Srimad Bhagavatam — Dvadasha Skandha, Shloka 4
Brahmā’s Day, the Four Pralayas, and the Supreme Shelter Beyond Cause–Effect
एष नैमित्तिक: प्रोक्त: प्रलयो यत्र विश्वसृक् । शेतेऽनन्तासनो विश्वमात्मसात्कृत्य चात्मभू: ॥ ४ ॥
eṣa naimittikaḥ proktaḥ pralayo yatra viśva-sṛk śete ’nantāsano viśvam ātmasāt-kṛtya cātma-bhūḥ
यह नैमित्तिक (आकस्मिक) प्रलय कहलाता है, जिसमें विश्वस्रष्टा ब्रह्मा शयन करते हैं। उस समय आदिस्रष्टा भगवान नारायण अनन्त शेष की शय्या पर लेटकर समस्त ब्रह्माण्ड को अपने में समाहित कर लेते हैं।
FAQs
Naimittika pralaya is the occasional dissolution at the end of Brahmā’s day, when the manifested universe is withdrawn and Brahmā enters a state of rest after absorbing the cosmos into himself.
The verse uses the image of Ananta (Śeṣa) as the cosmic support and resting-bed to indicate the universe’s withdrawal into a dormant condition, with Brahmā ceasing secondary creation during the periodic dissolution.
Remembering pralaya cultivates detachment and urgency for bhakti—worldly arrangements are temporary, so one should invest in lasting spiritual practice and devotion to the Lord.