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The True Spiritual Significance of Holi

Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat
5 March 2026
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(Speech by Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji on the occasion of Holi)

Only a few people know the spiritual and Vedic secret of the festival of Holi. Most regard it merely as worldly amusement. They think of it as a game, just as there are games like cricket, they take Holi to be another form of mental entertainment. They apply colours, gulal, and even mud to one another, engaging in playful activities. 

To such an extent has it gone that even high profile individuals organise Moorkh Sammelans, Conferences of Fools. Now tell me, is there any shortage of fools? What is the point of organising a conference of fools? In truth, everyone is a fool. Uddhav once asked God, “Who is known as a fool?” God replied, “The one who identifies himself with the body is known as a fool.” According to this definition, everyone is a fool except for a handful of saints. Then what is the purpose of holding a conference of fools? People laugh enthusiastically and even distribute titles such as “Crest Jewel of Fools,” “Most Outstanding Fool,” and “The Brightest Fool.”

But the true mystery of Holi is that God is all pervading. God possesses infinite attributes. The one who says that God has one hundred thousand, ten million, or even a billion attributes is naive, like a child. It is not so. God has infinite attributes. They cannot be counted. There is no end to His qualities.

Among these infinite attributes is that God is all pervading. For example, oil exists in sesame seeds, yet it is not visible. Clarified butter exists in milk, yet it is not visible. Fragrance exists in flowers, yet it is not visible. Similarly, God is all pervading, but He is not visible to us. 

That is why the Vedas describe God as formless. He has no material form. Why is He called formless? Because that divine God cannot be seen with these material eyes made of the five elements. Even when He appears in His personal form, He is not visible in His almighty aspect. Even the soul itself cannot be seen, so how could the Supreme Soul be visible?

The Vedas, scriptures, and Puranas declare that God is all pervading. Saints who have realised Him also say they see Him everywhere. But how do we believe this? There are only a handful of saints who proclaim it. People dismiss them, saying they must have mental problems. That is all.

Consider how many inventions have taken place in recent times. If someone had said one or two hundred years ago that a thing called television could exist, everyone would have called him mad. No one would have believed it. Yet today even an illiterate person says, “Why not? You can see what is happening in England right from here.” What once seemed impossible in material science has now become ordinary.

But when it comes to God, everything is declared impossible because we are material and He is divine. So God thought that people would not accept His omnipresence merely through indirect description. The method must be evident, not paroksh. Paroksh means that which cannot be experienced directly, what cannot be perceived by the senses, mind, or intellect.

Prahlad was a saint, a God-realized soul. He used to say that God is all pervading, that he saw Him everywhere. His father, King Hiranyakashipu, was burning with revenge because God had killed his brother Hiranyaksh. He thought, “I will kill God and take revenge.” We see similar tendencies in the world even today.

Hiranyakashipu tried to persuade little Prahlad to abandon his devotion to God, but Prahlad remained unwavering in his faith. Enraged by his son’s steadfastness, Hiranyakashipu grew increasingly harsh. He began subjecting him to physical punishments, yet none of them had any effect. At last, blinded by anger and pride, he resolved to have him killed. He wanted to kill his own son!  In those days, only the king’s son would inherit the throne. If his only son died, he would have no descendants. Yet he rejected the Vedas and scriptures and declared, “Nothing happens after death. Kill him.”

He tried every possible method. He brought large cobras and placed Prahlad among them. The snakes crawled over him but did not bite him. He poisoned him, yet nothing happened. He pushed him off a cliff and threw him into the ocean. He tried to have him trampled by elephants. Every attempt failed. Prahlad wondered, “Why is nothing happening to me?” 

Hiranyakashipu became frantic. His sister Holika had received a boon that fire could not burn her. As a final attempt, he ordered Holika to take Prahlad on her lap and sit on a blazing pyre. He thought Prahlad would burn while she would emerge unharmed. But instead, Holika was burned, and Prahlad continued chanting God’s holy name.

Despite this, Hiranyakashipu still refused to accept that God is all pervading. He insisted that God must be hiding somewhere in his abode. “Bring Him before me. I will kill Him.” One day, he challenged Prahlad, “If your God is everywhere, is He in this house of a demon like me?” Prahlad replied, “Yes, father. He is present here. He is inside you. He is in every corner, every brick, every particle.”

Hiranyakashipu thought his son had gone mad. “Is He in this pillar?” he asked. Prahlad answered, “Yes, father. He is everywhere.” Hiranyakashipu struck the pillar with tremendous force. The pillar broke, and God manifested, declaring, “You fool. I am present everywhere. Look, I stand before you.”

