Bhavishya Purana
Encyclopedia
The Bhavishya Purana is one of the eighteen major Hindu Puranas. It is written in Sanskrit
and attributed to Rishi Vyasa
, the compiler of the Vedas
. The title Bhavishya Purana signifies a work that contains prophecies regarding the future (Sanskrit: ). Despite being labelled a Purana, meaning "tales of ancient times", the work relates only a few legends.
It is one of several Puranas in which a list of royal dynasties of the "past" are followed by lists of kings predicted to rule in the future.
The text as it exists today is a composite of material ranging from very old to very recent. Portions of the extant text are drawn from the law book of Manu
, including the account of Creation which it contains. The Bhavishya Purana is classified as one of the ten Shaiva
puranas in the classification system used in the of the . In the traditional system of classification according to the three gunas given in the Padma Purana
, it is classified in the rajas category, which contains Puranas whose central deity is Brahma
.
, Bhavishya, and Brahma Purana
s, and on this basis Pargiter in 1912 assigned these particular Puranas to an even earlier period. Maurice Winternitz
considers it more probable that these verses, both in the inscriptions and in the puranas, were taken as quotations from earlier Dharmashastras, and thus argues that chronological deductions cannot be made on that basis.
According to Maurice Winternitz, the text which has come down to us in manuscript under this title is certainly not the ancient work which is quoted in the . A quotation appearing in the attributed to the cannot be found in the extant text of the Purana.
The Bhavishya Purana itself tells us that it consists of five parts (Sanskrit: parvans), but the extant printed edition of the work contains only four parts (Brāhma, Madhyama, Pratisarga, and Uttara). These four parts have distinctive content and dating.
ceremonies and feasts, the duties of castes, some accounts of snake myths, and other matters. It also covers the duties of women, good and bad signs of people, and methods of worshipping Brahma
, Ganesha
, Skanda
, and the Snakes. A considerable section deals with Sun worship in a place called "Śākadvīpa" which may be a reference to Scythia
.
elements."
A. K. Ramanujan
mentions finding references to Christ
(as Isha Putra), Moses
, and Queen Victoria in the "appropriately up-to-date " and cites this as an example of the fact that:
It also mentions the Iranian prophet Zarathushtra. It tells the story of the union of Nishkubha, daughter of Rsi Rijihva and the Sun (Mihira). From this wedlock was born a sage called Zarashata, who apparently is Zoroaster of the Iranian traditions.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and attributed to Rishi Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
, the compiler of the Vedas
Vedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
. The title Bhavishya Purana signifies a work that contains prophecies regarding the future (Sanskrit: ). Despite being labelled a Purana, meaning "tales of ancient times", the work relates only a few legends.
It is one of several Puranas in which a list of royal dynasties of the "past" are followed by lists of kings predicted to rule in the future.
The text as it exists today is a composite of material ranging from very old to very recent. Portions of the extant text are drawn from the law book of Manu
Manu Smriti
' , also known as Mānava-Dharmaśāstra , is the most important and earliest metrical work of the Dharmaśāstra textual tradition of Hinduism...
, including the account of Creation which it contains. The Bhavishya Purana is classified as one of the ten Shaiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
puranas in the classification system used in the of the . In the traditional system of classification according to the three gunas given in the Padma Purana
Padma Purana
Padma Purana , one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is divided into five parts.In the first part of the text, sage Pulastya explains to Bhishma about religion and the essence of the religion. The second part describes in detail Prithvi...
, it is classified in the rajas category, which contains Puranas whose central deity is Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
.
Dating and texts
Dating of the work is problematic. In records of land grants of the fifth century BCE verses are quoted which occur only in the PadmaPadma Purana
Padma Purana , one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is divided into five parts.In the first part of the text, sage Pulastya explains to Bhishma about religion and the essence of the religion. The second part describes in detail Prithvi...
