Narrator:
Holi and Doljatra YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLSmPUWyEwU
Narrator:
This is a clean, punctuated, and well-formatted transcript of the provided audio in English:
Devotee:
Namaskar. Gurudev, pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, baba. Pranam, pranam.
Devotee:
Today is our Dol festival, or Holi.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, Holi.
Devotee:
On this auspicious day, I offer my pranam to you, to our Mother, and to Gurudev Bamdev Baba. Friends, to all of you who watch our YouTube channel, Gupta Sadhak Shama Khepa, we extend our Holi greetings on behalf of Shantikunj. Firstly, I would like to ask Gurudev to say a few words about this Dol festival or Holi.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This is a festival of spring. It happens during the spring season. Now, flowers will bloom in the trees, leaves will fall, and mango blossoms will appear. Various fruits will have their blossoms. That's why we often call it "Madhu Maash" (the Honey Month). Now, mango blossoms, jamun blossoms, and star fruit blossoms are appearing. A beautiful fragrance wafts through the air-a very sweet scent.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The Dol festival is celebrated here, but not always in a systematic way. Now, many types of colors have emerged that are very harmful to the skin. We have seen many people lose their eyesight while playing Dol or Holi. We have made this festival our own in many ways. It is a time for bonding between children and the elderly, for socializing, and for maintaining relationships.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This year, I heard that the Basanta Utsav (Spring Festival) has been cancelled at Visva-Bharati, and the Dol festival has been stopped at Shantiniketan. This is quite surprising; it hasn't happened before.
Devotee:
Gurudev, actually, the Prime Minister was supposed to visit. He mentioned that he does not want to engage in public contact at this moment. Because of that, he will not be coming. He is advising that it is better not to have public contact at this time due to the coronavirus.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Truly speaking, the colors now being produced from the extracts of flowers at Jadavpur are very good, but they are so expensive that they are out of reach for common people. Color is the essence of Holi; there's nothing else to it. In our childhood, we didn't have these colors; we played with many other things. We filled balloons with water and threw them; we did those things a lot in our childhood. But now that has stopped. I come here for Dol from outside, but no one puts color on me, and I don't see much color-playing either. Around 12:00 or 12:30, some boys and girls go out to play with colors, and within an hour, they bathe and have their meals. It is a great opportunity for people to mingle.
Devotee:
Gurudev, in other provinces, this Holi or Dol festival is called the "Nandotsav."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
No, this isn't Nandotsav. What we call Dol, they celebrate as Holi the next day. In Bihar and other places, Holi is the day after Dol. On the day we play Dol, they don't play. On that day, they have music and Hari-naam Sankirtan. It goes on all night. It used to happen here too, but now it has stopped. Wherever there are non-Bengalis, I have seen drums playing all day and kirtan-chanting the name of God, Krishna.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Holi is played most famously in Vrindavan because of Krishna's presence there. As seen in the Puranas, it commemorates the union of Radha and Krishna-the two putting color on each other. We see this in pictures. It happens mostly in Vrindavan.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When Holi was happening in Vrindavan once, Narada went to Mahadev and said, "Lord, let's go to the mortal world." Mahadev asked, "What will I do there?" Narada replied, "Come, Lord, and witness the 'Leela' (divine play). Just as there is Raas-Leela, there is also Dol-Leela. Both are Krishna's Leela." Mahadev agreed, saying, "If you say so, let's go see what's happening."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
As soon as he stepped into Vrindavan-Mahadev is Krishna's guru-even though he came in the guise of a Brahmin, Krishna recognized that his guru had arrived. Accordingly, he washed his feet and seated him in a proper place, on a throne. While the Dol play was happening, Mahadev saw Krishna playing with 1,600 Gopis. Every Krishna was sporting with them. In the language of the Gaudiya Math or Chaitanya Math, they use the word 'Ramman' (divine sporting). 1,600 Krishnas were sporting with 1,600 Gopis and applying color.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Mahadev was astonished. Krishna was also sitting right beside him. He was amazed and asked Krishna, "You are sitting here with me, yet I see you with 1,600 Gopis?" Krishna replied, "You too have fallen into my Vishnu-Maya. This is my Maya-Vishnu-Maya. I can assume infinite forms. I can take millions of the same form. If needed, I can take tens of millions of forms. Yet, I am sitting here with you. This is my Vishnu-Maya."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Krishna was telling his guru that even he had become entangled in this web of Maya. No one has the power to break this web of Maya. People say there is no machine yet to break this Maya. It is very difficult to understand my Maya; very few people on Earth have been able to understand it.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Mahadev was very satisfied watching the play. Since Krishna is his disciple-though Krishna himself is Narayana-Mahadev was very pleased and overwhelmed. He then said to Narada, "Let's go. I still haven't been able to understand his Maya-this Vishnu-Maya or Yoga-Maya." Narada said, "Lord, if even you cannot understand, then what about us?"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Krishna then said, "Look, no one generally knows this Maya." That is why "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare" is chanted. Sometimes the Guru is in front, the disciple behind; sometimes the disciple is in front, the Guru behind. This is the Guru-disciple tradition. Wherever Shiva is, Narayana has tried to be there. But Shiva said, "No, no, you cannot stay in front of me, because if two powers stay together, there will be a clash." In some places, the Lord said, "I will stay here in meditation; I will have no activity. I won't leave the Guru's side." Like in Badrinath, he stays in meditation. He requested the Guru a lot to stay beside him, but it wasn't possible.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
So, this is the matter of Vishnu-Maya. There are two 'Leelas' of Krishna: Raas-Leela, which is very beautiful and grand, and Dol-Leela. Both are his Maya.
