How the Universe Was Created According to Hinduism – Explained Simply

The universe has always been a mystery for human beings.
Many people wonder – How was the universe created? Who created it?

Hinduism offers detailed answers to these questions. The ancient Indian scriptures describe the universe not as one single structure, but as part of an endless multiverse — countless universes being created, destroyed, and recreated again and again.

🌌 Infinite Universes and Lord Vishnu

According to Hinduism:

There are infinite universes.

Each universe is born, lives for a long period, and then ends.

But the multiverse never ends.

Lord Vishnu represents this eternal multiverse.

Before creation began, Vishnu slept on the cosmic ocean of causes, resting on a massive serpent with thousands of snake heads.

🔱 The Divine Trinity of Creation

Creation operates through a divine triad:

Lord Brahma – The Creator

Lord Vishnu – The Maintainer

Lord Shiva – The Destroyer

While Vishnu sustains life across all universes, Brahma creates the physical world of our present universe, and Shiva eventually dissolves it.

🌸 Birth of the Universe from the Lotus

While Vishnu rested, a lotus flower emerged from his navel.
The lotus stem represents cosmic creation, and at the flower’s centre sat Lord Brahma. That moment marked the birth of our universe.

🌬️ The Breath of Vishnu

The creation and destruction of universes happen with every breath of Lord Vishnu:

Each time Vishnu exhales, thousands of universes appear, and many Brahmas are born.

When Vishnu inhales, all universes collapse back into him, and the Brahmas perish.

⏳ Brahma’s Lifespan

Our universe is ruled by one Brahma:

Brahma lives for 100 years.

Each year has 360 days.

We currently exist on the first day of the 51st year of Brahma’s life.

Each day of Brahma is used to create life, while his night dissolves living beings back into him.

🕰️ The Hindu Concept of Time

Hindu time measurements are incredibly vast.

Yuga – Age Cycles

Four Yugas form one Mahayuga:

Kali Yuga – 432,000 years (shortest)

Dwapara Yuga – 864,000 years

Treta Yuga – 1,296,000 years

Satya Yuga – 1,728,000 years

✅ All together = 4.32 million years = 1 Mahayuga

Manvantara – Life Cycles on Earth

After Mahayuga comes Manvantara, a period of creation and destruction of life forms.

1 Manvantara = 71 Mahayugas

Total = 306.72 million years

Ancient texts say Earth’s life cycle faces destruction after such vast periods.
Interestingly, around 252 million years ago, Earth experienced the largest mass extinction, killing nearly 90–96% of species, including many insects.

Sandhikal – Recovery Years

After extinction comes recovery, called Sandhikal:

Duration = 1 Satya Yuga (1.7–1.8 million years).

Modern science suggests that recovery after extinction took around 10 million years, surprisingly close to ancient estimates.

🌏 Kalpa – One Day of Brahma

1 Kalpa = 14 Manvantaras + 15 Sandhikals

Total = 4.32 billion years

That equals one daytime of Brahma, filled with creation.

Then comes Brahma’s night — another 4.32 billion years, where no creation occurs.

So: One full day and night of Brahma = 8.64 billion years

Modern science estimates Earth’s oldest life to be 4.28 billion years old, very close to one single daytime of Brahma.

📆 Mahakalpa – Life of a Universe

30 Kalpas = 1 month

12 months = 1 year

Brahma’s lifespan = 100 years

✅ 1 Universe lifespan = 311.04 trillion years

According to Hindu calculations:

We presently live in:

The first day of Brahma’s 51st year

During Kali Yuga

Of the 28th Mahayuga

Inside the 7th Manvantara

🧮 Estimated Age of Our Universe

Using ancient calculations:

50 universal years = 520 billion years

6 Manvantaras = 184 billion years

7 Sandhikals = 12 billion years

28 Mahayugas = 121 million years

✅ Total Age (Ancient Hindu Estimate): 157.49 trillion years

🌌 Science vs Hindu Cosmology

Modern Science → Universe age ≈ 13.79 billion years

Ancient Hindu Texts → Universe age ≈ 311 trillion years

No other ancient civilization described cosmic time in billions and trillions of years with such detail.

✨ Carl Sagan’s Remark

American astrophysicist Carl Sagan famously wrote:

Hinduism is the only religion that fully accepts the idea of infinite universes being born and dying.
Its time cycles match modern cosmological scales better than any other ancient tradition.

✅ Conclusion

The Hindu understanding of cosmic creation shows:

Endless cycles of birth and destruction.

Vast timelines stretching far beyond human imagination.

A universe that is not permanent, but repeatedly reborn through divine rhythm.

This ancient knowledge reflects astonishing scientific depth that continues to amaze the modern world.