What if creation wasn’t sparked by a bang, but by a breath or a thought arising in conjunction with that breath?
What if the universe didn’t end in destruction, but withdrew into silence while all functions and beings slowly dissolved?
The ancient Puranas—texts thousands of years old—speak not of explosive endings but of a gentle withdrawal. And the force that holds it all together? Not gravity. Not atoms. But attention.
At the center of this cosmic story stands Bhagwan Vishnu, the sustainer of existence. In the Vishnu Purana, Shiva Purana, and Brahmanda Purana, He is portrayed not just as a deity, but as the very awareness that holds all things in place. And when He chooses to rest, the universe—quietly, respectfully—returns into Him.
Let’s look at this profound idea through a new lens. Not to prove or disprove anything, but to wonder:
What if this were true?
A Universe Held in Focus
According to the Puranas, Bhagwan Vishnu does not “create” the universe the way a sculptor shapes clay. Instead, He manifests as every layer of reality itself:
- As inert matter (prakriti)
- As subtle energy (mahattattva)
- As the sense of individuality (ahamkara)
- As the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, space
- As gods, animals, humans, plants—even time and space
Everything is Him, differentiated only by degree.
Then comes a profound moment:
When it is time for the universe to end, He stops focusing outward.
This isn’t a dramatic apocalypse. Instead, the divine attention that held everything in place is gently withdrawn. The effect of this withdrawal on the manifest universe could mean pralaya and its end, leading to everything animate and inanimate ceasing to exist. However the possibility still remains.
That slowly, the universe fades like a dream—not destroyed, but unmanifested.
What If the Universe Ends When Attention Ends?
This idea of dissolution through withdrawal of focus is echoed across the Puranic texts.
In yogic philosophy, there is a concept called dharana—deep concentration. When the mind holds a single thought steadily, that thought becomes real in your internal world. You feel it. You experience it.
Now stretch that idea.
What if the entire cosmos is being held in Bhagwan Vishnu’s cosmic attention—and when that attention is withdrawn, reality itself loses coherence?
It’s poetic. But surprisingly, science now also tells us:
- Our brains filter what we perceive—we only see what we focus on.
- In physics, observation itself seems to influence how particles behave.
- When we fall into deep sleep, the world disappears from our awareness—but not because it stops existing, simply because we’ve turned away.
Isn’t that eerily similar to how the Puranas describe the pralaya—the cosmic dissolution?
Not as destruction, but as de-focus.
Consciousness as the First Mover
In the Puranic stories, creation begins when Bhagwan Vishnu opens His eyes, and dissolution begins when He closes them.
This could be symbolic. But what if it’s also describing a principle?
A principle where:
- Consciousness comes first
- Form follows focus
- Energy arises from awareness
Even in simple scientific terms:
- Focus changes brain structure (neuroplasticity)
- Belief affects body function (placebo effect)
- Intention influences stress, immunity, and healing
Now look again at the Puranic vision.
When Bhagwan Vishnu reclines upon the serpent of time, floating in the cosmic ocean, He is not inactive. He is in supreme awareness—and His awareness is what sustains the cosmos.
When that awareness folds inward, like a wave returning to the sea, everything dissolves—not violently, but peacefully.
What If This Is Not Just a Myth?
What if Bhagwan Vishnu reclining on Ananta isn’t just a deity from a storybook…
…but a metaphor for a state of consciousness that exists within us?
In the same way that He holds the universe in awareness, perhaps we, too, hold our personal worlds together through focus, belief, and presence.
- When we stop focusing on pain, it fades.
- When we stop feeding anger, it dissolves.
- When we stop reacting, chaos finds no hook.
Maybe this ancient story isn’t just about the end of the world, but about the power of focused consciousness in everyday life.
Final Thought: Stillness Is Not Emptiness
The Puranas never describe the void of dissolution as empty or dark.
They describe it as peaceful, still, full of potential.
Just like deep meditation, where nothing moves—but everything is possible.
Maybe that’s what the Rishis saw.
Not a god throwing thunderbolts or galaxies exploding into being.
But a consciousness so vast, so calm, that it dreams existence into being…
… and gently dreams it away again.
No bang. No end. Just the silent folding of attention.
And the timeless, rhythmic breath of the Divine.
nakul sardesai 
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