Bhagavata

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Bhagavata
Vāsudeva-Krishna.[1][2] An early depiction of Vāsudeva-Krishna on a coin of Agathocles of Bactria, 190–180 BCE.[3][4]
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Vaishnavism
Closeup of Vishnu, seated in the lotus position on a lotus. From depiction of the poet Jayadeva bowing to Vishnu, Gouache on paper Pahari, The very picture of devotion, bare-bodied, head bowed, legs crossed and hands folded, Jayadeva stands at left, with the implements of worship placed before the lotus-seat of Vishnu who sits there, blessing the poet.
Supreme deity
Vishnu / Krishna / Rama
Important deities
Dashavatara
Other forms
Consorts
Related
Holy scriptures
Puranas
Sampradayas
Others
Teachers—acharyas
Related traditions

The Bhagavata tradition, also called Bhagavatism, refers to an ancient religious sect that traced its origin to the region of Mathura.[5] After its syncretism with the Brahmanical tradition of Vishnu, Bhagavatism became a pan-Indian tradition by the second century BCE, according to R.C. Majumdar.[6]

Historically, Bhagavatism corresponds to the development of a popular theistic movement in India, departing from the elitist sacrificial rites of

Vāsudeva-Krishna is not an avatar of the Vedic Vishnu, but is the Supreme Being Himself.[10][11]

Definition of Krishnaism

Main article: Krishnaism
Indo-Greek king Antialcidas circa 100 BCE, contains the first known inscription related to the Bhagavata cult in India.[12]

In the ninth century

Gopala worshipers developed into identifiable denominations. However, the unity that exists among these groups in belief and practice has given rise to the general term Krishnaism. Today the faith has a significant following outside of India as well.[13] Many places associated with Krishna such as Vrindavan attract millions of pilgrims each year who participate in religious festivals that recreate scenes from Krishna's life on Earth. Some believe that early Bhagavatism was enriched and transformed with powerful and popular Krishna tradition with a strong "human" element to it.[14]

Initial History of Bhagavata tradition

It is believed that Bhagavatas borrowed or shared the attribute or title

Sankhya. The philosophy was formulated by the end of the 4th century BCE and as time went other names such as Narayana were applied to the main deity of Krishna-Vāsudeva.[15]

Second early stage

The association of the Sun-bird

Gupta period, the term Vaishnava would replace the term Bhagavata to describe the followers of this cult, and Vishnu would now be more popular than Vāsudeva.[16] Bhagavatism would introduce the concept of the chatur-vyuhas, in which the four earthly emanations of Narayana were considered to be Vasudeva (Krishna) as the creator, Sankarsana (Balarama) as the preserver, Pradyumna as the destroyer, and Aniruddha as the aspect of intellect. The concept of vyuhas would later be supplanted by the concept of avataras, indicating the transformation of Bhagavatism into Vaishnavism.[17]

Some relate absorption by

Brahmanism to be the characteristic of the second stage of the development of the Bhagavata tradition. It is believed that at this stage Krishna-Vāsudeva was identified with the deity of Vishnu, that according to some belonged to the pantheon of Brahmanism.[18]

Rulers onwards from

Vaishnavas. The Bhagavata Purana entails the fully developed tenets and philosophy of the Bhagavata cult where Krishna gets fused with Vasudeva and transcends Vedic Vishnu and cosmic Hari to be turned into the ultimate object of bhakti.[19]

Adoption in Tamilakam

With the fall of the Guptas, Bhagavatism had lost its pre-eminence in the north, with Vardhana sovereigns such as Harsha adhering to non-Bhagavata creeds.[20] Though the Bhagavata religion still flourished in the north, its stronghold was now not the valley of the Ganges or Central India, but the Tamil country. There, the faith flourished under the strong impetus given by the Alvars, "who by their Tamil songs inculcated Bhakti and Krishna-worship mainly". Bhagavatism had penetrated into the Deccan at least as early as the first century BCE. The Silappadikaram and the other ancient Tamil poems refer to temples dedicated to Krishna and his brother at Madura, Kaviripaddinam, and other cities. The wide prevalence of Bhagavatism in the far south is also testified to by the Bhagavata Purana which says that in the Kali Age, devoted worshippers of Narayana, though rare in some places, are to be found in large numbers in the Dravida country watered by the rivers Tamraparnl, Kritamala, the sacred Kaveri, and the great stream (Periyar) flowing to the west.[21] Yamunacharya, who laid the tenets of the Vishishtadvaita philosophy, has his works described as "a somewhat modified and methodical form of the ancient Bhagavata, Pancharatra, or Satvata religion".[22] The Alvars would be among the first catalysts of the Bhakti movement, a Hindu revivalist movement that would reintroduce Bhagavata philosophy back to its place of origin.[23]

Literary references

References to Vāsudeva also occur in early Sanskrit literature.

Ashtadhyayi explains the word "Vāsudevaka" as a Bhakta (devotee) of Vāsudeva. At some stage during the Vedic period, Vāsudeva and Krishna became one deity or three distinct deities Vāsudeva-Krishna, Krishna-Gopala and Narayana, all become identified with Vishnu,[24] and by the time of composition of the redaction of Mahabharata
that survives till today.

