Pralaya


Pralaya, in Hindu cosmology, is an aeonic term for dissolution. It follows two other stages: Srishti and Sthiti.
A Pralaya specifies different periods of time during which a non-activity situation persists, as per different formats or contexts. The word Mahapralaya stands for "Great Dissolution". During each pralaya, the lower ten realms are destroyed, while the higher four realms, including Satya-loka, Tapa-loka, Jana-loka, and Mahar-loka, are preserved. During each Mahapralaya, all 14 realms are destroyed.
In the Samkhya philosophy, one of the six schools of classical Indian philosophy, pralaya means "non-existence", a state of matter achieved when the three gunas are in perfect balance. The word pralaya comes from Sanskrit meaning "dissolution" or by extension "reabsorption, destruction, annihilation or death".

In popular culture

The word pralaya appears in the Cyclops chapter of James Joyce's epic novel Ulysses.
The Swedish metal band, Dissection, references "Mahapralaya" in their song, "Maha Kali".
The Polish black metal band, Plaga, references "Mahapralaya" in their song, "Śmierć cieplna wszechświata".
In Fate Grand Order, Arjuna Alter's Noble Phantasm is Mahapralaya.