Chapter – 17 – Rise and Development of Puranic Dharma or Vaishnavism (a)

Vishnu pervades everywhere in this world, the cause of this world is Vishnu.…… There is no other deity like Vishnu.

-Narad Purana, East Part, 6/58

When Jainism and Buddhism were on the path of decline, on the other hand Vedic religion was in its revival. The brahmin thinkers discovered a new religion based on expensive Vedic sacrifices, complex ritualistic and lengthy rituals and devotion to the people who were fed up with the Brahma-knowledge of the Upanishads, in which instead of sacrificing the Veda-described gods, the emphasis was on their worship and devotion. given.

The omnipresent, omnipotent and devout God as described in the Vedas was also considered as the lord of the gods, who was the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the entire creation. He was also the lord of the gods. His devotion was declared a dharma and a means of salvation. In the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, this new religion had not only germinated, but they had also flourished well.

This new religion became a huge banyan tree in the form of Puranic religion or Vaishnava religion. Maryada Purushottam Rama of the Ramayana and Yogeshwar Krishna of the Mahabharata were declared incarnations of the Veda-described Vishnu in the mythological religion.

Development of Puranic Dharma or Vaishnavism

The main basis of Puranic religion or Vaishnavism is the Veda-described deity Vishnu and his ten incarnations – Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama, Rama, Krishna, Balarama and Kalki. The first three incarnations namely Matsya, Kurma and Varaha appeared in Satyuga, Narasimha, Vamana, Parashurama and Rama in Tretayuga and Krishna and Balarama in Dwaparayuga. The future Kalki avatar was imagined for Kali Yuga.

Along with Vishnu and his incarnations, Shiva, Surya, Durga, Ganesha and Kartikeya were also declared gods to be pleased with the devotees, to remove their sufferings, to protect them in times of distress. Stories were composed based on the appearance of these gods and goddesses, their various forms, the powers and qualities inherent in them and their pastimes. These stories were written in various Puranas. That's why it was called 'Mythology'.

'Purana' They were completely different and completely new texts from their predecessor Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmanas, Aranyakas etc. But their authors called them 'Purana' which means - 'Old'. The reason for calling these new texts as old was this. That the creators of these texts did not want to give a message to the general public that they have propounded or created any new religion, but through these texts, they wanted to give a message to the general public that the same Vedas and gods and goddesses were mentioned in these texts. The forms, qualities and pastimes have been described, which Aryans have been worshiping since time immemorial.

God's 'Almighty', 'Bhakta-Vatsal', 'Sankat Mochak' and 'Salvation' The form quickly attracted the general public. Due to the belief in the grace of God, this religion was called 'Bhagavata Dharma'. Since Vishnu was the main worshiper of this religion, it is also called Vaishnavism. In this religion, Vishnu is considered to be omnipotent and omnipresent God, surpassing even the best deity.

Because of this he is 'Vasudev' Said which means 'which pervades everywhere' and 'In which all matter resides' , He is 'Knowledge, power, strength, opulence, semen and effulgence' Name is endowed with six good qualities and devoid of bad qualities.

This religion is called 'Sattvat Dharma', 'Pancharatra Dharma' and 'Narayaniya Dharma' Also called. Some scholars believe that Bhagavata Dharma, Satvat Dharma, Pancharatra Dharma and Narayani Dharma appeared separately and independently in north-west India. Their gods and goddesses were almost the same and devotion and divine grace were the main basis of these religions, so all these religions along with their respective gods and goddesses, religious beliefs and methods of worship got absorbed in Vaishnavism which was a part of its predecessor religions. That is, Bhagwat Dharma was more powerful than Satvat Dharma, Pancharatra Dharma and Narayani Dharma.

Thus the rise of Vaishnavism was not an event created by a single person or occurring at a given time, but its development was the result of a long period of time and the efforts made by many different people.

Difference between Vedic religion and Puranic religion (Vaishnavism)

The basic difference between Vedic religion and Puranic religion (Vaishnavism) was that the sage of Vedic religion received the blessings of various deities through sacrifices, havans, rituals, rituals and sacrifices, which were symbols of various natural forces. Whereas the worshiper of Vaishnava religion used to get the grace of God worshiped through faith, devotion, salutation, request, dedication etc. Was and was the lord of all creation and all gods.

History of Puranic Dharma (Vaishnavism)

To know the history of Puranic religion (Vaishnavism), various materials are used like literature, inscriptions, coins, statues, ruins of temples etc. Various Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shrimad Bhagavat, various Puranas written under Sanskrit literature are the basic means of knowing the history of Vaishnavism. In these texts, there is a possibility of the authors writing some extra things and leaving out some basic things, so the inscriptions and coins are considered more authentic.

The first mention of Bhagavata Dharma or Vaishnavism is in BC. It is available in Ashtadhyayi (4/3/98) written by Panini in the fifth century. From this it is inferred that BC Jainism, Buddhism and Vaishnavism emerged in a period after the Upanishads, which came into existence in the 6th century. Therefore, it is considered a religion born in reaction to Jainism and Buddhism.

