When we ask, “What existed before time?” — the simple answer is: not nothing, but the formless Source. The Vedas and Purāṇas describe an eternal, nirguṇa (formless) reality, beyond time and space.
From this timeless ground, the first dual manifestation appears:
- Adi-Śakti — the eternal power, the energy of creation.
- Mahā-Viṣṇu — the cosmic principle whose very breath gives rise to worlds.
Neither is “before” the other; both are eternal aspects of the same supreme reality. One provides power (Śakti), the other provides substrate (the cosmic dreamer).
1. Mahā-Viṣṇu’s Exhale — Birth of Infinite Universes
In the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (emphasized by ISKCON), Mahā-Viṣṇu reclines in the causal ocean. When He exhales, from the pores of His body emerge countless universes — the multiverse; when He inhales, all those universes collapse back into Him.
2. Adi-Śakti — Mother of the Trimūrti
The Devī-Bhāgavata Purāṇa describes Adi-Śakti as the eternal Mother. She gives rise to the Trimūrti — Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva — and empowers them to create, preserve, and dissolve. Without her, they cannot function.
Thus: while Mahā-Viṣṇu breathes out universes, Adi-Śakti manifests into the dynamic principles that operate inside them.
3. The Three Forms of Viṣṇu — Entering the Universes
Mahā-Viṣṇu does not stop at creating universes. He expands into two more forms to operate within them:
- Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu → enters each universe, rests upon the cosmic ocean within it; from His navel springs a lotus, and Brahmā is born to shape the worlds.
- Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu → enters every heart as the Paramātmā (inner guide) and every atom as the indwelling overseer. According to ISKCON theology, the voice we call conscience is His whisper.
All of this is described in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa: “By the breathing of Mahā-Viṣṇu, innumerable universes are produced”.
4. Śiva — Lord of Dissolution
The Śiva Purāṇa emphasizes Śiva’s eternal role in saṃhāra — the dissolution of universes at cycle-end. He destroys / transforms forms so that renewal is possible.
(A detailed summary: Shiva Purana – Role in Creation and Destruction)
5. Different Traditions’ Supreme
Here’s where perspectives diverge:
- Gaudiya Vaishnava / ISKCON view: The Supreme Source is Krishna, the original personality of Godhead. From Him expands Mahā-Viṣṇu, and from Mahā-Viṣṇu arise infinite universes.
- Śākta view (Devī Purāṇa): The ultimate reality is Adi-Śakti, the Goddess, who brings forth Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva to manage creation, preservation, and destruction.
- Śaiva view: The eternal truth is Śiva, the supreme consciousness, with Śakti as his inseparable power.
Thus, depending on tradition, the ultimate Source is seen differently — yet all agree that time itself begins with creation.
6. The Cycle of Creation, Preservation, and Destruction
- At creation, Brahmā (born from Garbhodakaśāyī’s lotus) shapes the worlds.
- During the lifespan of a universe, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu dwells in every being, guiding them.
- At dissolution, Śiva reclaims all forms.
- At the end of the cosmic cycle, Mahā-Viṣṇu inhales, and the entire multiverse returns to Him — only to be exhaled again in another cycle.
7. The Logical Synthesis
- Formless Source → dual emergence: Mahā-Viṣṇu + Adi-Śakti.
- Mahā-Viṣṇu exhales → infinite universes manifest (multiverse).
- Adi-Śakti empowers details → gives rise to Trimūrti within universes.
- Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu → Brahmā (creation).
- Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu → Paramātmā (inner voice).
- Śiva → saṃhāra (dissolution).
- Mahā-Viṣṇu inhales → all universes collapse back to the Source (multiverse returns to Him).
Final Thought: What Came Before Time?
Not emptiness. But the eternal dance of the formless Source, Adi-Śakti, and Mahā-Viṣṇu. Time itself is just a ripple in this vast ocean. Every breath of Mahā-Viṣṇu births a multiverse; every inhale ends it. Adi-Śakti ensures that inside each universe, creation, preservation, and dissolution play out in perfect harmony.