PraLayams

[Guest guest]

Dear Sanpathkumar

I give below excerpts from Chapter 21 on the evolutiopn and dissolution of

the Matter- Time -Space triad fro my book "Hinduism Rediscovered" for your

information. This has been featured in Pre- Saranagathi (SDDS) Issues Volume

02.016 at

www.srivaishnava.org/sgati maintained by Sri Venkatesh Elayavalli

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy

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Excerpts from Chapter 21 of "Hinduism Rediscovered"

 

SECTION 2 : DISSOLUTION OF MATTER

We already saw that the dissolution of matter occurs during Pralaya. There

are four kinds of Pralayas.

 

Nitya Pralaya : This takes place every moment, when the atoms that compose

the various forms in the universe unite and disperse.

 

Adhyantika Pralaya: When a Jeeva attains Mukti or liberation, and enters no

more the house of flesh.

 

Naimittika Pralaya : when the solar systems are disintegrated into their

primitive elements at the end of each Brahma Kalpa. The first three worlds of

Bhuh, Bhuvah and Suvah get destroyed. People in Mahar loka shift to Janaloka

since it is also destroyed but partially.

 

Prakrita Pralaya or Mahapralaya- affecting the entire universe, when it is

resolved into unmanifested, undifferentiated nature, where the Gunas are in a

state of equilibrium. It takes place at the end of the life of Brahma or

Mahakalpa. At that time all beings and things rest in Bhagavan in a very

subtle form. Bhagavan alone remains.

The process by which the Pralayas take place is vividly described in Sri

Bhagavatam

and Vishnu Purana

 

After a THOUSAND 'Chaturyugas' ( the cycle comprising of 4 Yuga periods) when

Brahma's life comes to a close, there will be no rain for a HUNDRED YEARS. In

the drought and famine, comparatively vulnerable creatures perish. Lord

Narayana takes the form of 'Kala Rudra' ( Rudra, the black nemesis) for the

purpose of completing the dissolution of matter.

 

First, he draws all Chetanas and Achetanas in his body in a subtle state.

This is compared to iron filings being drawn towards a giant powerful magnet

where they are securely lodged. The Sanskrit expression for this is "Sparsa

Vedhi".

 

He will then drain all the waters of the world- Oceans, rivers, falls etc.

Due to the absence of the cooling effects of water, the rays of the Sun would

scorch the Universe, the flora and fauna reduced to mere ash.

 

Only Bhagavan would remain reclining on his eternal couch Adhisesha, the

prime servitor of Bhagavan. He is called Adhisesha because he is the only one

that 'remains' along with Bhagavan before the evolution , during the

manifestation and after the dissolution of matter This Adhisesha will spout

fire and all the worlds would look like red hot iron smoldering in the fire.

 

Then, Bhagavan would create from his breath clouds which would roam about

like herds of wild elephants with frightening lightning and thunder assuming

variegated colors.

 

For a HUNDRED YEARS THEN, the clouds would pour down torrential and incessant

rains thus smothering the heat and the flame that had earlier devastated the

Universe. And, because of this, all the worlds would look like a vast sheet

of water.

 

Lord Janardhana would then draw into himself the winds so released by him-

and there would be absolute stillness. Lord Hari will take rest on his

serpent mount Adhisesha in what is known as 'yoganidra'.

 

When the Lord decides to create the worlds again, he would wake up.

 

First, the waters would absorb the 'Gandha' or smell of the earth; the "Rasa'

quality of water would be absorbed by heat and light ( Tejas) of fire. This

would then come into contact with the 'Rupa' quality of fire, and then the

'Sparsa' quality of air which in turn gets absorbed by the 'Sabda' quality of

ether. The ether is enveloped by Ahankara (Individuality), Ahankara by

'Mahat' ( Universal mind) and Mahat by 'Prakriti' respectively. By the

process of Pancheekaranam, we have already seen, the worlds are recreated by

Bhagavan through his form as 'Brahma' appearing again on the lotus bud.

 

Thus, in the Hindu philosophy, all things and all souls exist permanently.

What we call creation and destruction are only manifestations and

de-manifestations- all as willed by (Bhagavat Sankalpa). Death of living

creatures is thus nothing but separation of the soul from the manifest body

on its onward march to assuming another body in its next life in the cycle of

Samsara until Pralaya when the souls rests in the Lord during his Yoganidra

(Contemplative reverie) to be re-manifested with its Karma carry- overs when

Bhagavan wakes up again to recreate.

 

If all this sounds fantastic and unbelievable listen to Professor FRED HOYLE,

Britain's foremost astronomer whose article appeared in a British Scientific

journal and quoted in October 1965 by American newspapers.

 

This notion of 'sleeping' and 'awakening', 'manifestation' and

'de-manifestation' , 'shrinking' and 'expanding' so long a part of the

ancient Hindu cosmological lore has been confirmed by him.

 

DR. HOYLE literally 'dropped a scientific bombshell' by admitting that he had

been wrong for over 20 years in his theory about the nature of the Universe.

He has come to believe that THE UNIVERSE PROBABLY IS IN A STATE OF FLUX,

EXPANDING FOR BILLIONS OF YEARS, THEN CONTRACTING TO WHAT AMOUNTS TO A DENSE

BALL OF MATTER, THEN EXPANDING AGAIN"

 

ROSS observes:

"ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL, WHEN STRIPPED OFMYTHOLOGICAL EMBROIDERY, HINDUISM'S

CONCEPTION OFSPACE, TIME AND MULTIPLE UNIVERSES APPROXIMATES IN RANGE AND

ABSTRACTION, THE MOST ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT"

 

CAMPBELL with BILL MOYERS referring to the role of Vishnu as destroyer says-

"THERE HE IS DESTROYING THE UNIVERSE, FIRST WITH FIRE, AND THEN WITH A

TORRENTIAL FLOOD THAT DROWNS OUT THE FIRE AND EVERYTHING ELSE. NOTHING IS

LEFT OUT BUT ASH. THE WHOLE UNIVERSE WITH ALL ITS LIFE AND LIVES HAS BEEN

UTTERLY WIPED OUT. THAT'S GOD IN THE ROLE OF THE DESTROYER. SUCH EXPERIENCES

GO PAST ETHICAL AND AESTHETIC JUDGEMENTS"

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