The Bhavishya Purana (Bhaviya Purana, lit. "Future Purana") is one of Hinduism's eighteen main texts published in Sanskrit in the Purana genre. Parts of the surviving manuscripts that are dated to be older are based on other Indian writings like the Brihat Samhita and Shamba Purana.
The text as it stands today is a mash-up of sources dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. Bhavishya Purana is based on a printed manuscript that was produced during the British colonial period. Brahmaparvan refers to the first 16 chapters of the Bhavisya Purana's first section. It bears resemblance to the Manusmriti and most likely borrows lines from it. However, some of the caste and women's rights discussions in the Bhavishya Purana are egalitarian and contradict those contained in the Manusmriti's 19th-century published copies. The Brahmaparvan section of the Bhavishya Purana contains a 169-chapter compilation of Surya (Sun god)-related literature, some of which overlaps with Zoroastrianism. These Sun-related parts are a significant and essential element of the Bhavishya Purana, and they might be linked to migration or interaction between people from Persia and Central Asia and those from the Indian subcontinent.
On the basis of verses found exclusively in the Padma, Bhavishya,
and Brahma Puranas in records of land transfers from the fifth century CE,
Pargiter in 1912 dated these Puranas to the early centuries CE. MorizWinternitz
believes it is more likely that these passages were taken as quotes from
previous dharmastras, both in the inscriptions and in the puranas, and hence
that chronological inferences cannot be drawn on that basis.
The literature that has come down to us in manuscript form under this title, according to Maurice Winternitz, is not the old book that is cited in the pastambyaDharmastra. In the pastambyaDharmast, a quote appears.
These chapters are the most complete and important source of Indian sun-worship tradition, and they may be linked to the migration of people from Persia to western India in the mid- to late-medieval period. Brhmaparvan's text is primarily based on the Samba Purana, which is thought to be older.
The Bhavishya Purana is divided into five
sections (parvans) in certain manuscripts, although the printed copies only
include four (Brhma, Madhyama, Pratisarga, and Uttara). The content and dates
of these four pieces are unique.
The Brahmaparvan has 215 chapters, while the Madhyamaparvan has three parts totaling 62 chapters, the Pratisargaparvan has four sections totaling 7, 35, 32, and 26 chapters, and the Uttaraparvan has 208 chapters. Some text copies lack these Parvans and have a different number of chapters. The Tantra-related first part, Madhyamaparvan, is a Tantra-related work, whereas the "prophecy"-related third portion, Pratisargaparvan, is most likely a 19th-century work.Bhaviyat Pura is another name for the text. It is included in the rajas category of the Padma Purana, which includes puranas on Brahma. Scholars believe the Sattva-Rajas-Tamas categorization to be "completely fictitious," and nothing in the text really supports this classification.
The Bhavishya Purana is divided into five sections (parvans) in certain manuscripts, although the printed copies only include four (Brhma, Madhyama, Pratisarga, and Uttara).
Despite the fact that it is called a purana, or "old stories," the book only tells a few legends. It is one of numerous puranas in which a list of "past" royal lineages is followed by a list of monarchs who would govern in the future.
Surya, 11th century, from Nepal, wearing
Central Asian footwear. Brhmaparvan MET 1977
There are 215 chapters in this section of
the book. It encompasses rites of passage, rituals, and feasts, among other
things. It also includes a discussion on women's responsibilities and rights,
as well as a study of human nature and how to recognise good and bad
characters, as well as a caste-related debate.
According to Arora and other academics,
the Bhavishya Purana's caste-related and women's rights debate is egalitarian,
comparable to those found in the Brahma Purana and Vajrasuchi Upanishad, all
three of which dispute the Manusmriti's beliefs.
Festival dates and techniques for
worshipping Brahma, Ganesha, Skanda, and the Nga are also included in the
Brahmaparvan. A large portion of the book is devoted to Sun worship at a locale
named "kadvpa," which might be a reference to Scythia. This is
connected to ancient migration or connection between Persia and Central Asia
and the Indian subcontinent, and may be tied to Zoroastrianism.These chapters
are the most complete and important source of Indian sun-worship tradition, and
they may be linked to the migration of people from Persia to western India in
the mid- to late-medieval period.
Brhmaparvan's text is primarily based on
the Samba Purana, which is thought to be older. Sambapurana is dated between
650 and 850 AD by R.C. Hazra in his Upapurana Studies.
Tantra is covered in 62 chapters in the
Bhavisya Purana's second section.
According to Hazra, this is not referenced
in other Indian texts to have been a part of the Bhavishya Purana, therefore it
might be "a late appendage" overflowing in Tantric doctrines of the
2nd millennium. According to Rocher, the tantra parts of this Purana were most
likely included into the text around 1500 CE.
The Pratisargaparvan has 100 chapters that
cover themes such as royal and sage ancestry, as well as predictions. It's
written as a global history, with the first and second chapters (known as
Khandas) dealing with ancient times, the third with mediaeval times, and the
fourth with modern times. Many academics have questioned the validity of much
of the Bhavishya Purana, citing this passage as proof that the Puranas were not
scriptures, but rather a living chronicle of history that was continuously
amended and therefore of a living nature, both in time and throughout
territory.This varga in particular has sparked outrage among most vedic
academics, who have questioned the authenticity of most of this portion as
being old. Over the previous few centuries, there has been substantial contamination
of this portion with historical tales, according to research. Alf Hiltebeitel,
who has investigated these claims as well as translated and summarised this
section of the Bhavisya Purana, believes that the text's history of the Mughals
reaches a terminus a quo in 1839, and that the same terminus a quo would apply
to Pratisargaparvan's first khanda Genesis-Exodus sequence, as well as the
diptych in the section concerning "Isha Putra" (as the incarnation of
the demon Tripurasura) in its third chapter. Furthermore,
references to Queen Victoria's palaces, Calcutta, and many 18th-century
historical events place the terminus ad quem (finished within a year) in the
mid- to late-nineteenth century. According to Hiltebeitel, this section of the
Bhavisya Purana was most likely written in the 19th century.
With 208 chapters, the Uttaraparvan is a lengthy work. Though
technically associated with the Bhavishya Purana, it is widely regarded as a
separate book, sometimes known as the Bhaviyottara Purana, and is therefore
included among the Upapuranas (Lesser Puranas). The Bhaviyottara Purana is
largely a guide to religious ceremonies, with a few tales and myths thrown in
for good measure. It is described by Rajendra Hazra as "a loose
compilation of elements gathered from diverse sources" that lacks many of
the conventional five qualities of a purana but provides an intriguing social
and theological study of vows, festivals, and contributions.
Mahatmya (travel guides) are also included in the BhavishyaPurana..
Gita Press, Gorakhpur 2014
Pages: 640
Diamond Books (1 June 2003)
88 pages
Sanskrit,English,Hindi
Bhavishya Purana in Hindi: Ancient Hindu Scripture eBook : Vyasa, Rishi
Gita Press Gorakhpur. Edition. 2017.
Hiltebeitel states that this part of the Bhavisya Purana was
mostly likely composed in the 19th century.
1 June 2003
2014