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According to Hindu mythology, Hiranyagarbha, meaning the golden womb, is the source of the creation of the universe. It is one of the Vedic myths which explain the origin and the creation of the cosmos and the universe. The legend states that the Hiranyagarbha floated around in water in the emptiness and the darkness of the non-existence for about a year, and then broke into two halves which formed the Swarga and the Prithvi, and most likely other parts of the universe. It is believed that Brahma was born from the Hiranyagarbha.

The Rigvedic perception of 'Prana' - the life and 'Bhuta' - the body, which the Rigveda calls Hiranyagarbha, is, however, more explicit and better defined. In the Hiranyagarbha analogy, 'hiranya' or gold is the 'Prana', the life and 'garbha' the 'Bhuta', the matter. The Rigveda observes that it (the cosmos? or existence?) was the single egg but split into two- the 'Prana' and 'Bhuta'. The Rigveda does not elaborate the point any farther but its symbolism moves into two apparent directions. Egg contains both, the life and the matter. When it splits, both fall apart. Besides the lifeless matter, the Egg also yields the matter with life. The Rigveda calls them as 'aprana' and 'saprana'. The matter with life has life but is just the single Egg, the inherent aspect of the female, as by itself it is unable to farther the creative process and it is thus only the inactive 'Bhuta'. It is only after the male energy fertilizes it that it becomes the Golden Egg- the life-bearing one, the Hiranyagarbha of the Rigveda. And, now the Hiranyagarbha- the 'Bhuta' combined with 'Prana', the matter energized by spirit, takes to its own form and defines creation.

• Ardhanarishvara in Art and Philosophy

Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry
Female Deities: Devi | Saraswati | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Radha | Mahavidya | more...
Male Deities: Deva |Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Indra | Surya | more...
Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda
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