The Festival of Colour: Dola-Purnimaa (Holi) and Its Roots in Vedic Knowledge. Consciousness and the Colours (varNa).
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The Festival of Colour: Dola-Purnimaa (Holi) and Its Roots in Vedic Knowledge. Consciousness and the Colours (varNa).
Preface.
This is a piece of sacred speech delivered by the seer (RiShi) Shri. BijoyKrishna Chattopadhyay, also known as Howrah's Thakur (the God of Howrah). Howrah is a city near Kolkata, located in West Bengal, India.
This sermon is on the Indian festival called 'Holi'—the festival of colour, and it is rooted in the Vedic ceremony called 'hindola', and also in the myth related to the demoness 'holikaa'. Thus, it is known as 'dola', as well as 'holi'. dola means a cradle or a swing; hindola also means the same. However, a more appropriate meaning of hindola should be hiM-dola—the swing or the inward-outward movement of the heart (hRidaya) caused by the 'assuring response' of Consciousness, called 'hiM' or the 'hiMkaaraa'. 'hiMkaaraa' is known as the first 'stobha' as mentioned in saama veda. The sermon of the Sage presented here narrates the 'swing (dola).'This is a translated version of the original sermon, which was delivered in the Bengali (Bangla) language.
At the end of the Sermon, I have added a portion titled 'Supplementary notes on holi-holikaa and the spring festival (vasanta-utsava)', where I have provided the explanation of some significant Sanskrit words related to 'holi' and 'phalgu'.
Portions of His sacred teachings on Universal Consciousness and the universe manifest within Consciousness are preserved across several volumes of a work titled 'veda-vaaNii' (“The Voice of the Vedas”). The first volume is available here: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.456960.
He also authored a number of books on Consciousness and Its governing principles, describing the universe as realized within Consciousness, and relating his own spiritual realizations to the sacred texts of the Vedas, Upanishads, Tantras, Brahma-Sutra, Chandii, and other related traditions.
Two of his well-known works are Ritambhara and Geetaar Yaugik Vyaakhyaa (The Yogic Explanation of the Gita).His sermons teach how to live daily life in awareness of the omniscient, eternal Consciousness—from which everything is created, of which everything is composed, and by which every being is governed. They illustrate how divinity and mortality are seamlessly intertwined. He taught that “words” are the defined forms of Consciousness, and that everything is a manifestation of Consciousness as words.
Listening to such Conscious words is called 'shruti.' The term shruti means “that which is heard,” and is also another name for the Vedas. The word 'veda' itself means “knowledge” or “to know.” Thus, while addressing his disciples, he would often say: “You do not need to perform anything; just listen to my words.” This reflects his teaching that the words of an Enlightened Being can themselves act divinely upon the listener.
He chose to remain away from crowds and public recognition, though many well-known spiritual figures sought his guidance. The sage Omkaranath Thakur is said to have approached him for spiritual assistance, as mentioned in the biography of the sage. Anandamayi Ma also visited him, among others.During the annual worship of Goddess Durga and Vishva-Mata (the Universal Mother) conducted by him, many spiritually advanced practitioners—including Tantrics from the Kamakhya Temple—would attend the observances.
I will try to translate and publish some more of His sermons recorded in the 'veda-vaaNii', and elsewhere.
(debkumar.lahiri@gmail.com)
Introductory notes.1 All Sanskrit words in this text are written in Itrans (Indian Languages Transliteration) version, and in Itallic fonts.
2. The pronouns and nouns written as 'He', 'It', 'She','Deity','Goddess', etc., with the first letter in upper casing are used to represent 'Consciousness.'
3. In the language of Sanskrit, the words 'self' and 'soul' are two different words having different implications.
The word for the 'self' is 'asmad', and the first person singular nominative case of 'asmad' is 'aham'. So, 'aham' means 'I am'.
Self is emitted within Consciousness from the Soul; as the Soul asserts itself as 'I am' (aham) It becomes a 'self'.
