Pralaya

Pralaya (devanāgarī: प्रलय) "es una palabra Sanskrita que significa "disolucion" o "desvanecerse" (de laya: "disolver" y pra "sin cesar"). En Hinduismo, se refiere al periodo donde el universo esta en un estado de no-existencia, que ocurre cuando las tres gunas o cualidades de la materia están en perfecto balance. H.P.Blavatsky lo define como, "Un periodo de obscuridad o reposo--planetario, cósmico o universal--lo opuesto de Manvantara."[1]

===Contenidos===

1 Descripción General 2 En Hinduismo 3 En Teosofía 3.1 Pralaya Menor (Ronda) 3.2 Pralaya Planetaria 3.3 Pralaya Solar 3.4 Pralaya Universal 4 Duración 5 Ver también 6 Recursos En línea 6.1 Artículos 6.2 Libros 7 Notas

Descripción General

La idea de pralaya es parte de un modelo cíclico del universo (presente en diversas filosofías Orientales así como en Teosofía) en donde se dice que el cosmos aparece y desaparece regularmente dentro de una Realidad Absoluta:

Así como el sol aparece cada mañana en nuestro horizonte objetivo (a nosotros) de entre su espacio subjetivo y antipodal, así el Universo emerge periódicamente en el plano de objetividad, proviniendo de esa subjetividad-las antipodas de aquél. Este es el "Ciclo de Vida." Y como el sol desaparece de nuestro horizonte, también el Universo desaparece en periodos regulares.cuando la "Noche Universal" comienza. Los Hindues denominan semejantes alternancias los "Días y Noches de Brahma," o el tiempo de Manvantara y del Pralaya (disolución). Los Occidentales los pueden llamar los Dias y Noches Universales si lo prefieren.[2]

En Hinduismo

Pralaya es de cuatro clases: a) Naimittaka u ocasional, b) Prakrittika o elemental, c) Atyantika o absoluto, and d) Nitya o perpetuo.

El Vishnu Purana describe tres tipos de pralaya:

a) Naimittika se describe como los intervalos de los de días de Brahma, cuando el soberano del mundo descansa en sueño. Esto implica la destrucción de las criatuas, This involves the destruction of creatures, si bien no de la substancia del mundo, sucediendo durante su noche.

b) Prakrittika or elemental is when the Mundane egg resolves into the primary element from whence it was derived. It occurs at the end of Brahma's life.

c) Atyantika is individual annihilation or Moksha. Moksha is the exclusion forever from future existence. It is described as the absolute non-existence of the world, is the absorption of the sage through knowledge, into the supreme spirit.

The Bhagavad Gita describes a fourth kind of pralaya:

d) Nitya or the constant dissolution of all that is born. This is the imperceptible change that all things suffer, in the various stages of growth and decay, life and death. The various conditions of beings subject to change are occasioned by that constant dissolution of life, which is rapidly produced by the resistless stream of time, taking everything perpetually away.

Mme. Blavatsky refers to the "popular belief" about the three kinds of pralayas, adding that "for once, it agrees with Esotericism." She explained these pralayas as follows:

There are many kinds of Pralaya, but three chief ones are specially mentioned in old Hindu books. The first is called NAIMITTIKA "occasional" or "incidental", caused by the intervals of "Brahmâ’s Days"; it is the destruction of creatures, of all that lives and has a form, but not of the substance which remains in statu quo till the new DAWN in that "Night". The other is called PRAKRITIKA, and occurs at the end of the Age or Life of Brahma, when everything that exists is resolved into the primal element, to be remodelled at the end of that longer night. But the third, ATYANTIKA, does not concern the Worlds or the Universe, but only the individualities of some people; it is thus individual pralaya or NIRVANA; after having reached which, there is no more future existence possible, no rebirth till after the Maha Pralaya.[3] In Theosophy The Theosophical view of pralaya is similar in many aspects to that of Hinduism, although there is mention to some other pralayas connected with the teachings about cyclic evolution through rounds and chains.

