Vaisnavism

Summary

In this extensive essay the author surveys epigraphic, textual and historical evidence for the development of Vaiṣṇavism – the devotional worship of Viṣṇu – from the early centuries B.C. through the Gupta period. Beginning with the celebrated Heliodorus pillar at Besnagar erected in the second century B.C. by the Greek ambassador Heliodoros in honour of Vāsudeva, the article demonstrates that devotion to Viṣṇu was already well established during the time of the Indo‑Greeks. The author then examines the Eran Stone Pillar inscription, an outstanding example of the cult, which records that Mātṛviṣṇu, a regional governor, erected a flag‑staff (dhvaja) for Viṣṇu. The inscription calls Viṣṇu by the epithet Janārdana and is one of the earliest inscriptions to mention the god as having four arms. It also lists the names of Mātṛviṣṇu’s relatives – Indraviṣṇu, Varuṇaviṣṇu, Hariviṣṇu and Dhanyaviṣṇu – illustrating how the family’s devotion to Viṣṇu was expressed through onomastics. The article traces the continuation of such practices into the Gupta period, citing copper‑plate grants and temple records that show how setting up dhvajas and building Viṣṇu temples became part of royal and mercantile patronage. The author analyses references to Viṣṇu in the Pāñcarātra and Bhāgavata traditions, discussing theological concepts like the caturvyūha (four emanations of Viṣṇu) and the role of sectarian teachers such as the Pāñcarātra āyuktakas. He emphasises that the use of Viṣṇu as a surname in the Mātṛviṣṇu family indicates a social process by which devotion to Viṣṇu became part of identity and lineage. Drawing on inscriptions from the Gupta and post‑Gupta period, the article points out that merchant guilds and officials often bore names ending with viṣṇu and that they sponsored temples dedicated to Viṣṇu’s various forms, such as Varāha, Koṭāmukhavarāha and Śvetavarāha. The article also compares Vaiṣṇavism with Śaivism by referring to inscriptions that record donations to both Śiva and Viṣṇu, indicating a syncretic religious environment. By synthesising a wide range of epigraphic data, the essay demonstrates that Vaiṣṇavism developed from an early clan‑based devotional cult into a widespread religious movement with royal patronage. It argues that the cult’s emphasis on devotion, personal salvation and the identification of patrons with the deity helped it to gain followers across social strata.