Pralaya

Q) What is Pralaya?

A) Pralaya is the process of destruction of “body” and other created “objects” and collection of the results of the Karmas accumulated by those bodies.

Q) What are the different types of Pralayas?

A) The main types are – Dina (day) Pralaya, Maha Pralaya, Yuga Pralaya and Manvantara Pralaya

Q) When does Dina Pralaya take place?

A) At the end of every day (day out of day-night) of Lord Brahma, Dina Pralaya occurs

Q) When does Maha Pralaya take place?

A) At the end of 100 years of Lord Brahma’s life, Maha Pralaya takes place

Q) When does Yuga Pralaya take place?

A) At the end of every Maha Yuga, Yuga Pralaya takes place. Maha Yuga consists of one set of Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali Yugas.

Q) When does Manvantara Pralaya take place?

A) In each day of Lord Brahma, 14 “Manus” rule. At the end of the rule of each Manu, Manvantara Pralaya occurs.

Q) What gets destroyed in Yuga Pralaya?

A) Mainly life gets destroyed

Q) What gets destroyed in Manvantara Pralaya?

A) Along with life, earth, space and svarga also get submerged in the great ocean of Pralaya

Q) What gets destroyed in Maha Pralaya?

A) Except Vaikunta, entire Brahmada gets destroyed and changes form

Q) In human terms, how long is one day (12 hours) of Lord Brahma?

A) One day is equal 1000 iterations of the set of 4 yugas.

Kruta Yuga – 17,28,000 human years

Treta Yuga – 12,96,000 human years

Dvapara Yuga – 8,64,000 human years

Kali Yuga – 4,32,000 human years

Total – 43,20,000 human years

Hence, One day = 43,20,000 X 1000 = 432 crore years

Q) How long is one full day of Lord Brahma?

A) 864 crore years.

Q) How many Yugas constitute one full-day of Lord Brahma?

A) 8000 Yugas or 2000 Maha Yugas

Q) What is Bhuta?

A) The entire set of sentient and insentient beings constitute Bhuta

Q) What is Mahabhuta?

A) The Supreme Lord is Mahabhuta

Q) Where is Lord Narayana during Maha Pralaya?

A) Lord Narayana assumes the form of “Shunya” and rests on a leaf which is 50 crore yojanas wide in the form of a child who is 7 crore yojanas long

Q) What is Shunya rupa?

A) It is that form of the Lord in which he is absent inspite of presence. It is the Lord’s primordial form

Q) When does the process of Maha Pralaya actually start?

A) When 87.5 years of the life of the “current” Brahma gets over, the process of Maha Pralaya starts

Q) What happens at the start of the Maha Pralaya?

A) The Maha Pralaya starts with a severe drought that lasts 100 human years. This is followed by a severe sunshine lasting another 100 human years. During this, a fire called Samvara Agni comes out of the mouth of Shesha (through Sankarshana rupa of the Lord) and burns away everything. This is followed by 100 human years of heavy wind and spreads the ash all over space. This leads to 100 years of rain in which the entire ash gets submerged. At the end, the entire universe is submerged. This is the internal (physical) Pralaya of the world.

Q) How does the external Pralaya take place?

A) Prithvi merges with Jala. Jala merges with Agni. Agni merges with Vayu. Vayu merges with Akasha. These 5 elements merge with their Tanmatras (Gandha, Rasa, Rupa, Sparsha and Shabda). These 5 merge with the 10 senses. The 10 senses merge with Manas – into Ahankara tattva – into Mahatattva – into Avyakta (that without external form)

Q) What is Viraja Snana and Linga Bhanga?

A) Those who have completed their Sadhana, in order to lose their physical attributes, take bath in the Viraja river outside the 7 forts of Vaikunta. Then, they lose their Linga Deha or physical nature. Their “true nature” emerges and is called Linga Bhanga.

Q) What is the Viraja river made of?

A) It is made out of the sweat of Sri Hari and is pure energy. It is not made of water.

Q) How many Viraja rivers are present?

A) Two. The other one is outside the perimeter of Brahmanda.

Q) How many times do Brahma and other devatas take bath in the Viraja river?

A) Twice. Once in Vaikunta and the other in the outer Viraja river.

Q) What are the types of cleansing (bathing) one can do?

A) Three types.

1) Malapakarshaka – In order to lose the dirt from the physical body. Doing in order to go through the Karma

2) Mantra Snana – Purification of the mind through Japa and mantra chanting

3) Abhisheka – Purification of the soul, by realizing that God resides in “Bimba” form inside of the body and performing bathing or sprinkling water on to oneself.

Q) When does Linga Bhanga happen to those who have qualified for Mukti?

A) After Maha Pralaya, before they enter the stomach of Sri Hari

Q) When do Rajasic and Tamasic souls undergo Linga Bhanga and how does it happen?

A) For Rajasic souls, the “Hum”kara of Lord Vayu brings about Linga Bhanga. For ordinary Tamasic souls, the maze of Lord Vayu’s assistants brings about the same while for strong Tamasics, the maze of Lord Vayu himself does the Linga Bhanga. For both, Linga Bhanga happens after the new creation.

Q) Where do Tamasics stay after Linga Bhanga?

A) Beyond Pushkara island, Svarnabhumi, Vajrabhumi and Lokaloka mountains, there is a Naraka (hell) called Andhantamas which is 7 crore yojanas wide. Tamasics stay there and undergo suffering. There are 3 different narakas there viz Tamisra, Maha Tamisra and Andha Tamisra.

Q) With what can one achieve Mukti?

A) Devotion to the Supreme Lord.

Q) What are the types of Jivas?

A) Satvik, Rajasic and Tamasic are the three types of Jivas. For Satviks, Brahma or Vayu is the Lord. Rajasics are lorded by Puranjana and Tamasics are lorded by Kali (note – NOT kAli devi).

Q) During Pralaya, where do the three types of souls reside?

A) Tamasics who have completed their sadhana are placed below the navel of Sri Hari towards the left. Tamasics who are still not done with their sadhana are placed below the navel towards the right. Nitya samsarins (rajasics) are placed near the navel. Liberated souls are placed above the navel towards the right and souls qualifying for liberation are placed above the navel towards the left.

Q) After Maha Pralaya, when there is “nothing”, where is Sri Hari?

A) Sri Hari sleeps on a leaf (as described earlier). Sri devi is the Pralaya water, Bhu devi is the leaf and Durga devi is the darkness.

Q) When there is no-one, why does Sri Hari take this wonderful form?

A) For Rama devi (Maha Lakshmi) who is forever with Sri Hari

Q) Who has seen this form of the Lord?

A) The Bhagavata mentions that Markandeya Rishi has seen this form of the Lord.

Q) When the entire Universe is sleeping inside the stomach of the Lord, is there anyone else awake apart from Sri Hari and Maha Lakshmi?

A) Lord Mukhyaprana (Vayu) is awake as he is responsible for the breath of one and all. He is constantly chanting the Hamsa mantra and stays awake.

Q) How long is the duration of the Yoga Nidra of the Lord?

A) Based on Brahma’s timescale, the Lord “sleeps” for 87.5 years. When there is 1.5 hours left, Durga devi, in the form of Ambhrani, wakes up the Lord.