Every such 'self' is associated with perceptions like 'vision', 'taste', etc., or subtler feelings like 'joy', 'sorrow', 'envy', etc. Thus, the 'self' is always coloured; it can assume any colour created out of the permutations and combinations of the letters starting from the first vowel 'a' and the last consonant 'ha' in Sanskrit. This is why 'I am' is called 'aham'. Every letter is a form of Consciousness, and has a specific colour.
The Sanskrit words for 'soul' are 'aatman, 'svayam', and 'nija'. Each of these words has specific implications. Like the word 'nija' means: 'ni +ja' —ni = nirantara=incessantly; ja = generate; so, nija means the One who is generating oneself as the 'self' and all other perceptions. 'nija' also means, 'naasti janma yasya'—the one who is never born—the perpetual, ,immutable One.
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A Sermon on dolaa-puurNimaa. (Translated from Bengali language.)
This is the land inhabited by the RiShis (the Seers) who realized brahman. The Seers have filled this land with the words born of their experience of brahman.
Numerous festivals and observances are deeply ingrained in this country! When viewed through the vision illuminated by the knowledge of brahmaN, one can discern that within these observances there shines a glimpse of one or another aspect of the Supreme Reality.
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[Publisher's note: (i) brahman= Consciousness who is unfolding Itself in infinite recurrence; the word derives from the verb bRih meaning 'to grow.
(ii) RiShi = A Seer—who perceives across all dimensions of time.]
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Even small rituals, time-honoured tales, or legends may be taken as symbolic representations of subtle and complex aspects of brahman—for example, the playing of colours during Dol (Holi), or the story of satyakaama, the son of jaabaalaa without lineage.
What is the significance of this playing with the colours? Whatever colour (character) you exhibit, with whatever your mind and desire are occupied, offer them all to your divine self. You are intoxicated with the flavours of spouse and children, of parents, of possessions and wealth—offer all these to 'Him'..
Say :
“You alone are my father and mother;
You alone are my kin and friend;
You alone are my knowledge and wealth;
You alone are everything to me, O Lord of Lords.”
The One whom you address as Bhagavatii at one end—when seen from another—is She who is the very essence and flavour of all.
Be it friend or foe, joy or sorrow—everything is in Her. How all-consuming is Her power! However you receive Her, She does not shrink from anything. Her attitude seems to be: “Do whatever you wish with me.”
However, so long as one has not realized the Supreme Reality, one cannot perceive oneself in Her—what, then, can one do? A sense of awe arises, and the accumulated muck and impurities of one's own life seem to cling and hold one back.
Blessed are the ideals set by the RiShis (the Seers)! Blessed is their vision! We are forgetting to follow in their footsteps. We have lost the thread that reveals why they established this phalgu festival.
[ Publisher's note: phalgu is explained in the section titled 'Supplementary Notes' below.]
If the knowledge shines in the heart that when I say “father,” “brother,” or “friend,” I am addressing none other than Him, then would the movement of human consciousness ever be obstructed? The more one practices this attitude, the more fearlessness arises. Then any kind of relationship with Him becomes possible.
If you wish to engage with Him in true intimacy, keep looking toward Him—toward this Light. Not only that: as you apply your colours to Him, He will in turn pour His own qualities—sovereignty, freedom, lordship, etc.,—upon you. Adore Him with a phalgu (with a colour—with a fervour)—call Him mother, brother, enemy, friend—and see how He reveals Himself. Then you will truly be blessed and understand with whom you are dealing. This is not mere imagination.
The outward-moving tendency of the heart or praana (active Consciousness initiating and animating) is called the senses (indriya) —the “seer of objects.” Their function is twofold: to bring things from outside inward, and to project from within outward. This two-way movement is called dola (swing). In this movement, behold Govinda (govinda)—the One who directs your senses.
(The verse says):
"dolaayam govindaM dRiShtvaa
maala~che madhusuudanam
rathe cha vaamanam dRiShtvaa
puuNarjanma na vidyate'
Madhusuudana in the garden,
and Vaamana upon the chariot—
one is freed from rebirth.)