, Bhavishya, and Brahma Purana
Brahma Purana
The Brahma Purana is one of the major eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts. The extant text comprises 246 chapters. It is divided into two parts, namely the Purvabhaga and the Uttarabhaga . The first part narrates the story behind the creation of the cosmos, details the life and...
s, and on this basis Pargiter in 1912 assigned these particular Puranas to an even earlier period. Maurice Winternitz
Moriz Winternitz
Moriz Winternitz was an eminent Austrian Orientalist.He received his earliest education in the gymnasium of his native town, and in 1880 entered the University of Vienna, receiving the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1886...
considers it more probable that these verses, both in the inscriptions and in the puranas, were taken as quotations from earlier Dharmashastras, and thus argues that chronological deductions cannot be made on that basis.
According to Maurice Winternitz, the text which has come down to us in manuscript under this title is certainly not the ancient work which is quoted in the . A quotation appearing in the attributed to the cannot be found in the extant text of the Purana.
The Bhavishya Purana itself tells us that it consists of five parts (Sanskrit: parvans), but the extant printed edition of the work contains only four parts (Brāhma, Madhyama, Pratisarga, and Uttara). These four parts have distinctive content and dating.
Brāhmaparvan
The greater part of the work deals with brahmanicalBrahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
ceremonies and feasts, the duties of castes, some accounts of snake myths, and other matters. It also covers the duties of women, good and bad signs of people, and methods of worshipping Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
, Skanda
Skanda
Skanda is the name of deities popular amongst Hindus and Buddhists.* Skanda, a Hindu deity also known as Kartikeya and Murugan and Subhramanya* Skanda , a popular Deva and/or Bodhisattva popular in Chinese Buddhism...
, and the Snakes. A considerable section deals with Sun worship in a place called "Śākadvīpa" which may be a reference to Scythia
Scythia
In antiquity, Scythian or Scyths were terms used by the Greeks to refer to certain Iranian groups of horse-riding nomadic pastoralists who dwelt on the Pontic-Caspian steppe...
.
Madhyamaparvan
Of the four existing parts of the text, the Madhyamaparvan, which is not mentioned anywhere else as having formed a part of the Bhavishya Purana, is characterized by Rajendra Hazra as "a late appendage abounding in TantricTantra
Tantra , anglicised tantricism or tantrism or tantram, is the name scholars give to an inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, expressed in scriptures ....
elements."
Pratisargaparvan
Hazra has the following to say regarding the Pratisargaparvan:
The Pratisargaparvan, though nominally mentioned in the (I.1.2–3), contains stories about AdamAdamAdam is a figure in the Book of Genesis. According to the creation myth of Abrahamic religions, he is the first human. In the Genesis creation narratives, he was created by Yahweh-Elohim , and the first woman, Eve was formed from his rib...
, NoahNoahNoah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
, Yākuta, Taimurlong, Nadir Shah, Akbar (the emperor of Delhi), Jayacandra, ... and many others. It even knows the British rule in India and names Calcutta and the Parliament.
A. K. Ramanujan
A. K. Ramanujan
Attipat Krishnaswami Ramanujan was a scholar of Indian literature who wrote in both English and Kannada. Ramanujan wore many hats as a Indian poet, scholar and author, those of a philologist, folklorist, translator, poet and playwright. His academic research ranged across five languages: Tamil,...
mentions finding references to Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
(as Isha Putra), Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, and Queen Victoria in the "appropriately up-to-date " and cites this as an example of the fact that:
"In spite of repeated efforts to impose schemes and canons on them from time to time, are open systems."
It also mentions the Iranian prophet Zarathushtra. It tells the story of the union of Nishkubha, daughter of Rsi Rijihva and the Sun (Mihira). From this wedlock was born a sage called Zarashata, who apparently is Zoroaster of the Iranian traditions.
Uttaraparvan
The Uttaraparvan, though nominally attached to the Bhavishya Purana, is usually considered to be an independent work, also known as the , and as such is included among the Upapuranas (Lesser Puranas). The is primarily a handbook of religious rites with a few legends and myths. Rajendra Hazra characterizes it as "a loose collection of materials taken from various sources" that is lacking in many of the traditional five characteristics of a purana, but which offers an interesting study of vows, festivals, and donations from sociological and religious points of view.External links
- Bhavishya Purana, Vedic Scriptures Library, astrojyoti.com