First Maharaj tried to count them. In order to count the universes, he first had to stop the continuous flow of [sanskaric] "chains" that are emerging so he could count as many universes as possible. In order to do this, both his mind and the whole force of creation had to be concentrated on stopping the universes. This is extremely difficult and dangerous. From the Oneness [of God] duality is born, and this duality may prove fatal at times. The tension created by such concentration could cause one to drop the body. So Maharaj prevented me from stopping the chain-flow because it actually threatened my life once while I was trying to do this.
Maharaj told me, "No Sadguru was ever successful in this counting, since the flow of direct knowledge is from the Sadguru himself. If this flow is stopped to count the universes, duality is affected. The Sadguru's life is put in danger by duality's reaction."
These universes come out of the Sadguru and merge back into him after eons. This is called the Mahapralaya . When the universes disappear in Mahapralaya, they are no longer in gross form, but they remain within the universal mind. Every individual gross mind rests in the universal mind. Though this is all an illusion, still the individual souls of all beings that inhabit the universes remain within the universal mind. And after eons the evolution starts again and every jivatma [incarnate soul] gradually takes form in accordance with the consciousness he had before the cosmic event of Mahapralaya occurred.
For example, in deep sleep you are unconscious of both your body and the world. For you this is dissolution or pralaya . When you awaken, creation begins again for you. You come back and the world is again existent to you. This is individual dissolution, but the Mahapralaya happens universally. It is the same as individual dissolution only all universes dissolve, so it is called Mahapralaya — maha meaning great. Briefly, this happens every day in an individual's sound sleep state, and after ages and ages it happens universally. For this reason, it is said in the Koran, "On doomsday, everyone will rise up from his grave."
Now I will explain to you about Ishwar. Ishwar is the Creator, Preserver, and Dissolver [Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh] as One. This Ishwar is God, but does not know Himself; He is in the state of Infinite Unconsciousness.