“He who sees Govinda (govinda) in the swing, madhusuudana in the garden, and vaamana in the chariot—such a one is freed from rebirth.”
[Publisher’s note: govinda= go +vinda; go—the senses, cognitive faculties, and organs of actions by which we are living and active—we go around; vinda— owner/possessor.]
Now understand “garden” (maalancha): it means this vast, beautiful, and glorious world.
madhusuudana is He who destroys the dual tendencies of mortal beings, called madhu and kaiṭabha: (1) the restless search for small external objects, or the desire driving to do so—this is madhu; (2) the collecting and hoarding tendency; searching and clinging to what is obtained—grasping it; this is the habit of a worm (kiiTa); whatever it collects, it preserves in a confinement—in a small box. In this beautiful world, your eyes constantly run toward objects. To destroy this madhu one must behold madhusuudana within the world itself.
[Publisher's note: ‘madhu’ means ‘sweet’ or ‘charming’; in the present context, it signifies an attraction toward—and a subjugation to—that which is sweet and charming]
To see vaamana in the chariot—vaamana means vaamadeva, the bestower of spiritual attainments (siddhi). He abides in the chariot of your heart, or in the inner sky, and directs the movement of your chariot—that is, the movement of your heart.
He says, “Tell me, where shall I take this chariot? I dwell in the subtle space of impressions (saMskaara) within your heart’s chariot.”
Just as, on the battlefield of kurukShetra, Govinda* (govinda) sat upon Arjuna’s chariot, holding the reins and guiding it, so do I, dwelling here in your heart’s chariot—in that inner, impression-filled sky—pour forth all attainments into you. This is what it means to behold vaamana in the chariot.
[Publisher's note: *Govinda is a name of Krishna (kRiShNa) who was the charioteer of Arjun's chariot.]
Therefore, one must first behold Govinda (govinda) in the swing (dola). There, in the form of Govinda (govinda), He directs the twofold, life-driven movement of your vital being—guiding and tending the “cows” (the senses).
Again, within your own maalancha—that is, in the gross field of your bodily world—He Himself, as madhusuudana, destroys your limited individuality.
And again, seizing and working through the knots of your saMskaara (impressions), 'He', in the form of vaamana, directs the chariot of your heart.
How wondrous this is!
vaamana is the very embodiment of Soul (aatman)-awareness. He Himself is the hand; He Himself is the eye. You say, “my hand,” “my foot.” Just once say: “He Himself is the hand, the foot, the eye, the ear.” Then the knot of brahma-granthi will burst open.
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[Publisher's note: 'brahma-granthi' refers to the domain of the mind where a being is bound by the knots of physical limitation. When the brahma-granthi bursts open, it means that the knots binding us to physicality are torn apart.]
“This Soul is all action, all desire, all sound, all touch, all essence, all form, and of true resolve.”
He is complete in every attribute—He Himself is all forms, all essences, and more.
All forms are here. What form do you wish to see? Even that form which you have never seen—the enchanting form—is present here.
Your child may have no apparent virtues—dark, thin, with a swollen belly—yet how beautiful he appears in your eyes, simply because he is your child. In this way, the Divine Mother is present in all forms and all essences.
Such is the Mother—what can one do but melt into Her? What joy, what delight there is in embracing Her!
It is not only form and essence that are present here; all powers are here as well—subtle attainments such as animaa (minuteness), laghimaa (lightness), iishitva (lordship), even the fulfillment of all desires.That all this should be attainable for a human being—just consider it once!
From an external standpoint, it appears: where is God, and where am I? He is so great, and I am so insignificant. There is not even any sign that I am related to Him.
In this small life of mine, though I am related to vishvanaatha (lord of the Universe), there is hardly any response to that connection. The heart does not awaken to establish a living relation with Him.
But what do I now perceive? All the attainments, all the glories—even lordship—of this Deity who is Consciousness, are accessible to me.
Know Him. See Him once with the vision of what He truly is.
