Hinduism

Summary of Hindu Creation Mythology

The Hindu cosmological genesis story is perhaps the closest religious myth to modern scientific theory; because it seems to support Relativity, Causality, The Big Bang Cycle, Multiverses, and other complex and expansive theories. The four main Hindu scriptures are called the Holy Vedas. For this summary I will refer to the concept of Creation as Om (pronounced A-U-M for the Om Trinity: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva), and attempt to synthesize scriptures to minimize contradictions.

The Om Goddess helps the Om God to birth our Universe from the monistic Golden Egg Womb within his(?) belly, which causes the new God Brahma* to self-manifest out from the previous god’s naval. Brahma eventually seems to become the Om God Vishnu (or vice-versa), as their father role is both a protector and creator, when they are both named in the same role, for different creation stories. Brahma visits and rests on the transcendental waters of the multiverses, floating on a lotus, until he creates and the Golden Egg for rebirth. The cycle of universal recreation is about 4,000,000,000 years, after which that universe is destroyed by an apocalypse (pralaya) of fire or water. The Great Flood was the latest such pralaya. The period of rest in between universes is equal to the life of a universe. Then the Goddess and God release the next Brahma again; thus the cycle continues. – (Bhagavata Purana 6.16.37, 2.10.10 / Matsya Purāṇa 2.25-30 / Isvara Upanisad / Narayana Sukta) *Brahma is used here in place of Svayambhu, Isvara, or Narayana because there are many Brahmas, one for each universe.

God Vishnu rests in infinite Paradise (Paramdhama), laying on a serpent, and creates and preserves our Universe through his dreams. Vishnu has 10 material incarnations known as avatars (including Krishna & Buddha). Goddess Shiva destroys and transforms life and matter. Brahma is the grandfather of humans (children of Manu). There are thousands of other Hindu gods and goddess as well. Hindu Puranic scripture mentions that multiverses have seven layers. The seven universal layers are earth, water, fire, air, sky, energy, and false ego. The universes are unlimited; we are within them, and they are within us (microcosm/macrocosm, natural mathematical fractals, and atomic quantum theory).

The Rig Veda questions the origin of the universe. “Neither being nor non-being was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection? …Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world’s creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know.” – (Rig Veda 10.129 dated 2,200–1,100 BC)