The Cosmic Cadence - by Akshay - Worthy Patterns
The cyclical nature of the Indian cosmos has become something of an internet meme. It’s now common to see references to the “Kali Yuga” from those suggesting why we live in such tumultuous times — whether expressed sardonically, or sincerely. In the theological orbit, we also see the occasional reference to the cyclical paradigm. In these contexts, the cycles are often equated with deep fatalism — i.e., something that is opposed to Western religious (and secular) pillars of human agency. As I have navigated the fundamentals of Hindu cosmology, it’s clear that the memes don’t tell the whole story.
Like with any religious substrate that has developed over millennia, the Hindu tapestry does not contain a singular cosmological structure. A cyclical motif is indeed seen in the early hymns of the Rigveda (the oldest and most foundational text in Hinduism); but it is in a poetic structure that leaves ample room for interpretation. The “immateriality that predates discernible reality” is referenced; the non-being that somehow stirred into being; the intimation that this repeatedly unfolds with a cadence, as the sun follows the moon.
The earliest layers of Rigveda, known as the Samhitas (~1500-500 BCE), provide cryptic speculation on the emergence of being:
