What is Bhavishya Malika Purana?

The Bhavishya Malika Purana (also spelled Bhavishya Malika or Bhavishyamalika) is a prophetic text in Odia language, primarily circulated in Odisha, India. It is attributed to Saint Achyutananda Das (also known as Achyuta Das), one of the famous Panchasakha (five friends) of 16th-century Odisha who were devotees of Lord Jagannath and major figures in Odia Vaishnavism.

The text claims to contain prophecies about the arrival of Kalki Avatar (the final incarnation of Lord Vishnu), the end of Kali Yuga, major global and Indian events, natural disasters, political changes, and the eventual establishment of Satya Yuga.

Note: It is not the same as the Sanskrit Bhavishya Purana (one of the 18 major Puranas). The Bhavishya Malika is a separate regional text written centuries later and exists mostly in palm-leaf manuscripts and modern printed/booklet forms in Odia.

Authorship and Historical Context

• Author: Achyutananda Das (born around 1510 CE), along with contributions or commentaries by the other Panchasakha: Balarama Das, Yasovanta Das, Sisu Ananta Das, and Jagannatha Das.
• Written in the 16th century in Odia script on palm leaves (tadapatra).
• The original manuscripts are preserved in places like Raghurajpur, Khandagiri, and several village temples in Odisha.
• Achyutananda was believed to have received divine vision from Lord Jagannath and wrote several esoteric texts collectively called “Malika”.

Core Themes and Prophecies

The Bhavishya Malika is written in poetic form and contains highly symbolic and cryptic verses. Major predictions include:

1. End of Kali Yuga and Coming of Kalki
   • Kali Yuga will end around 2032–2040 CE (various interpretations exist).
   • Kalki Avatar will appear in a village called “Shambala” (in Odisha, according to the text) and will be born to parents named Vishnu Yash and Sumati.
2. Major Global and Natural Catastrophes Before Kalki
   • Massive earthquakes, tsunamis, three days of darkness, reversal of rivers.
   • Destruction of several major cities worldwide.
   • A devastating third World War (“Maha-ghora Yuddha”) involving nuclear or biological weapons.
   • Collapse of many current religions and rise of true Sanatan Dharma.
3. Political Predictions (India-Specific)
   • Fall of several Indian states; Odisha will become a separate nation or a spiritual center.
   • A leader from Odisha will play a crucial role in the revival of dharma.
   • Corruption will reach its peak and then suddenly collapse.
4. Social and Moral Decay
   • Detailed descriptions of moral decline (very similar to traditional Puranic descriptions of Kali Yuga).
   • Women dominating men, breakdown of family system, fake gurus, etc.
5. Positive Future
   • After the cleansing period, Satya Yuga will begin.
   • Lifespan will increase dramatically, diseases will vanish, and humanity will live in harmony.

Current Popularity and Controversy

Since around 2018–2019, Bhavishya Malika has exploded in popularity, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, because several verses were interpreted as predicting:

• A deadly airborne disease (“bat virus” interpretations).
• Economic collapse.
• Russia–Ukraine war (some verses mention “Rusi–Ukrain yuddha”).
• Natural disasters in 2024–2025.

YouTube channels, WhatsApp forwards, and Odia news outlets regularly discuss it. Several modern “translators” and self-proclaimed experts (notably Pandit Suresh Panda, Shri Dahitara Acharya, etc.) have published books and videos claiming verse-by-verse fulfillment.

Scholarly and Traditional Views

1. Skeptical View
   • Many scholars believe portions have been interpolated in the 19th–20th centuries because some verses mention the British Raj, railways, airplanes, and even modern politicians by name — which would be impossible for a 16th-century text.
   • No critical academic edition exists; most circulating versions differ significantly.
2. Devotee View
   • Devotees argue that Achyutananda wrote in a coded, futuristic language (sandhya bhasa) that only reveals meaning at the appropriate time.
   • They claim original palm-leaf manuscripts do contain these predictions.
3. Jagannath Temple & Government of Odisha
   • The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and most traditional mahants do not officially endorse Bhavishya Malika as authoritative prophecy.
   • Some servitors privately believe in it.

Important Caution

• Multiple fake and heavily edited versions are circulating on the internet and in cheap booklets.
• Predictions are highly ambiguous and open to interpretation (classic feature of prophetic literature worldwide).

Where to Read Authentic Versions

• Original palm-leaf manuscripts: Only in a few private collections and village temples (not publicly accessible).
• Relatively better publications:
  • “Malika” series edited by Bhagirathi Nepak or Dr. Nimai Charan Mishra.
  • Publications from Odisha Sahitya Akademi (limited).
• English translations: Mostly unofficial and heavily interpreted (e.g., books by Kashinath Sahoo, Babaji Pati).

Conclusion

The Bhavishya Malika remains one of the most fascinating and polarizing prophetic texts in modern India. For devotees in Odisha, it is a divine revelation charting the path to Kalki Avatar. For scholars, it is a mix of genuine 16th-century spiritual poetry with later interpolations reflecting colonial and modern anxieties.

Whether one believes its predictions or not, it has undeniably captured the imagination of millions in India

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