Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The concept of Hiranyagarbha, meaning "golden womb" or "golden embryo," is a significant idea in Hindu philosophy, particularly within the Vedic tradition. It represents the primordial, unmanifest source from which all creation emerges.1

In some creation myths, the world is formed from the sacrifice and dismemberment of a primordial being. For example, in the ancient Indian text, the Rigveda, the cosmos is a result of the sacrifice of a primordial man, the purusha. This act of sacrifice differentiates the undifferentiated matter of creation, allowing the world to appear. These myths suggest that the differentiation of primal stuff is necessary before the world can manifest.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.