Devotee:
Gurudev, there is a term "Phagua."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, because it's the month of Phalguna, it's called Phagua. There is no other scientific reason behind it. And the powder we call 'Abir' or 'Phaak'-that is called Phagua. People throw it around. They walk down the street doing Kirtan and throw the powder; it falls on everyone.
Devotee:
Another thing we see is that the day before Dol, there is a ritual called "Nera Pora."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This happens only here; you won't find it elsewhere. It's like a festival. A puja is held where Krishna's temples are located. On the night before Dol, that straw structure (Nera) is consecrated and then set on fire. It's a source of joy for children. But the Nera is consecrated in Krishna's name. After the puja, the Nera is burned. I have done this many times; we have tied the Nera and consecrated it in Krishna's name, then set it on fire.
Devotee:
During the Dol festival, the administration issues various warnings. As a guardian figure, we would like you to share some cautionary words.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
In my opinion, it's better not to play with colors. Firstly, Corona is a big factor. But the main factor is the human body. These colors-who knows what they are made of? Chemically? They get on the body and harm the skin.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
And as for the coronavirus, I'm not denying it at all. Along with it, there are many other viruses. A new virus has emerged in Kolkata, and several children have been affected. It keeps coming back. Regardless, I think the government should be more vigilant. Playing with colors should at least be stopped.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Look at this 'Abir' and these colors; we have kept them here. We will offer them to the Mother tomorrow. We don't put any color on the Mother's body. And one should not play with colors in a cremation ground; it is a place of death and law, not a place for merriment. So, we give these to the Mother and Father. We don't apply them to ourselves or the Mother. We tell the Mother, "You play among yourselves." We tell the Guru, "You play yourself."
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
After this, sweets will be offered-'Math,' 'Phut-korai,' 'Murki,' 'Chire' (flattened rice). These will be arranged and offered to the Mother. After Dol, we eat those-especially the 'Math' and 'Phut-korai.' We offer them every time. The Mother and others eat them; we don't partake. We are humans; we don't have the right to put color on God.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But I will say one thing: the government must be very conscious. Another thing I am saying based on my experience is alcohol. I have seen most boys-and now even girls-drinking alcohol. Whatever incidents happen, they happen after drinking alcohol. I repeatedly request the government: please stop the alcohol. "Why won't we drink alcohol during Holi?"-this mentality must be changed. Those in power and responsibility must at least keep the liquor shops closed for a week.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
See, because of Corona, schools in Delhi have been closed. Various institutions have been closed out of fear. This drinking is also a virus; it's a disaster. Holi cannot be celebrated without alcohol-we call this "Mad-utsav" (Alcohol Festival), not "Dol-utsav." It's scary to watch. Young boys are riding bikes, drinking, and saying indecent things. They lose their sense of what to say and have no respect for mothers and sisters.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I request the government to close liquor shops at least a week in advance. There isn't much time left. This would save some lives. Some are dying themselves-drinking and driving, meeting with accidents-and they are polluting others too. The government should look into this. I can only advise; whether they take it or not is up to them. I request that the festival goes on, but without this indecency and filth. It has become an "Alcohol Festival," and it is destroying our pride.
Devotee:
Friends, you heard the words spoken by Gurudev. Naturally, he spoke out of his concern. We request you to celebrate Dol and Holi regardless of caste, creed, or religion. Definitely think about your own safety, and ensure that your joy does not bring sorrow to anyone else. May everyone celebrate Holi and Dol with joy. On behalf of Shantikunj, we wish you again a very Happy Dol and Holi. Pranam, Gurudev.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam, pranam.