Say, just once:
“O my Deity of Consciousness, You are Light itself; verily, You are my world." Whom I call brother, sister, wife, or son—all of them are truly You. Even the power and lordship that I speak of—these too are You. Even what I call my own selfhood—that too is You.”
Beyond Him, where shall I step? Where is there anything to supersede Him?
He says: “Why are you so hesitant? If you wish to enjoy your food, go ahead—there is nothing to fear.
Have I ever prevented you from eating? I always eat with you. When you eat, why do you not take Me along? Why do you keep Me apart?
When you delight in your family and in all that you possess, that is perfectly fine—but why am I left out? You behave as if I were not there.
Whatever flavour you long for in the spirit of your life, it is I who bring it forth to you; if I do not enter into you as the sense of 'your wife', no wife exists for you; if I don't enter into you as the sense of 'your son', no son exists for you.
If I am not there, how would your knowledge of the wife or the son arise? Then what makes you desert Me ? Take Me along with you, and whatever satisfaction you derive from life now, I will amplify it manyfold.
How much essence do you obtain in your present state of life? Whatever fixed and limited qualities your wife possesses, you are entitled only to that much. She may be beautiful, but that beauty remains limited. Attach Me to her, and you will find her beauty unfolding into infinity".
The Deity whose presence thus removes all obstacles and limitations is called vaikuNThapati—the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha.
Do not hesitate—come to Me”: this is His call. But I am steeped in sin—I have no awareness of this. Yet, when You can be so much to me, then appear before me in such a way that I can never leave You.
O my Teacher—O my Deity—illumine my impressions (instincts) and appear as the self-luminous Soul (svayam-jyoti) until I am able to embrace You.
Today, love has arisen in me—I long for You, having caught a glimpse of You. Yet my strength is inadequate; nevertheless, I must attain You.
O my Teacher—O my Deity—illumine my impressions (instincts) and appear as the self-luminous Soul (svayam-jyoti) until I am able to embrace You.
Just look within your heart. How many times you have cried to Me: “You are my life—You are the Soul, You are the Soul of the soul.” Yet, like floodwaters receding to reveal the same old earth, God remains buried underneath.
So long as He does not reveal Himself in the domain of rudra-granthi (the domain where a being remains bound by the knots of instincts/impressions, this realization does not take place. When it does, you will exclaim at once, “Who else but You could bestow this upon me?”
So, if you don't take this now, it is you to be blamed. Why so ? I have long been telling you that I have been striving to guide you toward perfection through the practice of “momentary meditation.” The consequence of this is that—'You' will stand revealed before me at the moment of my great departure (death), and only then I will relinquish this physical body. When I am still alive—still not dead, then come to me. This is the essence of 'momentary meditation'.
Now understand how this is realized. Suppose you are having a meal, and a fly lands on your nose; at that very moment, you forget the meal, abandon that great enjoyment, and raise your hand to drive it away. “Momentary meditation” works exactly in this way. However deeply you may be immersed in worldly matters, I will stir you so subtly that you will turn toward 'Me'. There is not a shred of exaggeration in this.
I speak nothing from imagination; I substantiate what I say. This has been my habit since childhood. Is there any mortal whose heart will not be desperate for relief at the final moment—who will not cry out in anguish, “O my… O my God!”?
The Divine Soul—the Self behind your self—whom I am revealing to you—if you behold Him, will you still be seized by fear at the approach of death? Will you not then cry out, “O my Divine Soul, how can death come to me while You are present?” I see my Divine, self-luminous Soul before me—where else is there to go?
Are you able to enter into relationship with this Divine Soul? If so, then adore Him with colour, saying: “namaste bahuruupaaya viShNave paramaatmane—I bow to Viṣṇu, the Supreme Soul, who exists in many forms."
But how will you remove the many colours you have applied to Him? It is for this reason that the ablution of the Deity is performed at the end of the colour festival—to behold Him beyond all hues. “I am all colours; therefore, no particular shade can stain Me. Though I appear smeared with all colours, I remain untouched." It is like a mirror, upon whose surface colour does not adhere.
