy, which may cause us to plot the downfall of a colleague or a relative, without realising the karmic implications of such an evil enterprise. Rather than focusing on extinguishing the flame of another, we ought to focus on making our own flame burn brighter and serve as an inspiration for others to follow.
Holi is a great time to come together and celebrate the victory of good over evil, and foster a sense of community and belonging. The bright colours reflect the changing season as a monochrome winter gives way to a colourful spring, with flowers and vegetation returning back to life from hibernation. So we prepare to celebrate this most joyous and fun of festivals, let’s feel complete in ourselves and wish well for everyone! Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah!
