Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2453

c8.2453

In Prākṛtapralaya this whole universe would lie in extinction for a period of two parārddhas. One parārddha is 100000000000000000 years (one followed by seventeen zeroes) and so the period of a prākṛtapralaya is double the above number of years. The world would then come into the grip of a great drought; fire would break out and burn away everything in this world from Mahattattva to Viśeṣa. Then prompted by the desire of Viṣṇu, pratisañcaraṇa (back into nature) would occur. Then Jala (water) would absorb the guṇas of bhūmi like gandha (smell) and when the qualities of the earth are thus absorbed the earth would merge with pralaya. Jala is rasātmaka. Agni will absorb the rasa of Jala and Jala would be kindled. The guṇa of Agni is form and is in the form of Sun. Vāyu would absorb it and Agni would be destroyed. Vāyu would then become powerful and shake the world. The quality of Vāyu is touch and the ether would absorb that guṇa of Vāyu and Vāyu would be destroyed. The quality of ether is sound and it would be absorbed by the elements. If the elements are absorbed one by one the earth would merge into water (Jala) and Jala in Agni, and Agni in Vāyu and Vāyu in ether and ether in Ahaṅkāra (ego). Ahaṅkāra would merge in Mahattattva. This Mahattattva would be absorbed by Prakṛti. Prakṛti has got two forms:— Vyakta and Avyakta (Manifest and Un-manifest). The Vyakta would merge with Avyakta. Puruṣa is single, pure and without decay. But he is also part of Paramātmā (the Supreme Being). So Prakṛti and Puruṣa would both merge into the Supreme Being. There are no distinctions, fabrications in Paramātmā, the lord of all. It is only an existence. It is such a Paramātmā that should be known and which itself is knowledge. The Paramātmā is beyond the Ātmā (soul). It is in such an indescribable Paramātmā that all are dissolved during a Prākṛtapralaya. (Chapter 368, Agni Purāṇa).