जैन वाङ्‌मय में होली पर्व : एक वृत्तांत

Summary

The text describes the origin of the Holi festival within a Jain tradition, as narrated by Acharya Shri Sutratacharya. It begins by comparing Holi to Diwali, noting that while Diwali is linked to Lord Mahavira's nirvana, the source of Holi is different. The narrative then recounts a story from the ancient city of Jaitpur, ruled by King Jayavarma. A wealthy merchant named Manoram and his wife, after many efforts, had a beautiful daughter named Holika. She was married to the accomplished Jashdev, but he died suddenly soon after, leaving Holika a young widow. She returned to her parents' home, deeply grieving. One day, while sitting at a window, Holika saw Prince Kampal, the son of King Tribhuvanpal of Bengal. They were instantly captivated by each other, and Holika became lovesick. Her parents tried various remedies to no avail. They heard of a woman named Dhandha, a widow who had learned magical arts from a female ascetic and was now revered as a holy woman. The merchant summoned Dhandha, who quickly discerned Holika's true ailment. Holika confessed her desire for Kampal, and Dhandha promised to arrange their union. Dhandha devised a plan, telling the parents that Holika must perform a special worship ceremony at a Sun temple on the night of the fourteenth lunar day. On the appointed day, Holika, adorned and carrying a worship platter, went to the temple with her sisters-in-law. Dhandha instructed that Holika must enter the temple alone for the ritual, and the crowd was kept outside. Inside, Holika met the hidden Kampal. When they were almost discovered, Holika and Kampal staged a scene where Kampal, pretending to be mad, pushed her, and she cried out that her chastity had been violated. She then dramatically declared she would enter fire, but her family convinced her to return home. After this, Holika stayed constantly with Dhandha, and Kamp