God indeed assumes all colours, yet in truth He anoints Himself by becoming those very colours.
That is why, though anointed, He remains unchanged—as if not anointed at all. What a wondrous truth this is! If it were not so—if He were to remain stained by the colours—then how could He be the Deity worshipped by one who seeks nothing? Such a seeker would have to turn to another deity.
The Deity declares that He has not changed in the least, even after being anointed with so many colours. Thus, even to the one who says, “I want nothing,” He can say, “Very well—you want nothing; then come to Me for that very state."
The One who has manifested as satyaM (Truth/Realization)- j~naanaM (Knowledge/Perception)-anantaM (Infinity and Eternity)-brahma (the ever-unfolding Consciousness)—is this very God. This realization drives one utterly mad.All cognitive properties are rooted in Him. That He is all entities is true; at the same time, that He is none is also true. This may sound paradoxical, yet every entity in the universe is grounded in this truth. Waves exist in water, and it is the water itself that undulates as waves; yet in Consciousness, the two are distinct, though without any conflict. Similarly, a golden ornament and gold are distinct, yet not in conflict. Water remains water even when it becomes waves; gold remains unchanged even after being transformed into an ornament—you can reshape the same gold into many other forms.
In the same manner, this Deity is full of the essence of all things and can bestow everything; yet, in His essential nature as the Soul, you will not find any particular essence , though all essence arises from Him.
You cannot limit yourself to treading in a single direction while seeking God—looking only to the right and never to the left; it cannot happen that way. He prevails equally on both sides. He is brahman, aatman (the Soul), and also satyaM (Truth), j~naanam (Knowledge/Perception), and anantam (Infinity).What a strange contrivance this is! 'He' is not to be identified only with beauty; 'He' is also beyond beauty. The manifestation of the universe implies that activities themselves are manifested. However, no action can take place unless there are two poles. This duality is symbolized in the paired cognitive and functional aspects of our being—the two eyes, the two ears, and the two divisions of the brain (the cerebrum and the cerebellum). The right eye and the left eye both signify vision, yet they imply a bi-directional movement—one outward, the other inward.
Whenever a manifestation occurs, it arises with the specific features of both poles. Yet all these originate from that Deity who is the Soul. Whatever play “He” enacts, “He” expresses through these dual aspects. This is how “He” unfolds His play. Wherever an action arises, know that—dve vaava brahmaNo ruupe—brahman indeed has two forms; (that is, brahman manifests in a fundamental polarity).
The Deity who arises within me when I pray for something is the same divine Soul emerging. When I express, “I do not want anything,” that Deity—free of all particular hue—appears within me; I become wholly uncovered, naked, like Shiva, the Lord of the Void. And when I desire something, that very same Deity appears as the desiring personality. It is necessary to understand this, so that one does not miss “Him” in any state or event.
For mortal beings, this middle phase on the path to liberation is extremely critical. When a being remains immersed in ignorance, it is careless; and again, when true wisdom is attained, it becomes carefree once more.
But in this intervening phase, as you perceive the universe, you do feel its sweetness; yet, even then, you are struck by the realization that all this is of no ultimate value—that your service to God remains undone. Thus, that very sweetness turns bitter.
What a misery this is! That which appears to be a magnificent field for the enjoyment of life—where an incessant stream of perceptions flows, where there seems to be no restraint—yet, within that very field, whatever you now receive is limited. Moreover, behind it all lies the binding force, the inevitable consequence of attachment.
Food that I eat, as a consequence of my own deeds, turns into a poison generating germs that destroy the body. We then lament—life is fleeting, it offers no clarity; time is slipping away in futile activities..... What wretchedness—what a miserable condition!
Yet, whenever you get engaged in all such activities with 'Him', you cease to care about anything. You will be out of this deplorable state when the 'Guru' (the Guide) brings you to the realization that not a single act, not a single stir has arisen to harm you; rather, all this is to reveal 'bhagavatii' —the Goddess, the all-containing Consciousness.
