Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.s3.t12.15

v2.c10.s3.t12.15

9. **Bhavishya Purana** has about 14,500 verses, and its name suggests, it is a book forecasting the future, but actually it is quite disorderly, and might not be the original text. It has three sections. The section of *Brahma* begins with the description of the creation of the world, perhaps being derived from the *Manu Smrti*, and then discusses epochs, castes and duties of women. The section of *Pratisarga* focusses on kings and their deeds, covering kingdoms and kings in India and even in China, and at the last part of this section, several Muslim rulers are mentioned, including Timur, Humayun and Akbar. This indicates that it was compiled at a much later time, no earlier than the 16^th century, since Akbar died in 1605. The section of *Uttara* describes various sins and the horror of the hell as well as sacrificial rituals, offerings, prayers ad incantations, teaching people how to attain liberation and ascend to the heaven.