Define Hiranyagarbha.

"Hiranyagarbha," a Sanskrit term, translates to "the golden womb" or "the golden embryo." In Hindu cosmology and philosophy, Hiranyagarbha is a significant concept that represents the cosmic or universal consciousness, often personified as a deity.

Hiranyagarbha is associated with the idea of the cosmic egg or cosmic womb from which the universe emerges. This concept is found in various Hindu scriptures, including the Vedas and Upanishads. It signifies the primordial state of potentiality and creative energy, containing the essence of the entire universe in an embryonic form.

As the golden womb, Hiranyagarbha embodies the unmanifested, undifferentiated cosmic energy that eventually gives rise to the manifested world. The imagery of gold symbolizes purity, brilliance, and transcendence.

In some traditions, Hiranyagarbha is identified with the firstborn cosmic being or Prajapati, often considered the creator of the universe. This deity represents the universal mind or intelligence that orchestrates the cosmic order and sustains the cycle of creation, preservation, and dissolution.

Hiranyagarbha plays a crucial role in the philosophical understanding of the divine as both immanent and transcendent, encompassing the infinite potentiality of existence within the cosmic womb before its manifestation into the diverse forms of the material universe.