100 - The Bhavishya Purana: Contents

Shri Brahmā said: 

1. Henceforth, I shall recount to you the Bhavishya Purāņa1 which yields all Siddhis and which bestows the desired objects of all the worlds. 

1. This Bhavishya Purana is not what is mentioned in the Apastamba Dharma Sutra (1.6.19.13) not the extant Venkateśhvara Edt. For the NP in the following verses (VV 4ff) mentions that Vyása divided this Purāņa into five divisions viz. Brāhma, Vaişhnava, Shaiva, Saura and Pratisarga. But the published Bhavishya Purana has only four Parvas viz. Brahma, Madhyama, Pratisarga and Uttara. NP verse 5 states that the Bhavishya P. described the incidents of the Aghora Kalpa which is not mentioned in the Printed Edition. The NP in V 6. states that the 1st Parvan (Brahma) is a dialogue between Sūta and Shaunaka which is not found in the printed edition. Pratisarga Parvan in the printed editions is a fabrication as it refers to the stories of Adam and Eve, Kabir, Nanak and Chaitanya etc. 

Thus the account regarding the extent and contents of the Bhavishya P as given in the NP., Mt. P. 53. 30-31, AP. 272. 12 does not tally with the printed editions. The number of verses in the Bhavishya P is 14500 according to Mt. P. and Väyu. P. but 14000 according to NP. verse 13 and Agni (272. 12) but the Printed edition is much longer (25,936 verses). PJ-VII-2, p. 349. Thus the NP describes a different version of the Bhavishya P. than the published one. 

2. In it, I have come up as the primordial maker of all the Devas. For the purpose of creation, there was born the Svayambhuva (son of the self-born) Manu formerly. 

3. He bowed to me and asked me about Dharma (pious and religious duties) that is the means of achieving all objects. 

Very much delighted I expounded to him the Dharmasaṁhita (a compendium on Dharma.) 

4. When the highly intelligent Vyāsa classified the Puråņas, the sage divided that Samhità (of the Bhavishya Puräņa) into five divisions. 

5. The incidents of Aghora Kalpa are mentioned along with many wonderful stories. There the first Parvan is Brāhma where the Upakrama (beginning) is mentioned. 

6. In the course of the dialogue between Sūta and Shaunaka* there is the transmission of the enquiry regarding the Purana. It is full of the stories of the sun and accompanied by all narratives. 

*Not found in the published version of this Puraņa 

7. The entire form of the scripture is endued with the characteristics of creation etc. Thereafter, the characteristics of the calligraphy of the writers of books are mentioned. 

8. The characteristic features of all Saṁskåras (purificatory rites) are mentioned here. Seven rituals regarding the Tithis of the lunar fortnight are mentioned. 

9-10. The Kalpas for the remaining Tithis beginning with Așhtami (eighth day) are mentioned in the section called Vaishňava Parvan. In the next Parvan called Shaiva Parvan those who are different in bodies are mentioned. (?) In the Saura Parvan the final stories are mentioned. The next Parvan is called Pratisarga. It contains different stories along with the conclusion of the Purāņa. It is the fifth Parvan. 

11-12. Among these five, in the first Parvan, the glory of Brahmā is very much greater than that of Vişhņu or Shiva in regard to Dharma, Kama (love) and Mokșha (salvation). Thus the story mentioned in the second, third and the fourth section (Varga) called Saura and in the last one named Pratisarga has been recounted. 

13. The Parvan along with the Bhavishya has been pro claimed by the intelligent Vyāsa. The Purăņa consists of fourteen thousand verses. 

14. The Bhavishya is that Parvan (Purāņa) where the equality among all the deities is glorified. In the point of view of the comparison of the Guņas, the Shruti says that “Brahman is equal.” 

15-16. That a learned person who being free from jealousy writes or gets written this Purāņa and on the full moon day of the month called “Paușha’ (December-January) worships duly both the reader (of this Purāņa) and the book (the manuscript of this Purāņa) along with the replica of a cow made of jaggery as well as gold, clothes, garlands and ornaments. 

17. Or a person who has subdued his sense-organs, observes fasts or takes only one meal per day of sacred Havishya food (food worthy of being oblated in sacrificial fire), hears or glorifies (recounts) this with concentrated mind becomes absolved of terrible sins and attains to the supreme region of Brahma. 

18-19. He who reads or listens to this index to Bhavishya Purana as mentioned here shall attain worldly pleasures and liberation.