Volume 5 (Chapters 151-183)

The Bhavisya Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas. The specific appeal of This Purana is that it narrates incidents that will occur in the future , as well as accounts that happened in the distant Past.

In the first volume of Bhavisya Purana there are no future predictions, but as in all the Puranas, there is much of great interest.

In this Volume there is an elaborate exposition of the auspicious and inauspicious characteristics of men and women, and in the course of this Description, there is much information on Vedic physiognomy.

This Volume also contains the beginning of an elaborate description of the significance of each of the days of the fortnight, beginning with the first, or pratipada. And, of course, there are stories to illustrate whatever is being explained and in this volume, there is the very interesting story of how lord Brahma's fifth head was severed, and for what reason.

The vedic understanding is that the gross body of a living entity is manifested according to the condition of the subtle body, or mind.

Thus, the condition of one's gross body indicates the previous mentality of a person, and this Process is carried on forms one moment to the next. Why does someone have particular bodily features, and what to do they indicate?

This is the subtle science that is explained in this volume of the Bhavisya Purana.

Contents

Chapter 151. Sarya's form as Vyoma. 11
Chapter 152. Surya instructs Brahma, Visnu, and Siva, and awards them benedictions. 24
Chapter 153. Surya benedicts Lord Visnu at Salagrama. 43
Chapter 154. Inquiries by Satanika to Sumantu . 52
Chapter 155. How Surya appeared as the son of Kasyapa and Aditi. 64
Chapter 156. Further description of Sarya's appearance. 75
Chapter 157. Brahma and Lord Visnu go to visit Lord Siva. Surya appears before them, being pleased by their penance, and displays their universal form. 82
Chapter 158. The glories of Surya. 96
Chapter 159. The benefits obtained by worshiping Surya. 100
Chapter 160. Procedures for worshiping Surya. 118
Chapter 161. Further description of the benefits obtained by worshiping Surya. 146
Chapter 162. Performing the nakta-vrata for the satisfaction of Surya. 176
Chapter 163. Performing the niksubharka-vrata. 188
Chapter 164. How a woman should worship Surya. 194
Chapter 165. Further description of how a woman should worship Surya. 200
Chapter 166. Further prescriptions for worshiping Surya. 211
Chapter 167. The benefit of donating cows to Surya. 217
Chapter 168. The duties of the Maga. or bhojaka. devotees of Surya. 219
Chapter 169. The benefit of serving the devotees of Sarya. 236
Chapter 170. The conversation of Garuda and Aruna. 253
Chapter 171. Aruna glorifies the worship of Surya. 261
Chapter 172. Aruna worships Surya so that Garuda can regain the use of his limbs. 274
Chapter 173. Continuation of Aruna's worship of Surya. 287
Chapter 174. Further continuation of Arunc's worship of Surya. 290
Chapter 175. Conclusion of Aruna's worship of Surya. 297
Chapter 176. Aruna invokes the demigods for attaining peace. 311
Chapter 177. Further invocations for peace. 324
Chapter 178. Description of the smarta religion. 340
Chapter 179. Description of the samskaras. The classification of unmarried girls. 352
Chapter 180. Description of the various sraddha ceremonies. 376
Chapter 181. The duties of a brahmana. 387
Chapter 182. Further description of the sraddha ceremonies. 407
Chapter 183. The importance of faith. The importance of the spiritual master. The importance of cows. 416