Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c8.130

c8.130

The present Bhaviṣya appears to be the modern presentation of the ancient Bhaviṣyat. There is nothing in the difference of name. The Matsya says (53, 31-2) that the Bhaviṣya specially extols the sun and concerns itself chiefly with ‘future’ events or events in ‘the future’;⁴ and again, in describing the Sāmba (or Śāmba) Upapurana, it appears to say that the story of Sāmba or Śāmba (the name is written both ways) is the first part of the Bhaviṣyat and constitutes the whole of that Upapurana.⁵ The present Bhaviṣya, after a preface (manifestly an addition) expounding dharma, worship of various kinds and other matters, extols and inculcates the majesty of the sun (i, 48 f.), and in connexion therewith tells the story of Kṛṣṇa’s son Sāmba.⁶ The Varāha (177, 34, 51) says the Bhaviṣyat Purana deals with Sāmba. Thus the two names Bhaviṣya and Bhaviṣyat are given to the present Purana,⁷ and there is no difference in name between the ancient Purana and the present one. There is no definite statement what the ancient Bhaviṣyat contained, yet its general purport was expressed in its name, as will be noticed in the next chapter. It is highly improbable that the present Bhaviṣya can be a totally different work from the ancient Bhaviṣyat. It was easier and more natural to tamper with and revise an existing work of acknowledged importance so as to bring it into accordance with later notions than to compose a wholly new work and supersede the earlier authority completely: and it is notorious that the Bhaviṣya¹ has been unblushingly tampered with, as evidenced by its historical account of the Kali age.