Whom do we pray on Holika Dahana?

 Assessing the folk tale of Prahlad escaping unscathed from Holika? Whom are we worshipping during Holika Dahanam?

Posting the English version first. The translation in Hindi will follow soon.

Holi is a Vedic festival. However, the most famous lore associated with Holi is that Hiranyakashipu, the son of Kashyapa and Diti, wanted to kill his son Prahlada for his devotion to Bhagawan Vishnu. So he asked his sister, Holika, who was blessed by Brahma to not have any impact of Agni, to carry Prahalada. She eventually lost her boon and died. Prahalad escaped unscathed. Thus, the Holika Dahanam represents the burning of Holika.

Often, this story is claimed to have originated from the Vishnu Purana and the Bhaagavatapuraana. However, this claim is not true. In fact, there is no such sister named Holika of Hiranyakashipu.

As per Agnipuraana and Matsyapuraana, Hiranyakashipu was the son of Kashyapa and the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, Diti. His brother was Hiranyaksha, who was killed by the Varaha Avataara of Bhagwaana Vishnu. His sister was not Holika. His sister was Simhika who was married to Viprachitti and had sons Raahu and Ketu. There is some confusion regarding Simhika, especially on the internet, which says that she was the daughter of Hiranyakashipu. On the other Kalpadruma, a major Sanskrit dictionary says she is the wife of Kashyapa (कश्यपपत्नी). Both are not supported by evidence in Puraanas. The Agnipuraana and Matsyapuraana both say clearly she was the sister of Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaaksha. Even Vachaspatyam says her to be a child of Kashyapa and his wife (काश्यपपत्न्याम् ).

From Agnipuraana

हिरण्यकशिपुर्दित्यां हिरण्याक्षश्च कश्यपात् ॥ 19.5 ||

सिंहिका चाभवत्कन्या पविप्रचित्ते परिग्रहः । राहुप्रभृतस्तस्यां सैहिंकेया इति श्रुताः ॥ 19.6 ||

Trans : Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha were born to Diti and Kashyapa. |19.5|  Simhika was born as daughter who married Viprachiiti. She gave birth Rahu who was known as Saimhekeya. |19.6|

Matsyapuraana

दितिः पुत्रद्वयं लेभे कश्यपादिति नः श्रुतम् ॥ हिरण्यकशिपुं चैव हिरण्याक्षं तथैव च ॥ 6.7 ॥
विप्रचित्तिः सैंहिकेयान् सिंहिकायामजीजनत् । हिरण्यकशिपोर्ये वै भागिनेयास्त्रयोदशाः ॥ 6.24||

Trans : We have heard that Diti got two sons from Kashyapa. Hirankashipu and Hiranyaksha |6.7|. Viprachitti got thirteen children from Simhika called Saimhikeya and they were nephews of Hiranyakashipu. 

There is no mention of her participation in the killing of Prahalada. Her death was eventually captured in Valmiki Ramayana. She was killed by Hanuman when she was obstructing his path while going to Lanka.

प्लवमानं तु तं दृष्ट्वा सिंहिका नाम राक्षसी। मनसा चिन्तयामास प्रवृद्धा कामरूपिणी ||5.1.182||
Trans : Seeing Hanuman speeding in the sky a demoness called Simhika who can assume any form at her will had grown out of proportion and thought on her part:(Trans from Valmiki Ramayana, IITK)
हृतहृत्सा हनुमतापपात विधुराम्भसि। तां हतां वानरेणाशु पतितां वीक्ष्य सिंहिकाम्  ||5.1.196||

Trans : Heart torn asunder and killed by Hanuman, miserable Simhika instantly fell into the sea water. Observing it, the beings who ranged the sky said to the foremost of vanaras. (Trans from Valmiki Ramayana, IITK)

Also, Simhika is mentioned in Agnipuraanam in the 9th Chapter (Sankshipta Sundarkaanda) 

दृष्ट्योत्थितं च मैनाकं सिंहिकां विनिपात्य च
लङ्कां दृष्ट्वा राक्षसानां गृहाणि वनितागृहे ॥ 9.3 ॥

Trans : Witnessing rising Mainaak and killing Simhika, he saw Lanka and houses and recreational spots of Rakshasas.
   

