Transliteration
avyaktād-vyaktayaḥ sarvāḥ prabhavanty-ahar-āgame |
ratry-āgame pralīyante tatraivāvyakta saṃjñake || 18 ||
Translation
All the manifested entities come forth from the unmanifest (Avyakta) at the coming of the day of Brahma, at the coming of the night they are dissolved into that alone which is known as the Unmanifest.
Purport
This is yet another Shloka explains one of the most complex subjects of science, the creation of the universe.
Above Shloka not only explains the creation of the universe, and its cycle but also explains another important law of physics that is that the law of mass-energy conservation.
Following points can be summarized from above shloka
1. The universe exists in two forms, material and non-material
2. It goes through the transformation from non-material form to material and vice versa.
3. The total measure of non-material + material form of universe remains constant.
4. Material form and non-material form can be converted to each other.
The above 4 points present an amazing explanation of the creation of the universe. As per this Shloka, the material universe is not formed from anywhere but from a non-material source. If we take it in simple meaning, non material form is nothing but the energy or similar physical quantity. At the start of the Bramha’s day, non-material form converts to give the material universe. At the end of the Bramha’s day or the start of the Bramha’s night, the material universe is converted back to non-material or energy form. This conversion of the universe from material to non-material form is what called pralaya. As we have discussed in the previous shloka, one day and night of Bramha is equal to 4,320,000,000 human years. This means the life of the material universe in half cycle is 4.3 billion years. For 4.3 billion years this material universe remains in material form and for another 4.3 billion years in non material form. This presents one cycle. This creation and dissolution of the universe continue for 360x100 for one cycle of Bramha’s life. After that, another bigger cycle of the universe starts with new Bramha.
The whole discussion, when put in one paragraph, appears quite simple, but when we realize the scale of measure, it's mind-boggling. The fact given in one single Shloka above is the combination of many complex theories and laws of physics. Even modern science is not able to give exact measurements of the time of just one universe, but our scripture not only describes the process of the universe but provides exact measures and detail explanations. That is the glory of Sanatan Scriptures.
