सृष्टि चक्र
Sṛṣṭi Cakra
SRISH-tee CHUK-ruh
Level 3Etymology
Root: From √sṛj (to emit, release, create) + -ti (action noun suffix) = sṛṣṭi (creation, emanation); cakra from √car (to move) meaning wheel or cycle. Together: 'the wheel of creation.'
Literal meaning: The revolving wheel of emanation — the cyclical process by which existence is projected forth, sustained, and withdrawn back into its source.
Definition
The Srishti Cycle describes the Hindu cosmological understanding that the universe undergoes repeated phases of creation (sṛṣṭi), preservation (sthiti), and dissolution (pralaya). These three phases correspond to the cosmic functions of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva respectively within the Trimūrti framework. Each full cycle constitutes one lifespan of Brahmā, spanning 311.04 trillion human years.
At the spiritual level, the Srishti Cycle mirrors the journey of the individual jīva — the soul's projection into embodied experience through māyā, its sustenance through karma and saṃskāra, and its eventual dissolution of false identification leading to mokṣa. The cycle is not merely cosmological but maps onto every act of perception, where consciousness projects, sustains, and reabsorbs experience moment to moment.
From the absolute standpoint, there is no real creation or destruction. Brahman alone exists — unchanging, uncaused, and infinite. The Srishti Cycle is vivarta (apparent transformation), not pariṇāma (real modification). As the Māṇḍūkya Kārikā declares: 'na nirodho na cotpattiḥ' — there is neither cessation nor origination. The cycle is the play (līlā) of consciousness recognizing itself through the appearance of multiplicity.
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Common Misconception
Many assume the Srishti Cycle describes a single linear event of creation like the Big Bang. In reality, Hindu cosmology is fundamentally cyclical — each dissolution (pralaya) is followed by a new creation, and there is no absolute beginning or end. Even the 'Great Dissolution' (mahāpralaya) at the end of Brahmā's lifespan is followed by a new Brahmā and a new cycle. The universe is anādi (beginningless).
Modern Application
The Srishti Cycle offers a powerful framework for understanding impermanence and renewal in modern life. Just as the cosmos undergoes creation, sustenance, and dissolution, every project, relationship, and phase of life follows a similar arc — emergence, flourishing, and natural completion. This perspective counters the modern fixation on perpetual growth by normalizing endings as preconditions for new beginnings. In ecology, it parallels regenerative cycles; in psychology, it maps onto grief and renewal. Entrepreneurs can draw resilience from understanding that dissolution is not failure but the composting of experience that nourishes the next cycle of creative expression.
Quick Quiz
What are the three phases of the Srishti Cycle in correct order?