Knowra Hindu cosmology Hindu cosmology Hindu cosmology comprises traditional accounts of the universe’s structure, origins, cycles, and dissolution, expressed in texts and religious traditions that vary across time and community.
Brahmanda : A Sanskrit term for the cosmic egg or universe in Hindu cosmological traditions. The universe is often pictured as a cosmic egg containing the worlds.
Srishti : Creation, emanation, or manifestation of the universe in Hindu traditions. Srishti names the cosmos coming into manifestation.
Nasadiya Sukta : A Rigvedic hymn that reflects on the universe's origin while questioning what can be known about it. Its questions about creation contrast with later, more elaborate cosmological narratives.
Bhagavata Purana : A major Sanskrit Purana centered on devotion to Vishnu, especially Krishna. Its narratives describe cosmic worlds, cycles, and Vishnu's sustaining role.
Biblical cosmology : Accounts of the universe's creation and structure found in the Bible and related interpretive traditions. Many biblical accounts emphasize a unique creation, unlike recurring Hindu cosmic cycles.
Loka : A world or realm inhabited by beings in Hindu religious cosmologies. Loka names the realms arranged within the cosmos.
Pralaya : Cosmic dissolution or withdrawal in Hindu cosmological traditions. Pralaya describes the universe's periodic dissolution.
Hiranyagarbha : The 'golden embryo' or cosmic source of creation in Vedic and later Hindu traditions. This creation motif presents the cosmos emerging from a primordial seed.
Vishnu Purana : A Sanskrit Purana recounting Vishnu's manifestations, genealogies, and accounts of the universe. It offers an influential account of cosmic structure and recurring time.
Buddhist cosmology : Buddhist accounts of multiple worlds, realms of rebirth, and vast cycles of cosmic formation and destruction. It shares cyclic and layered features while placing them in a distinct religious framework.
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