Bhavishya Purana - Shalivahana and Ishamasiha

After the demise of Vikramaditya of the Golden Age in Bharat, there were as many as eighteen Kingdoms named Indraprastha, Panchaala, Kurukshetra, Kampila, Antarvedi, Vraja, Ajmer, Marudhanva (Mawaad), Gurjara ( Gujarat), Maharashtra, Dravida (Tamilnadu), Kalinga (Orissa), Avanti (Ujjain), Udupa (Andhra), Banga, Gauda, Magadha and Kaushalya.

These Kingdoms were independent with separate languages, cultures, religions and life styles.Some of these Entities spread beyond Sindhu River and some even trans-Himalayas. It was at this time that Vikramaditya’s grand son Shalivahana took over the sovereignty and controllled Shakas, Chinese, Bahmika, Kamarupa, Rome, and Khur desha. He allowed the cultures of Mlecchhas beyond Sindhu River and Aryavarta.

Once Shalivahana saw a person on Himalayas who was very fair and handsome and asked him: Ekada tu Shakhaadisho Himatungaari Samaaya yau, Hunadeshaaya madhye vai giristhaana purusham shubhaanodaadarsha Balaram Rajah (The Controller of the Shakas (viz. Shatavahana) went towards the peaks of Himalayas in Hunadesha (near Manasarovar/ Kailash Mountain in Western Tibet). The person’s complexion was of gold and robes were pure white.)

Ko bharam iti tam Praaha su hovacha mudan vitah, Iisha pitrugam maam viddhi Kumaari garbha sambhavam

( As the King enquired as to the Stranger’s background, the reply was that he was the son of Isha and that he was born of a Virgin).

Mleccha dharmasya vaktaram, Satyavata paraayanam/ iti srutva Nripa Praaha Dharma ko bhavati matah/

(I am the promoter of the religion of Mlecchas and hold fast to the Principles of Absolute Truth; the King asked as what were the Principles!).

In his reply, Ishaputra replied that when the Principles of Virtue got badly downgraded and Mlecchas were becoming barbarians, I took upon myself the responsibility of turning to be a Masiha / Messaih and assumed Prophethood.

He continued to say: Mlecchasa sthapito Dharmo mayaa tacchrunu Bhupatey/ Maanasa nirmalaam krutwa malam dehe subhaasbham/ Naiganam apamasthya japeta nirmalam param, Nyayena Satyavachasaa manasyai kena manavah/ Dhyayena pujayedisham Surya mandala samsthitham, Achaloyam Prabhu sakshatathaa suryachalah sada/

(Ok King, the Principles that are intended to be set up among the Mlecchas are:Human Beings are subject to good and bad feelings. Hence, the body and the heart need to be purified; then the Deity whom You have in mind be meditated;

Truth has to be uttered and practised, justice needs to be observed; the mind needs to be trained to concentrate and targetted on the Eternal Soul, situated in the Surya Mandala, since Sun-God and the Super Soul are just the same.

As Paramatma is steady, Sun God too is firm and everlasting. One should therefore be truthful, and worship the Lord as manifested in the form of Surya.). Having heard this, Shatavahana bowed to Isha Putra, in admiration.