Pralaya

Pralaya (Sanskrit: प्रलय, romanized: Pralaya, lit. 'Destruction') is a concept in Hindu eschatology. Generally referring to four different phenomena,^[1]^[2]^[3] it is most commonly used to indicate the event of the dissolution of the entire universe that follows a kalpa (a period of 4.32 billion years) called the Brahmapralaya.^[4]^[5]

Pralaya also refers to Nityapralaya, the continuous destruction of all animate and inanimate beings that occurs on a daily basis, Prakritapralaya, the great flood produced by Prakriti (Nature) that ends all of creation after the completion of 1,000 Chaturyuga (four-age) cycles, and Atyantikapralaya, the dissolution of one's Atman (Self) due to its union with Brahman (Ultimate Reality).^[6] A concept that has been referenced in literature since the Upanishads,^[7] the concept of pralaya has been widely discussed in Hindu cosmology as well as philosophy.

^ Soifer, Deborah A. (8 November 1991). Myths of Narasimha and Vamana, The: Two Avatars in Cosmological Perspective. State University of New York Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4384-2063-9.
^ Williams, George M. (2008-03-27). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. OUP USA. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.
^ Bäumer, Bettina (1996). Kalatattvakosa. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-208-1402-8.
^ Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 312. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
^ Johnson, W.J. (2009). A Dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford University Press. pp. 165, 241. ISBN 978-0-19-861025-0.
^ Barz, Richard Keith; Theil-Horstmann, Monika (1989). Living Texts from India. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 146. ISBN 978-3-447-02967-4.
^ Basu, Baman Das (2007). The Sacred Books of the Hindus. Cosmo Publications. p. 207. ISBN 978-81-307-0553-8.

[1] Soifer, Deborah A. (8 November 1991). Myths of Narasimha and Vamana, The: Two Avatars in Cosmological Perspective. State University of New York Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-1-4384-2063-9.

[2] Williams, George M. (2008-03-27). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. OUP USA. p. 236. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.

[3] Bäumer, Bettina (1996). Kalatattvakosa. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 31. ISBN 978-81-208-1402-8.

[4] Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 312. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.

[Johnson2009-5] Johnson, W.J. (2009). A Dictionary of Hinduism. Oxford University Press. pp. 165, 241. ISBN 978-0-19-861025-0.

[6] Barz, Richard Keith; Theil-Horstmann, Monika (1989). Living Texts from India. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 146. ISBN 978-3-447-02967-4.

[7] Basu, Baman Das (2007). The Sacred Books of the Hindus. Cosmo Publications. p. 207. ISBN 978-81-307-0553-8.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]