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In this theory both the mythological and the philosoFrom the formless, the phical accounts are intermingled. purusa who is Para, avyakta and Aksara is born. Prakrti is apara and ksara. From that the waters are created, from the waters a purusa is manifested, from him a lotus emerged and lord Brahma energed from it. The earth, Vayu, casa, Apah and Jyoti were created before Brahma. Here it should be noted that the first creator and lord Brahma are considered to be separate. The divine speech then ordained Brahma to create the whole world. Brahma started performing a sacrifice and recited the purusasukta. The Brahmins were created from his mouth, the ksatriyas from hands, Indra from mouth, Agni from breath, the directions from ears, heaven from the head, Moon from the heart, Sun from the eyes, Antariksa from the navel, the Vaisyas from the thighs, the Sudras from the feet, the Rsis from the pores, the osadhis from hair, the wild animals from nails, insects from anus, and the mobile and immobile and the seen and the unseen worlds are created from him as well as from lord Brahma (161.42-50). Thus mythological and theosophic notions inherited from the vedic period have been combined with notions of later origin and together they gave rise to Puranic cosmology. *

819 As regards the various other worlds, the account of the Brahma Purana is as follows: The part on which the rays of the Sun and the Moon shine is called earth. The earth together with its rivers, oceans and mountains vast as well as round. At a distance of one lakh yojans above the earth, the Suryamandala is situated and above one lakh yojans from Suryamandala, the Candramandala is situated. The whole Naksatramandala is situated at a distance of one lakh yojans above the Candramandala. Budha is situated at a distance of two lakh yojans above the Naksatramandala. Sukra is at a distance of two lakh yojanas from Budha, Mangala is at a distance of two lakh yojanas from Sukra, Devaguru Brhaspati at the same distance from Sukra, Sanaistara at the same distance from Brhaspati and the Saptarsimandala is at a distance of one lakh yojans from it. Dhruva is at a distance of one lakh yohanas from the Saptarsis and it is the centre of the Jyotirmandala. Maharloka is above Dhruva where people live for one kalpa. Its area is one crore yojanas. Above it is Janaloka whose area is two crore yojanas. The Brahmakumaras Sanandana and others live there. Tapoloka is four times bigger in area than that of Janaloka and is above the Janaloka and the bodiless deities vairajas live there. Satyaloka is six times bigger in area to that of Tapoloka and is situated above it. The Siddhas and the Rsis live there. The people there are free from rebirth and death. As long as one can tread on feet, the region is called Bhuloka. The second

820 region called Bhuvarloka is situated between the earth and Surya and is inhabited by the sages. The area of Svarloka is fourteen lakh yojanas and is situated between Dhjurva and Surya. Bhuh, Bhuvah and Svah constitute the frailokya. The learned brahmins call these worlds to be destructible (krtaka) whereas the other three worlds above these, viz. Jana, Tapas, and Satya are said to be indestructible (akrtaka). The world between krtaka and akrtaka is Maharloka which is called krtakakrtaka. It becomes desolate at the end but is not destroyed. These seven are the great worlds (23.3-21). Besides the seven great worlds there are the seven great patalas extending towards seventy thousand yojanas below the surface of the earth, each of its seven regions having a depth of ten thousand yojanas. The names of the seven nether regions are Atala, Vitala, Nitala, Sutala, Talatala, Rasatala and Patala and their grounds are krsna, sukla, aruna, pita, Sarkara, salla and kancana. Patala - the collective name of the seven nether worlds - is the abode of Nagas, Danavas and Daityas and it is better in beauty and magnificance than heavens. Below Patala is the dragon Sesa who bears the entire world like a didem upon his head and who is the foundation on which the seven patalas rest (A.21). The hells or liarakas are beneath Patala (22.1). For a description of various hells, vide the Appendix No.11. Besides this there are different worlds

pertaining to different gods, the names of which would be mentioned under the concept of kramamukti to be discussed below. 821 Types of Destruction:Together with the theories of creation there are others giving ideas about the destruction of the world. Thus the Brahma-Purana describes three types of layas, viz. Brahma or Naimittika Pralaya, Atyantika Pralaya and Prakrta Pralaya. The laya which takes place at the end of a Kalpa is the Brahma-Pralaya, the laya bestowing final liberation is called atyantika pralaya, and the laya which takes place after two parardhas is called the Prakrta Pralaya. yugas, Brahma Pralaya;- At the end of one thousand caturthere is famine for hundred years and many persons perish. After that lord Visnu takes a terrible form and ' lfy starts merging the world in himself. He dries the whole world through the seven rays of the Sun. Then being more lustrous by the power of lord Visnu, the seven rays of Sun manifest themselves in the form of seven Suns and they burn all the three worlds together with the Patalas. The Patalas are burnt by the hot breathing of Sesanaga. that the Bhuverloka and the Svarloka are burnt and being afraid of this terrible leya people rush to the Janaloka. After After that lord Visnu produces clouds from his breath and they drown all the worlds by terrible showers of rain. The whole world is

822 covered by darkness. The clouds continue to rain for more than hundred years. Naimittika Laya:- When the waters reach the Saptarsiloka, they cease to flow and the wind produced from the breath of lord Visnu destroys all the RAM clouds. Then lord Visnu, the first cause of the world, the beginningless, unthinkable and the creator of all beings devours the wind and rests on the Sesanaga. At that time he takes the form of lord Brahma and the Siddhas Sanaka and others of Janaloka praise him and these desirous of liberation meditate on him. Lord Visnu resorts to Yoganidra and meditates on his form Vasudeva. This is called Naimittika Pralaya, the nimitta being lord Visnu's sleep. As long as lord Visnu wakes, the whole world is active but during his sleep the whole world merges in him. The day of lord Brahma consists of one thousand caturyugas, at the time of sleeping the night also consists of the same period and at the end of sleep, lord Visnu again creates the world. Prakrta Lava:- When on account of anavrsti and fire all the beings are destroyed the occasion for Prakrta laya arises and at that time all the elements beginning from Mahattattva to visesa are destroyed. First the water merges smell in itself. On account of the destruction of gandha the whole world is transformed into water. Then Tejas merges the quality of fluid of water in itself, and the whole world is pervaded by

823 fire. Then Vayu merges Rupa, the characteristic quality of Then akasa devours fire and vayu pervades the whole world. sparsa, the characteristic quality of vayu. Vayu becomes tranquil and merely the akasa devoid of form, rasa, sparsa, gandha, and form pervades the whole world. The quality of akasa is sabda. Then the akasa merges the Bhutadis, the Bhutadis merge Mahattattva and the mula prakrti merges Mahattattva and all other things (A.232). Atyantika Lava:- One gets atyantika laya when one attains the knowledge and detachment after suffering the troubles arising from Adhyatmika, Adhibhautika and Adhidaivika conditions. (233.1-3). Elsewhere too a description of Pralaya is provided by the Brahma Purana (52,110).