History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c90.218

v7.c90.218

One remarkable feature of the extracts from Bhaviṣya in Aparārka is that they quote the views of Aṅgiras, Gautama, Parāśara, Manu, Vasiṣṭha and Śaṅkha. There are several passages quoted by Aparārka from the Bhaviṣya which approximately indicate the age of the current Bhaviṣya.¹⁴²⁶ It also refers to eight Vyākaraṇas in I. 1. 59-61 viz. Brāhma, Aindra, Yāmya, Raudra, Vāyavya, Vāruṇa, Sāvitra and Vaiṣṇava. But these are different from the well-known eight grammars (except Aindra). It mentions the foreign words Āra (Mars) and Koṇa (Saturn)¹⁴²⁷ and states these planets are to be worshipped along with Śiva, Pārvatī, Gaṇeśa, the Sun &c. In prescribing a prāyaścitta for killing a person who is merely a brāhmaṇa by caste the Bhaviṣya prescribes (as one of the alternatives) the prāyaścitta prescribed by Parāśara.¹⁴²⁸ Therefore, the extant Bhaviṣya cannot be placed earlier than about the 6th or 7th century A. D. Vide H. in I C. vol. III. pp 223–229 and PRHR pp. 167–173 for Bhaviṣya and JOI (Baroda) vol III. pp 8–27 for Bhaviṣyottara. The Bhaviṣya mentioned in Vāyu (99. 267 tān sarvān kīrtayiṣyāmi bhaviṣye pathitān nṛpān। tebhyaḥ pare ca ye cānye utpatsyante mahīkṣitaḥ॥) is not the present one but the ancient Bhaviṣyat mentioned by Āp Dh. S. (vide p. 817 and n 1328 above). The Varāhapurāṇa expressly mentions Bhaviṣyat purāṇa twice (177. 34 and 51)¹⁴²⁹ The second reference is quite interesting. It appears to say1429a that the Purāṇa well-known as Bhaviṣya was revised by Sāmba who then established an image of the Sun.