Acharya Prashant explains the lesson to be learned from Prahlad, who had intimate blood relations with the king, his father. Prahlad kept the Truth and real godliness above all relationships of the body and blood. This is a great learning in detachment and in Truth. No relation of the body or blood is higher than the one fundamental relation we have with the Truth. Prahlad stated that he did not care so much for his father, but rather for the Truth. This was a great and difficult thing to say, but because he did it, the timeless festival of Holi continues. We have many relationships, but no relationship should be kept higher than the one central relationship we have with our real father, the heart, the Truth, with God. Earthly relations are no comparison to our fundamental relation. The speaker then discusses Holika, describing her as a smart woman with extraordinary powers, which she misused. Her smartness brought her to flames. This is an important message: the more smart or clever you are, the more chances that your own smartness will destroy you. It is important to see when cleverness turns into cunningness, which happens frequently, easily, and unnoticeably. If you are cunning, your own powers will destroy you. What turned Holika into ash were her own plans and designs. She thought she was being smart and that Prahlad would be killed, but she got killed instead. Her smartness turned out to be quite dumb. Finally, the speaker talks about Narsingh, stating that God is cleverer than the cleverest. You might think you have nailed it, but God will find a way, like appearing at dawn or dusk, which is neither day nor night. God is cleverer than you. Do not use the powers you have from God against God himself. Remember that He is the one, the father, the boss. Do not be ungrateful. Your powers come from Him, the source, and the source will always be more abundant than those who receive from it. Whatever the ego has is nothing in comparison to the source from where the ego and the entire world come. This is the theme behind Holi. While the celebration is often jubilant and even raucous, which is enjoyable, we would do well to remember what the whole thing is really about, as the symbolism runs very deep.