A

Bhagavatas.[25]

According to an opinion of some scholars, in Patanjali's time identification of Krishna with Vāsudeva is an established fact as is surmised from a passage of the Mahabhasya – (jaghana kamsam kila vasudevah).[26] This "supposed earliest phase is thought to have been established from the sixth to the fifth centuries BCE at the time of Pāṇini, who in his Astadhyayi explained the word vāsudevaka as a bhakta, devotee, of Vāsudeva and it is believed that Bhagavata religion with the worship od Vāsudeva Krishna was at the root of the Vaishnavism in Indian history."[27][28]

Other meanings

In the recent times, this often refer to a particular sect of

Vaishnavas in West India, referring to themselves as 'Bhagavata-sampradaya'.[29][30]

It is also a common greeting among the followers of

Ramanujacharya
and other yoga sects.

It can also refer to a

Buddhist concept.[31][32]

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-90-04-06498-0
    .
  2. ISBN 978-81-7254-234-4
    .
  3. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0
    .
  4. ISBN 978-81-7017-107-2
    .
  5. ISBN 978-81-85420-35-6
    .
  6. ISBN 978-81-208-0435-7
    .
  7. ^ Sastri, K. a Nilakanta (1952). Age of the Nandas And Mauryas. pp. 304–305.
  8. ISBN 978-0-7914-6415-1
    . Retrieved 28 April 2008. Vishnu was by then assimilated with Narayana
  9. ^ Hastings 2003, pp. 540–42
  10. ISBN 90-04-10758-4
    .
  11. ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 76.
  12. ^ Osmund Bopearachchi, 2016, Emergence of Viṣṇu and Śiva Images in India: Numismatic and Sculptural Evidence
  13. ISBN 0-691-11446-3
    .
  14. ISBN 978-0-7914-7081-7
    . Not only was Krsnaism influenced by the identification of Krsna with Vishnu, but also Vaishnavism as a whole was partly transformed and reinvented in the light of the popular and powerful Krishna religion. Bhagavatism may have brought an element of cosmic religion into Krishna worship; Krishna has certainly brought a strongly human element into Bhagavatism. ... The center of Krishna-worship has been for a long time Brajbhumi, the district of Mathura that embraces also Vrindavana, Govardhana, and Gokula, associated with Krishna from the time immemorial. Many millions of Krishna bhaktas visit these places ever year and participate in the numerous festivals that reenact scenes from Krshnas life on Earth
  15. ^ Hastings 2003, p. 540
  16. ^
    ISBN 978-81-8424-568-4
    .
  17. ^ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1975). Materials for the Study of the Early History of the Vaishnava Sect. Oriental Books Reprint Corporation. pp. 175–176.
  18. ^ Hastings 2003, p. 541, Bhakti Marga
  19. ISBN 81-85067-10-4
    .p.36
  20. ^ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1936). Early History of the Vaishnava Sect Ed. 2nd. p. 178.
  21. ^ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1936). Early History of the Vaishnava Sect Ed. 2nd. p. 181.
  22. ^ Raychaudhuri, Hemchandra (1936). Early History of the Vaishnava Sect Ed. 2nd. pp. 191–192.
  23. ISBN 978-1-000-78039-0
    .
  24. ISBN 0-521-43878-0
    . Retrieved 21 April 2008."Early Vaishnava worship focuses on three deities who become fused together, namely Vāsudeva-Krishna, Krishna-Gopala and Narayana, who in turn all become identified with Vishnu. Put simply, Vāsudeva-Krishna and Krishna-Gopala were worshiped by groups generally referred to as Bhagavatas, while Narayana was worshipped by the Pancaratra sect"
  25. ^ Banerjea, 1966, page 20
  26. ^ A Corpus of Indian Studies: Essays in Honour of Professor Gaurinath Sastri, Page 150, 1980 – 416 pages.
  27. ^ Page 76 of 386 pages: The Bhagavata religion with the worship of Vasudeva Krishna as the ... of Vasudeva Krishna and they are the direct forerunners of Vaisnavism in India.Ehrenfels, U.R. (1953). "The University of Gauhati". Dr. B. Kakati Commemoration Volume.
  28. ^ Page 98: In the Mahabharata, Vasudeva-Krishna is identified with the highest God.Mishra, Y.K. (1977). Socio-economic and Political History of Eastern India. Distributed by DK Publishers' Distributors.
  29. ^ General, A. (1920). "I. The Bhagavata Sampradaya". An Outline of the Religious Literature of India.
  30. ^ Singhal, G.D. (1978). "The Cultural Evolution of Hindu Gaya, the Vishnu Dham". The Heritage of India: LN Mishra Commemoration Volume.
  31. ^ "The Newly Discovered Three Sets of Svetaka Gangacopper Plates" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2008. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  32. ^ Kielhorn, F. (1908). "Bhagavats, Tatrabhavat, and Devanampriya". Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society: 502–505. Archived from the original on 20 May 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2008.

Further reading

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