The Great Withdrawal
Pralaya ('dissolution' or 'withdrawal', from pra + lī) is the periodic reabsorption of the manifest universe into an extremely subtle, undifferentiated condition within Brahman. Gross bodies and differentiated material forms cease to function; the evolutes of prakṛti return to their causal condition. Cit and acit do not become unreal or lose their identity. They remain as real, distinct, but subtle modes of Bhagavān, who continues to be their inner ruler.
The individual jīvas persist with their accumulated karma. Their dharma-bhūta-jñāna is exceedingly contracted and there is no ordinary embodied enjoyment or suffering, but the conscious self is not annihilated and does not become an unconscious material entity.
Karma Preserved
Pralaya does not erase the moral history of the jīva. When the next creation begins, Bhagavān unfolds names and forms again and assigns bodies and circumstances in accordance with the karma retained by each bound soul. Pralaya is therefore a withdrawal of manifestation and activity, not a cancellation of the real distinctions among Bhagavān, souls, and matter.
Uses of the Term
Traditional cosmological discussions distinguish, among other usages:
- Naimittika pralaya — the partial or periodic withdrawal associated with the end of Brahmā's day, after which the relevant worlds are manifested again.
- Prākṛta pralaya — the great withdrawal at the end of Brahmā's life, when the products of prakṛti return to the unmanifest causal state. Prakṛti itself is not destroyed as an eternal dependent reality.
- Ātyantika pralaya — figurative use for the complete ending of an individual soul's saṃsāric bondage through mokṣa; the jīva itself does not dissolve.
- Some texts use nitya pralaya for the daily cessation of waking activity in sleep or for moment-to-moment destruction; this is a distinct, analogical usage rather than a cosmic dissolution.
Bhagavān During Pralaya
Bhagavān is unchanged by creation and withdrawal. In pralaya, cit and acit constitute His subtle body; in creation they constitute His manifest body with differentiated names and forms. The transition displays His sovereignty and compassion without compromising the reality of any tattva.