Pralaya

Pralaya is the “disappearance of the world” in Shaivism, the end of a kalpa (cycle), and a momentary loss of consciousness (fainting) in the Natyashastra.

In Avatars: Forms of Vishnu (2026) pralaya is defined as "the periodic dissolution or suspension of the universe at the end of a cosmic cycle; during pralaya, all creation is withdrawn into Vishnu, where it remains in a latent state until the next creation."

The term came to be a synonym of "death" or "devastation".