Hiranyakashipu had received a boon from Brahma that he would die neither by day nor by night, neither on earth nor in the sky, neither by man nor by beast, and by no weapon. God, as Lord Narsingh, a form of neither man nor animal, placed him on His thighs at dusk, neither day nor night, neither on the ground nor in the sky, and killed him with His nails, not with a weapon. Thus every condition of the boon was fulfilled.

How can anyone compete with God’s intellect?

In this episode, God proved His omnipresence. The burning of Holika also demonstrated that all powers derive from God. Brihaspati is intelligent, Kuber is wealthy, Indra possesses opulence, Agni burns, Varun governs water, Vayu controls wind. All have power only because God has granted it to them. They are individual souls like us. God’s power cannot revolt against Him.

Prahlad was a devotee of God, and God personally remained with him to protect him. After a soul attains God realisation, he does not act independently; God Himself performs all actions on his behalf. It is God who gives fire the power to burn. So when the time came to burn Prahlad, God simply withdrew His power from the fire. Just as in our world, dangerous outlaws sometimes cut the electricity line so that darkness prevails and they can carry out their theft easily, in the same way God withdrew the burning power from fire.

You may have heard this account many times. Once, the celestial gods became filled with pride, thinking that they had defeated the demons by their own strength. At that moment, God appeared before them in the form of a Yaksha, a supernatural being. He had already withdrawn their powers. Only then did they realise, “We were powerful solely because of His power.”

Similarly, whether through snakes, by pushing Prahlad from a mountain, or by throwing him into the ocean, whatever animate or inanimate means Hiranyakashipu employed were all pervaded by the omnipresent God. God simply withdrew His power from them.

Therefore, neither inanimate objects nor living beings could kill Prahlad. In this way, Prahlad practically demonstrated that God is all pervading, and God Himself gave proof of His omnipresence by manifesting in this incarnation. The festival of Holi is celebrated to mark the significance of this truth.

Over time, its significance has been reduced to mere amusement. No one remembers God or Prahlad. No priest explains this secret. People say they play Holi. Play? Rather, one should weep, reflecting that despite being born in India, one does not truly believe that God is all pervading. We repeat, “Ram’s name alone is truth,” and “Ram resides in every particle,” yet we do not realise it.

People quarrel, abuse one another, and even commit violence over colours. “Why did you put colour on me? I belong to another religion.” Such degradation shows how far we have drifted from the true purpose.

In reality, Holi is meant to remind us that God is present everywhere. Before committing any sin, think, “He is watching. He is taking note. He will judge me.” Life is short. One may become a billionaire or prime minister, but for how long? A child grows, becomes old, and dies in what seems like a moment.

After death, all deeds, good and bad, will be reviewed. God Himself will pass judgment and assign the consequences. God alone performs this work. He will not ask questions; He will simply declare the result. At that time, He will remind you of every sin, how you once insulted a saint, how you committed this wrong and that wrong, and He will assign the appropriate punishment. You will have no say in the matter. Any regret at that moment will be in vain. Perhaps one may receive another human birth, only to forget once again and begin the cycle anew.

Therefore, on the occasion of Holi, one should remember the qualities of God and gain spiritual benefit. Merely playing with colours, eating sweets, and indulging in worldly festivities will not lead us to our ultimate goal, God.

By Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj

A brief introduction of Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj*

(Known by His devotees as Shri Maharaj Ji)

The original title of Jagadguruttam (Greatest Spiritual Teacher of the World) was bestowed upon Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on January 14, 1957, by Kashi Vidvat Parishad (a council of 500 greatest scholars saints of India). He composed divine texts like Prem Ras Madira, Prem Ras Siddhant, and Radha Govind Geet to lead us on the right path of devotion. He also gave priceless monuments as gifts to the world which include Bhakti Mandir located in Bhakti Dham, Mangarh, Prem Mandir located in Vrindavan Dham, and Kirti Mandir located in Barsana Dham. Shri Maharaj Ji also built hospitals for the impoverished, the Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Vrindavan, Jagadguru Kripalu Chikitsalaya in Barsana, and another one in Pratapgarh. All three help millions of underprivileged to gain free access to medical care. His Kindergarten, School, and College for impoverished girls Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Education is located in Kunda and provides completely free education. To stay updated with all the news and events of Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, visit www.jkp.org.in/jkpwhatsapp.