Pralaya, in Hindu cosmology, is an aeonic term which specifies different periods of time during which non activity situation persists, as per different formats or contexts.
In the Samkhya philosophy, one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy, Pralaya means "non-existence, a state of matter achieved when the three gunas (principles of matter) are in perfect balance.
According to Vishnu Purana & Agni Purana, there are 4 different types of pralaya: Praakritik Pralaya, Naimittik Pralaya, Atyantik Pralaya & Nitya Pralaya.
Praakritik Pralaya, which is of 311,040,000,000,000 solar years duration, occurs after the completion of life of Brahma (i.e. 100 Brahma years = 311 trillion and 40 billion earth years = one day of Vishnu = 1 Parama). After the completion of one Brahma life cycle, the complete dissolution of all the entities (i.e. the Panch Mahaabhoot or Universe) takes place in the eternity (God). Praakritik Pralaya is the time for which Vishnu sleeps. The next morning, he again gives birth to a new Lord Brahma and ask him to create new worldly entities. Noticeably, Praakritik Pralaya and the Life of Brahma are of equal duration.
Naimittika Pralaya, which is of 4,320,000,000 earth years, occurs just after the end of a Kalpa. Also, known as the Night of Brahma, it signifies the end of living world. In Bhagvata Purana, sage Shukdeva told king Parikshit that if Lord Brahma is supposed to be a child (for example), then in a similar way as a child plays with his toys i.e. making various structures from his toys during day & breaking or dismantling them before he goes to sleep at night; Brahma makes the living world during his day (i.e. Kalpa) & destroys it before going to sleep during night (i.e. Naimittika Pralaya). A new living world is created by Brahma, when he wakes up the next day & so on the cycle continues till Praakritik Pralaya. Again, Naimittika Pralaya & Kalpa are of equal duration.
Atyantik Pralaya, also termed as Moksha, is the final deliverance or the attainment of salvation by a jivan (soul) and after that the jivan is never again in the clutches of karma; nor bounded by the tight ropes of Sansaar. It is therefore a variable time span conditioned or determined by the practise of the different kind of Yogas or Prapatti. It is the final immersion of a soul (i.e. aatmaa), thereby completely eliminating its individualism into the eternal almighty (i.e. Parmaatmaa).
Nitya Pralaya, is the sleep or by an extension thereof, Death.
The word pralaya appears in the Cyclops chapter of James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses.
"Pralaya" appears in the Persona series of games (specifically Persona 3 and Persona 4) as an attack. While it can be inherited to other Personae, its original user is "Shiva", a Persona based on the Hindu deity of the same name.
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