Vaisnavism

Summary

Kunja Govinda Goswami’s extensive article surveys the historical development of Vaiṣṇavism from its Vedic roots to its classical and medieval expressions. He begins by noting that Viṣṇu, originally a Vedic solar deity, became associated with the figure of Vasudeva‑Kṛṣṇa, whose cult predates the Christian era. Evidence from Pāṇini and Patañjali shows that Vasudeva was already worshipped during the time of the grammarian; Pāṇini derives words for Vasudeva’s devotees and Patañjali comments that the name refers to a supreme god. R. G. Bhandarkar demonstrated that the Vṛṣṇi clan developed a religion centred on Vasudeva‑Kṛṣṇa and that this figure was later identified with Vedic Viṣṇu. Goswami discusses Greek accounts by Megasthenes confirming that Vasudeva‑Kṛṣṇa worship was prevalent at the Mauryan court and argues that the cult must have originated much earlier. He traces the assimilation of different Kṛṣṇa traditions: the heroic Vasudeva of the Vṛṣṇis, the pastoral Gopāla of the cowherds, and the cosmic Nārāyaṇa. Through Purāṇic literature and the Mahābhārata, these figures were merged, leading to a monotheistic conception of Viṣṇu as the supreme being. Goswami examines epigraphic evidence such as the Heliodorus pillar, which shows that even Greek ambassadors adopted the Bhāgavata cult, and he surveys inscriptions from Besnagar, Mathura and Tumain that record the erection of Garuda standards and images by rulers and devotees. The article analyses doctrinal developments, explaining how the concept of bhakti (devotion) became central to Vaiṣṇavism and how the Bhagavadgītā and later Purāṇas codified this path. Goswami concludes that Vaiṣṇavism synthesised Vedic, epic and popular elements into a resilient religious tradition that appealed to royalty and commoners alike. By collating textual, archaeological and numismatic evidence, the article underscores the antiquity and widespread influence of the cult of Viṣṇu‑Kṛṣṇa.