This “Deity”—the divine personality of Consciousness—reveals how the “Goddess” exists simultaneously in two opposite states. Whether or not you are able to realize this knowledge, you must understand that this coexistence is true. Observe it intellectually in your brahma-granthi (the domain of the mind where a being is bound by the knots of physical limitation); your capacity to remain established in this knowledge (of simultaneous existence with opposite aspects) pertains to the rudra-granthi (the domain of impressions, where a being is bound by the knots of instinct).
Whether you are able to live in this knowledge or not, whether you are able to meditate or not, still remain aware of this truth: the Guru (the Guide) has shown that you are never truly affected. If you had attained this vision, you too would declare—everything remains intact. Though I assume varied forms within Consciousness, at the root—where Consciousness abides as the immutable Soul—I remain eternally as I am.
No discouragement, no despondency—there is no room for either here.
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Supplementary notes on holi-holikaa and the spring festival (vasanta-utsava).There are several other sermons of Rishi Shri. BijoyKrishna Chattopadhyaya on 'dola' and holikaa (holi) festival. We intend to publish the translated versions later.
Here are a few words on holikaa. holikaa was a demoness who was consumed by fire. She sat within the flames with the child named prahlaada on her lap, believing that prahlaada would be burnt, and she would remain unscathed. However, the opposite occurred—she was reduced to ashes, while prahlaada remained unharmed.
prahlaada is derived from aahlaaada, meaning 'joy' or 'delight;' aananda is another word for 'joy'. In this context, aananda signifies “eternal bliss,” which is experienced when the wisdom of satyam–j~naanam–anantam brahma dawns. prahlaada, then, is one who has transcended mortality and abides in eternity.
Consciousness is aatman, the Soul, wherein all abides in 'Oneness'. There is no activity in Oneness; the 'One' remains in 'One' as 'One'. When the Soul becomes active, It manifests Itself as praaNa— the animating Consciousness that initiates and operates as the dynamic principle within every being. This praaNa is agni the Divine Fire, and is the initiating personality of Consciousness in every event.
From this self-effulgent agni, each being gets its colours. 'I am' or the radiance named 'I am' (aham) is none other than this agni, who is the active personality of the Eternal Soul. If 'I am' is not perceived as united to the Universal Self and Universal Soul, that 'I' is consumed by its own perception of isolation and limitation. This is why holikaa was consumed by the fire, but prahlaada was not—for him, mortality had dissolved into divinity.
Thus this festival of colour begins with the worship of the Divine Fire—agni, the praaNa-agni.
The burning of holikaa (holikaa dahana) is also celebrated as the burning of the 'ram's shed.' A ram is called 'meSha' in Sanskrit, and is derived from the verb 'miSh'. One of the meanings of the word 'miSh' is to 'present or assert oneself before the eyes', and it implies an attitude of 'arrogance'. Thus, through self-pride, we place ourselves in the forefront, obscuring our eternal identity. The burning of the demoness holikaa, or the igniting of the 'ram's shed'—therefore signifies the realization of the eternal, effulgent Consciousness, which replaces the limited self afflicted by mortality.
The burning of a ram's shed is known as 'meSha gRiha daaha'—gRiha meaning ' house', and 'daaha' meaning 'burning'.
The Sanskrit words are sometimes formed through the rearrangement of letters. Letters are 'conscious' and also called 'varNa -maatrikaa'; maatrikaa means 'mother', and varNa means 'colour' as well as 'letter'. Consciousness manifests as these letters (varNa) or fundamental components. The conscious letters—the mothers—combine to create meaningful words—that is, defined entities.
So, the word 'holikaa' becomes 'lohikaa', when the letters are rearranged. lohikaa means anything that is made of 'loha' or iron.
The colour red is often attributed to iron; iron Oxide is used as a red pigment, and our blood is red due to hemoglobin, where iron binds with Oxygen.
loha (iron) symbolizes the physical form of Consciousness, or Consciousness in its materialized state. Oxygen, that is, air as praaNa—when it combines with any physical entity (loha/iron), it binds it with 'affection or love' that has the red hue.
