Acharya Prashant explains that during the festival of Holi, it is customary to hug even your enemies. On this day, there is no question of choosing whom to congratulate, color, or embrace; the entire world must appear colorful. You walk around with all the colors of your heart, and whosoever comes your way is your friend. It is your love, and in fact, your obligation to color them. The speaker then asks if the mind can be permanently immersed in the colors of Holi. He then narrates an old fable from the Vishnu Puran about Hiranyakashyap, the king of the demons. Hiranyakashyap prayed to Lord Brahma, a prominent God in the Hindu trinity, performing great austerities. When his prayers were answered, God appeared and asked him what he wanted. Hiranyakashyap asked for immortality, specifying that he should not be killed in the day or night, indoors or outdoors, by handheld weapons or projectiles, by man or animal, nor on land, sea, or in the air. Practically, he asked for a blessing that he would never be killed. Having received this boon, Hiranyakashyap became very arrogant and declared that in his kingdom, only he should be worshipped, not God. Anyone who dared to defy him would be slaughtered. Everyone fell in line, except for the king's own little son, Prahlad. The little chap said, "Truth is Truth, God is God. You are just a mere mortal, I will not submit to you. If I have to bow down, I will bow down in front of God, not in front of you. You are just an arrogant King who has attained a bit of power." The king became furious and, after failing to tempt or threaten his son, called upon his sister, Holika. Holika had an extraordinary power: she could not be killed by fire. Following a vicious plan to kill Prahlad, Holika created a huge pile of wood, made Prahlad sit in her lap, and ordered the woods to be ignited. However, something unexpected happened: the little kid survived, while the woman, Holika, was burnt to ashes. It was a miracle. The king was furious, his ego badly hurt. This festival of Holi celebrates the innocent faith of Prahlad, a faith that saved him from all sinister plots and the power of the mighty king. The speaker emphasizes that earthly relations are no comparison to our fundamental relation with the Heart, with the Truth, with God. If we are clever, God is the cleverest; if we are smart, God is the smartest. The ego will certainly be defeated. This is the theme behind Holi. While the celebration is often a jubilant, even raucous affair, its symbolism runs very deep.