Thus the idea that Holika was the sister of Hiranyakashipu, her participation in the attempts to kill Prahalaada, and her own death by loss of boon of Brahma don't have any Pauraanic support. Only Hiranyakashipu was given the boon by Brahma (Matsyapuraana - 161.11-15 and Bhaagavatpuraana 

However, Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill Prahalada are vividly described in Bhagavatapuraana and Vishnupuraana. 

Let us first discuss the acts in Vishnupuraana

When Prahlaada started talking about Bhagwan Vishnu, he asked Daityas to kill him with Shastras

उद्यतातस्य नाशाय दैत्याः शतसहस्रशः ||17.32||

Then he asked the snakes to kill him

भो भो सर्पाः दुराचारमेनमत्यन्तदुर्मतिम् ।

विषज्वालाकुलैर्वक्त्रैः सद्यो नयत सङ्क्षयम् ॥ 17.37

Then he asked Diggajas (दिग्गजाः) 

हे दिग्गजाः सङ्कटदन्तमिश्रा घ्नतैनमस्मद्रिपुपक्षभिन्नम् ॥ 17.41 ||

Then he asked Daityas to initiate fire and asked Vayu to support it

ज्वाल्यतामसुरा वह्निरपसर्पत दिग्गजाः । वायो समेधयाग्नि त्वं दह्यतामेष पापकृत् ॥17.45 ||

And eventually the Purohitas suggested them to pull him out of fire. So the Daityas pulled him out.

दैत्यैर्निष्कासयामास पुत्रं पावकसञ्चयात् || 17.53 ||

Then Hiranyakashipu asked his cooks to add poison to his food.

हालाहालं विषं तस्य सर्वभक्षेषु दीयन्ताम् || 18.2 ||

Then Hiranyakashipu asked his Purohitas to invoke Krityaa (कृत्या) - The most powerful Taantrika Agni

कृत्यां तस्य विनाशाय उत्पादयत मा चिरम् ॥ 18.9 ||

That Krityaa produced a Trishula and it failed. It struck Prahlaada;s chest and fell off. 

Now, in Bhaagavatam, Hiranyakashipu tried the above same methods - Diggaja, Snakes, Krityaa, used Maaya by Shambarasura, placed him in dark chambers, fed poison, and stopped his food.

दिग्गजैर्दन्दशूकैश्च अभिचारावपातनैः । मायाभिः संनिरोधैश्च गरदानैरभोजनैः ।। 7.5. 43 ।।

Then he put him in freezing place, fire, deep ocean, storm and under stones.


हिमवाय्वग्निसलिलैः पर्वताक्रमणैरपि । 7.5.44 |

Thus, the word होलिका doesn’t appear at all in the context of Prahlaada. 

So, does the word होलिका appear at all in any of the Puraanas? 

The first mention is in Naaradiya Puranam, In the Purvaaardha - Ch 124 (76-80)  which talks about the twelve Purnima Upavaasa

The shlokas say :

फाल्गुने पूर्णिमायां तु होलिकापूजनं मतम् ।
सञ्चयेत् काष्ठानामुपलानां च कारयेत् । तत्राग्निं विधिवद्धुत्वा रक्षोघ्नैर्मन्त्रविस्तरैः ॥
असृक्पाभयसंत्रस्तैः कृता त्वं होलि बालिशैः । अतस्त्वां पूजयिष्यामि भूते भूतिप्रदा भव ॥
इति मन्त्रेण सन्दीप्य काष्ठादिक्षेपणैस्ततः । प्रक्रम्योत्सवः कार्य्यो गीतवादित्रनिःस्वनैः ॥
होलिका राक्षसी चेयं प्रह्लादभयदायिनी ततस्तां प्रदहन्त्येवं काष्ठाद्यैर्गीतमंगलैः ।। 

संवत्सरस्य दाहोऽयं कामदाहो मतांतरे । इति जानीहि विप्रेंद्र लोके स्थितिरनेकधा ॥

Trans : Holikapoojanam happens on Phalguna Purnima. Collect woods and Upalas (dried dung) and ignite the Agni by following Matra. Scared by a blood-drinking Rakshasi, this Holi is prepared by naive people. Therefore, we will pray to you for our well being and prosperity. Ignite the fire by throwing woods etc and do Prakrima with songs. Holika Rakshasi is the cause of Prahlad’s fear, thus, it is being burned with woods and auspicious songs. It is exhaustion of the year, and also according to some, burning of desires.