The word 'raaga' signifies colour, redness, as well as loving attachment and passion; similarly, the word 'rakta' means 'red', 'devotion', and 'blood'. The term 'lohita'related to 'loha' or iron, also means 'red.' The initial colour of Consciousness, when Consciousness initiates anything, any event, is red (lohita/rohita). Thus, in Chandogya Upanishad (verse 6.4.1), it is said: yadagne rohitaM ruupaM tejaH tad ruupaM—that which is the red-hued aspect of agni is Its teja-aspect. It is for this reason that the colour of the deity 'brahmaa' is 'red'. brahmaa is the personification of the divine mind—the origin of the physical universe.
Also, the word ‘rohita’ derives from the verb ‘ruh’, which means ‘to grow’. So, Consciousness is rohita/lohita or ‘red’, because ‘He’ is ever-growing.
[It is interesting that mankind first detected the expansion of the universe in the ‘red-shift’.]
teja or tejas is the first stage of self-initiated Consciousness, oriented toward materialization into physical form. This teja/tejas is His lohita or rohita (red-hued) expression. Thus, the term loha implies any physical entity. So, lohikaa is Consciousness in this state of physicality, and holikaa is the demoness—the demoness personality of Consciousness— that veils this truth, allowing the dominance of mere physicality.
Consciousness, as praaNa—praaNa-agni, is the source of all colours,and all vision. This is why the sacred seed word (viija mantra) representing agni is raM. The Sanskrit syllable ra implies 'radiance, brightness.'
It is noteworthy that both the Bengali and in the Iranian language, 'raM' or 'rang' means 'colour'.
(It is interesting to note the phonetic semblance among the English word 'ram', the syllable 'raM', and the Iranian word 'rang'. )
This festival of colours—'Holi'—is celebrated during the spring, and during the new-moon period of the month of phaalguna. The word phaalguna, is related to the word phalgu; in the sermon presented above, the RiShi has referred to phalgu. The word phalgu means phala (effect/consequence) + gu (gupta-hidden)—the One in whom the effects of action remain hidden before manifestation. phalgu means the goddess who keeps the consequences (phala) of actions concealed and releases them to the performers at an appropriate time.
There is a sacred river phalgu, flowing largely beneath its sandy bed. It courses near the famous shrine of viShNu at Gaya (gayaa) in India. viShNu is the deity-personality of praaNa, from whom all the motion or the cycles of time originate. gayaa means ga—going forward, and yaa—returning—the birth-death-rebirth cycles; the nature of these cycles depends on the karma (action) and phala (the fruit or consequence of action). When we gain the knowledge of phalgu and its origin, that is, viShNu, we get the relief from the compulsory cycles of birth-death-rebirth. When the effect or the phala manifests, it is the materialization of the effect of a past action, and we have explained earlier that this is getting anointed with the red hue. . The festival of colour is celebrated with red-coloured dye in powder form, called 'phaag', derived from the word 'phalgu'.
The season of spring is called vasanta. It is the time when Consciousness adorns the earth—the 'lohikaa'—with dresses of varied colours. The deities who preside over this process are called 'vasu'; they bestow vasana—the garments or coverings—imbuing both the earth and the mind with colour. agni is the leader of the group of deities called vasu.
The colours exist in numerous streams within the heart of every being; they are described as the streams called hitaa, exhibiting the colours in all directions in the inner sky or in the space of the heart. These colours—the shines of Consciousness with unabated joy, are spontaneously flowing in every entity's heart. Here is a quote from Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (verse 4.3.20); it describes the colours visible during the dream—the self-luminous state:taa vaa asyaitaa hitaa naama naaḍyo —those are His streams called 'hitaa'
yathaa keshaH sahasradhaa bhinnastaavataaNimnaa tiShṭhanti—they exist, subtle like a hair split into a thousand parts.
shuklasya niilasya piNgalasya haritasya lohitasya puurNaa—filled with essences of white, blue, yellow, green, and red.
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