Part 3: Brahma, Cosmos, Time...
The Hindu
tradition sustains that the universe exists for one day of Brahma (kalpa).
At the end of this day (lasting, by human measurements for four billions
years) the whole universe is dissolved.
At his point, Brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. This
process, named pralaya, repeats for such 100 years, period that
represents Brahma's lifespan. After Brahma's "death", it is necessary that
another 100 of his years pass until he is reborn and the whole creation
begins anew.
As Linga Purana (the text in which we find clear calculations of the
different cycles) indicates, "Brahma's life is divided in one thousand
cycles (Maha Yuga, or the Great Year). Maha Yuga, during which the human
race appears and then disappears, has 71 divisions, each made of 14
Manvantara (1000) years."
Manvantara is Manu's cycle, the one who gives birth and govern human race.
Each Manvantara has four divisions, four eras or Yugas, each presenting a
gradual decline of the spiritual values, in favor of a material progress.
A time of "sunrise" precedes each of these Yugas, and they end in a period
of twilight.
Behind
the Trinity is One
In India,
there is a legend about Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Each of them was
boasting about their miraculous powers. All of a
sudden, a young boy came forth, asking Brahma: "What do you create?"
Brahma's answer was quick and proud:"Everything". Asking the other
two gods, the boy got the answers: "We sustain and then dissolve
everything". The young visitor was holding a small straw in his hand.
Showing it to Brahma, the boy asked: "Can you create a straw just like
this?" after an extraordinary effort, Brahma admitted that he cannot
create such a straw. The child turned to Vishnu and asked him to preserve
the form of the straw. To his amazement, Vishnu was looking helpless to
the dissolving form of the straw. Finally, the child asked Shiva to
destroy the straw. Despite all his efforts, the straw was still there.
Then the boy turned again towards Brahma and asked him: "Are you my
creator?" Brahma thought thoroughly, but he could not remember
creating the amazing boy. The child suddenly disappeared from their
bewildered eyes, and the three gods remembered that behind their amazing
powers there is always God.