In one of the The Mahatma Letters by Master K.H.:

There are three kinds of pralayas and manwantara:

1. The universal or Maha pralaya and manwantara. 2. The solar pralaya and manwantara. 3. The minor pralaya and manwantara. When the pralaya No. 1 is finished the universal manwantara begins. Then the whole universe must be re-evoluted de novo. When the pralaya of a solar system comes it affects that solar system only. A solar pralaya = 7 minor pralayas. The minor pralayas of No. 3 concern but our little string of globes, whether man-bearing or not. To such a string our Earth belongs.[4] A similar classification was offered by Mme. Blavatsky, although she used the word "planetary pralaya" for the "minor pralaya" in the letters, and used the latter denomination for the paralaya between rounds:

Occultism divides the periods of Rest (Pralaya) into several kinds; there is the individual pralaya of each Globe, as humanity and life pass on to the next; seven minor Pralayas in each Round; the planetary Pralaya, when seven Rounds are completed; the Solar Pralaya, when the whole system is at an end; and finally the Universal Maha—or Brahmâ—Pralaya at the close of the "Age of Brahmâ." These are the three chief pralayas or “destruction periods.” There are many other minor ones, but with these we are not concerned at present.[5] There is also a more general use of this term, described by Mme. Blavatsky as follows:

Pralaya—a word already explained—is not a term that applies only to every “Night of Brahmâ,” or the world’s dissolution following every [minor] Manvantara, equal to 71 Mahayugas. It applies also to each “obscuration” as well, and even to every Cataclysm that puts an end, by Fire or by Water in turn, to each Root-Race.[6] Minor (Round) pralaya When a Round is finished life enters into an inter-round nirvāṇa and the globes remain as if in a frozen state:

After a minor pralaya, everything having remained in statu quo—in a refrigerated state, so to say, like the moon—at the first flutter of manvantara, the planet or planets begin their resurrection to life from within outwardly.[7] Nature, i.e., everything visible and invisible on a resting planet—remains in statu quo. Nature rests and slumbers, no work of destruction going on on the globe even if no active work is done. All forms, as well as their astral types, remain as they were at the last moment of its activity. The “night” of a planet has hardly any twilight preceding it. It is caught like a huge mammoth by an avalanche, and remains slumbering and frozen till the next dawn of its new day—a very short one indeed in comparison to the "Day of Brahmâ".[8] It is not the physical organisms that remain in statu quo, least of all their psychical principles, during the great Cosmic or even Solar pralayas, but only their Akâsic or astral “photographs.” But during the minor pralayas, once over-taken by the “Night,” the planets remain intact, though dead, as a huge animal, caught and embedded in the polar ice, remains the same for ages.[9] Planetary pralaya Called "minor pralaya" in The Mahatma Letters, the planetary pralaya comes with the completion of seven rounds, marking the end of that particular Planetary Chain:

As the new round begins it [globe A] catches the new influx of life, reawakens to vitality and begets all its kingdoms of a superior order to the last. After this has been repeated seven times comes a minor pralaya; the chain of globes are not destroyed by disintegration and dispersion of their particles but pass in abscondito. From this they will re-emerge in their turn during the next septenary period. . . The minor manwantara is composed of seven rounds, 49 rings and 7 obscurations.[10] The new planetary chain that appears with the new minor manvantara will resume the evolution in the place where it was left off when the pralaya set in:

In the minor pralayas there is no starting de novo — only resumption of arrested activity. The vegetable and animal kingdoms which at the end of the minor manwantara had reached only a partial development are not destroyed. Their life or vital entities, call some of them nati if you will — find also their corresponding night and rest — they also have a Nirvana of their own. And why should they not, these foetal and infant entities. They are all like ourselves begotten of the one element.[11] Solar pralaya A solar pralaya comes when seven Planetary Chains have been accomplished:

Within one solar period (of a p[ralaya]. and m[anvantara].) occur seven such minor periods [rounds], in an ascending scale of progressive development. . . . The solar period [is composed] of 49 rounds.[12]