The Life Cycle of Brahma

The Vedas teach that the Supreme Lord rests in yoga-nidra, and during this period innumerable Brahmas take birth and die. At the end of this duration, the Lord arouses from sleep and the process of creation begins again.

A thousand cycles of the four yugas make up Brahma's day and the same number makes his night.

Creation
Brahma’s four heads represent the Vedas, holy Hindu texts (Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda). The four yugas or ages of time are also represented by these heads: Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga.

One of his ten sons, Rudra, was born from the spot between his brows and he began to wail as babies do when they are born. This angered Brahma and he frowned.

From his eastern mouth he created the Gayatri metre, Rig veda, and the Ratnatraya portion of the Ekavinsa collection of hymns; from his southern mouth he created the Yajur veda, the Sukta-samhita and the Pancadasa portions of the Ekavinsa, and from his western mouth he created the Jai veda and the Uktha-samhita. He also created birds, cattle, sheep, goats, pigeons, deer, camels and mules from his hairs. He also made various plants for sacrifices from his body. He is also the patron of the Vedas and he is often depicted holding a copy.

Dissolution
Brahma is the overseer of the universe, and He creates various planetary systems during his day, and when night comes they are destroyed. The Supreme Lord does this to teach us a lesson that nothing is permanent in this material world.

Bharatham narrates that one thousand yugas equal the duration of a day of Brahma. This means that the heavenly planets are destroyed every day and at the end of the thousand yugas there is a complete dissolution of this universe.

During this period of annihilation the souls, who are inactive, merge into Maha-Visnu's body, but they retain their identity. Then they begin a new life in the next planetary system according to their past activities. This is known as karma-ksetra. When this process is complete, the ascended souls are transferred to the highest planetary system. This is the abode of the demigods. There is a higher unmanifested spiritual atmosphere beyond this which is called tripad-vibhuti, three fourths of the Supreme's energy.

Manvantara
A Manvantara is one cycle of seventyone Caturyugas (a calender of four yugas). Each Manvantara lasts for 360 days for Gods and 120 Brahma varsas for human beings.

The fourth Manu was Tamasa, son of Priyavrata. He worshipped Devi with Kamaraja mantra on the northern bank of Narmada river and she blessed him with a prosperous kingdom and worthy sons. He had a long and happy reign and at the end of his Manvantara he reached Heaven.

The fifth Manu was Raivata, younger brother of Tamasa. He worshipped Devi with Kamaraja and she blessed him with a prosperous kingdom without any enemies. He had a long and happy reign. He too reached the highest place of Heaven at the end of his Manvantara. The Saptarsis of this Manvantara were Jyotirman, Prthu, Kavya, Caitra and Agnivanaka. (Visnu Purana, Part I, Chapter 1). Aryabhata disagrees with Puranas in this respect and he lays down that there are 72 Manvantaras instead of 71 and each Manvantara lasts for 1008 Brahma varsas.

Kalpa
The time period of manifestation and non-manifestation that we experience in this universe is known as a kalpa. Each kalpa lasts for a thousand chatur-yugas. These are one-thousand cycles of the four yugas, or dvya-dhatu, and each yuga is 432 billion years.

The kalpa also lasts for the duration of Brahma’s day, after which it is dissolved in a deluge called Pralaya. This is followed by the new creation cycle of Brahma.

According to the Purana cosmology, long ago, the world was nothing but water. Inside this water rested a giant golden egg, which contained the potential for all forms of existence. This golden egg is called Hiranyagarbha and it is the womb from which Brahma creates all that is manifested.