The Hindu Interpretation of Creation | The Story of God
In the beginning, Hindus believed Ganga flowed in the heavens, but she was held captive by the creator god Brahma. Then Brahma decided to send the river Ganga down to Earth, but there is one problem: Ganga has got such mighty floods, and if she comes on Earth, the Earth will drown.
So, the god Shiva blocked Ganga's flow, gathering her waters in the locks of his hair. She would just open one lock of his hair, and the Ganga flows. She's the mother because she gives birth to everything. This holy river came from the river in heaven that we call the Milky Way.
They say that the Milky Way actually is a reflection that you see in those waters, which are still beyond. Sciences have dated the universe to about fourteen billion years; best we can figure. Hindus have it at what? Hindus do not believe in one creation; they say that these are cycles of creation.
Okay, and the primordial creation could be something like eight point six billion years. Actually, this whole creation myth is very difficult to comprehend because we say the gods, like Brahma, have created the universe, but then they ask a question: Who created Brahma?
Right? And then there is always a question. Then creation happened, and then the gods have it. They say that the sages, when they were in their trance, got that revelation of how the creation happened. But since it is in that level of consciousness, you and me, we commoners will not understand it, so we believe that it's beyond us.