This is the only place where Holika is mentioned as someone who caused fear to Prahlaada. It does not show that Holika was the sister of Hiranyakashipu. My understanding is that the only possibility is Holika being कृत्या , which was Rakshasi who tried to burn Prahlaada. It is mentioned in Adi Parva of Mahabharata. I will not explore this in this write-up. The open question here is : who is असृक्पा ? The meaning here is blood drinking Rakshasi.The Nirnaya Sindhu (2. says the same thing albeit mentions nothing about the relation of Holika and Prahlaada. Except this remote reference in this Shloka, there is no source that I have been able to discover.

There is a slight variation in this Matra in Dharma Sindhu but it refers to a completely different story, which has clear explanation in Bhavishya Puraana.

In Dharma Sidhu (Second Parichheda, Holika Nirnaya), in the Sankalpa for Holi Poojanam, it clearly mentions -ढुण्ढाराक्षसीप्रीत्यर्थं होलिकापूजनं करिष्ये ।

It means to please the Dhundhaa Rakshasi , we do Holikaa poojanam. The mantra has a slight variation, instead of असृक्पा, अस्माभिः (by us) is used.

अस्माभिर्भयसंत्रस्तैः कृता त्वं होलि बालिशैः । अतस्त्वां पूजयिष्यामि भूते भूतिप्रदा भव ॥

This Holi is prepared by us, the scared naive people. Therefore, we will pray to you for our well being and prosperity.

This eliminates the doubt about असृक्पा and it makes no reference to Prahalada.

The story of Dhundha is found in Bhavishya Puraanam in the Uttaraparva, Phalgunapurnimavratavarnanam,(Ch -132) .

The story goes is of Dhaundha (ढौण्ढा राक्षसी), who under the reign of Raja Raghu, got a Varadaan from Bhagwaan Shiva that she will not have fear of anything - rain, heat, cold, fire, inside, outside, day and night. She used a Mantra called अडाऽयेति to trouble children. To eliminate her, Bhagwaan Shiva asked children to collect wood and Upalas and ignite it using the Mantra that kills the Rakshasa (we use the same Matra as given above). After putting the Ahuti, they should do three Prikramas by singing, clapping and saying whatever comes to their mind. Using these words and Mantra, Dhaundha would faint and the children kill it by their invisible attacks.

Then Bhagwan Krishna tells Yudhisthira that since then, the Homa conducted by Brahmins would be called अडाडा or होलिका ।   

Interested may look at the Shlokas.

Thus, here we get conclusive evidence that Holika is the name of the Homa.

In the dictionaries, the word found is Holaka. (हु + विच् + ला (लाति) + कन् + टाप् ) 

हु धातु stands for burning, the Roopa is जुहोति , कन् is to show equivalence.
It means something which is the same as receiving a Havi. The mention of Holaaka is in Jaimenieeya first chapter, second Pada. The Anushthaanas as per different regions have been listed. Parthasarthi Mishra has also written about it.

The Kathaka Grihya Sutra mentions राका होलाके 5|19|1

The Devapaala Commentary says that women do a particular activity in the morning for their good fortune. It says about Raaka Devata (The moon as per Saayana). Raaka also means Purnima. It is a Yajna among the Anushthaanas listed for Vivaaha, and is for sustenance of pleasures of youth. The other commentary says that it is famous as Holaaka in central India and in Kashmir AShvayujyaa. At night people ignite agni just outside the house. The main oblation is made for Raaka Devata.

The Chaitra Pratipada is called as Vasantotsava, given in Nirnaya Sindu and Dharma Sindhu. I wish you all a very happy Vasantotsava.