In the fourth century AD, the Greek ambassador Megasthenes lived in the assembly of Magadha emperor Chandragupta Maurya. He has written that the Indian race named 'Saursenai' used to worship 'Herakles' specially. Scholars have considered Heracles to be Vasudeva Krishna.

The Bhilsa inscription of 113 BC says that 'Bhagavata Heliodorus got the Garuda-stambh built in the honor of Devadhidev Vasudeva.

This Heliodorus was the son of 'Diya', a resident of Taxila and lived in the court of Malwa king Bhagabhadra as the ambassador of Indo-Bactrian Yavana king Antialkidus. It is clear from this that B.C. In the second century, the Bhagavata religion had been widely propagated. This religion was spread in the northwestern part of India, which included Gandhara of then and the area up to present-day West Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan.

During that period many Indo-Greek rulers had accepted the Bhagavata religion. In the inscription of 200 BC, found at Ghosundi near Chittorgarh, there is mention of the construction of worship-stone Prakara around Sankarshan and Vasudeva's worship circle.

BC The names of other deities as well as Sankarsana (meaning Balarama) and Vasudeva (meaning Krishna) are found in the initial invocations of the Guha inscription of Nanaghat of the 1st century. When Mathura was ruled by the Shaka satraps, Vaishnavism flourished in this circle.

In the period from 80 BC to 57 BC, an inscription has been found in the period of Shodash, Mahakshatrapa of Mathura, in which it is written that a person named 'Vasu' built a Chatursala temple of Lord Vasudeva in Mahasthan (birthplace), Torana and Vedika. (outpost) was built. This is the first mention of the construction of the Krishna temple in Mathura. Till about 400 years after the above mention of the first century BC, no inscription or evidence related to any sect of Brahmin religion has been found. These evidences are again found in the period of the Gupta rulers in the first part of the fourth century AD.

The greatest advancement of Puranic religion took place during the period of the Gupta rulers. The Gupta dynasty kings used to call themselves 'Param Bhagavat'. In the Gupta inscriptions, idols and copper plates, etc., a detailed description of the development and development of Puranic religion is found. The early history of Puranic religion is very vague, in which on the one hand Sattvat, Bhagavat, Pancharatra, Narayaniya, Puranic On the other hand Narayan, Vasudev, Vishnu and Krishna The integration of names is a long and complicated process.

The complex process of development of Vaishnavism can be experienced at various sites in the Mahabharata. In the Narayaniya section (chapters 334-351) of the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Vasudeva Krishna is established as a separate entity from Narayana Vishnu. Major texts of Vaishnavism And Adhyatma Ramayana It is part of Mahabharata itself.

'Satvat' in Shursen Mandal of North India There lived a Kshatriya caste. In the Bhagavata Purana, there is a description of the Satvatas who call Parambrahma as Bhagavat or Vasudeva and have a specific method of worshiping Vasudeva. In this, Vasudev was named 'Sattvatarshbha' Having said. The Vrishni dynasty in which Vasudeva (Krishna), Sankarshana (Balram), Aniruddha (Krishna's son) etc. was born, the second name of that Vrishni caste was Satvat.

Some scholars consider 'Sattvat' to be a gotra of 'Vrishni' without considering it to be synonymous with Vrishni, in which Krishna etc. were born. Thus the same religious system became famous by both the names 'Sattvat' and 'Bhagavat'. Krishna's extraterrestrial works are described in the Puranas and epics. This exceptionally brilliant brave man of Yadav dynasty was soon established in his people as a revered man and became the god of worship of his religion.

This is called Bhagavata or Satvat Dharma. In the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, Bhagwat Dharma has been called Satvat Vidhi and the same Satvat Vidhi has also been given the name Pancharatra. Among the Vaishnava Tantras, other names are Satvat, Ekantik and Pancharatra synonymous for Bhagavata Dharma in Padmatantra.

On the basis of the above discussion, it can be said that the Satvat caste of the Yadava dynasty developed such a religious sect which, unlike Buddhism and Jainism, recognized the idea of ​​God and showed the path of devotion to that God to attain salvation. . In this religion of Satvatas, Vasudeva was worshiped as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Megasthenes has clearly indicated the worship of the Satvatas and their worship of Vasudeva Krishna.

In the Mahabharata, the name of Pancharatra Mata has been given as a synonym for Satvat Dharma. Pancharatra is mentioned for the first time in the Narayani section of Shanti Parva of Mahabharata. The worshiper of Narayan is called Pancharatra and Narayan himself is called Pancharatri. According to the Mahabharata, this doctrine is the Mahopanishad, in which the four Vedas and the Samkhya are included. A 'Pancharatra session' lasting five nights at Shatapatha Brahmana description.