Cosmology.
There is no one cosmology in Hindu culture; rather, there are many distinct systems, each of which is well-established in its own right.
The earliest model, known as the Purusha Sukta (“Hymn to the Primeval Man”), is found in the Rg Veda (10.90), the oldest Hindu sacred book.
The earth and all living creatures were created as a consequence of the primordial man's sacrifice, according to this hymn (purusha).
Different portions of his body morph into various elements of the physical world and conventional social groupings.
Another Vedic metaphor is the Golden Embryo, which is the only thing that exists until it matures into Prajapati, the universe's creator.
The Cosmic Egg is a third form found in later religious writings known as puranas, which are collections of mythology and legend.
The Cosmic Egg, according to this picture, once housed the whole cosmos.
The egg's component parts (shell, white, yolk, and membranes) become all of the earth's objects once cracked.
The last and probably most well-known cosmological picture from the puranas is the deity Vishnu floating in the sea of cosmic dissolution (pralaya), resting on the back of his snake couch, Shesha.
When the moment comes for creation, a lotus grows from Vishnu's navel and opens, revealing the deity Brahma, who begins the process.
When the cosmic disintegration begins, Brahma is reabsorbed into Vishnu's body, and the process is reversed.
Regardless of their symbols, all of these theories share the belief that the universe originated from a single source and that the whole cosmos is therefore an organic whole.
Although there are many theories for the universe' genesis, there is more consensus on its geography.
The cosmos is said to be divided into three tiers, each of which may have many layers.
The visible world is the intermediate layer, wedged between the upper world's heavens (sometimes counted as seven) and the underworld's kingdoms.
Some of the lesser worlds are regarded hells, while others are just considered other planes of existence.
The visible world is frequently depicted as a series of concentric landmasses (dvipas) divided by seven seas (the saptasindhu), each of which is made up of a different material.
Jambudvipa, the innermost of these landmasses, is centered on the legendary Mount Meru, which is frequently mistaken for Mount Kailas in the Himalayas.
Mount Meru is likened to the central calyx of a lotus in ancient cosmology, since it sits at the heart of the cosmos.
Mountain ranges encircle Mount Meru, having a distinct area in each of the cardinal directions.
The area known as Bharata, the old name for the Indian subcontinent, is located south of Mount Meru.
Bharata is considered to be better to the other three Jambudvipa areas since religious rites are only done properly in Bharata.
As a result of its mythological geography, India is regarded as the center of the world and the ideal location to dwell if one want to pursue holy life.
Classical Hindu Mythology, edited by Cornelia Dimmitt and J. A. B. van Buitenen, was published in 1978.
Also see cosmic time.
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