Development of Hinduism

14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
Encyclopaedia of Hinduism By Nagendra Kumar Singh mentions the following:
In the Vedas we come across a deity called Bhaga, who is the bestower of blessing in Rg Veda
I.164,50; VII.41.4; X.60.12 and in Atharvan Veda II.10.2; V.31.11 2tc. However in these
contexts Bhagat is not in anyway related to Vishnu, Narayana or Vasudeva.
Eliot points out that Garbe in his “Introduction to Bhagavat Gita” traces four stages of
development of Bhagavat Cult.
1. Development of Sankhya dualistic philosophy into a cult. There are no purely Samkhya
schools existing today in Hinduism. Its philosophy is dualistic which regards the universe as
consisting of two eternal realities: Purusha (Person) and Prakriti (Nature). This philosphy being
resonant with Buddhism and Jainism survived to 300 BC. It was later incorporated as being one
of the six orthodox (astika- theistic school) systems of Hindu philosophy based on Sankhya
Karika, written by Ishvara Krishna or Krishna Vasudeva, (c.350 - c.425 CE) . At some point in
history its proponent Krishna Vasudeva might have been deified leading to the central name
Krishna and its association with Vasudeva. This must have been parallel to the deification of
Buddha.
2. Take over of Bhagavata religion by the Brahmins and incorporation of Vishnu and
incarnation. This must have developed to the early years of Christian period . By the time of
writing of Mahabharata the word Vaishnava appears as a sect of Vishnu worshippers.
3. Incorporation of Krishna, Vishnu and Brahaman as a Vedanata system along with Sankhya
and Yoga. This must have been around 12 th c AD.
4. Ramanuja revival 12c AD when the Vaishnavism was systemized into a religion.
Bhagavata cult also has another name: Pancharatra (Five Knowledges) because Narayana
explained the whole principles of five levels of knowledge – tattva, mukthi-prada, bhakthi-prada,
yaugika and vaisesika – through five dimensions of human existence – mahabhuta (five gross
elements), five subtle elements, ahankara (ego), buddhi (mind) and avykta (formless original
matter) in five nights. In this cult Narayana is the principal deity. Scholars can discern these
two strains of the cults even in Mahabharata.
Eventually all the name assimilated all these names of God into Vishnu. Later Krishna displaced
even Vishnu in the post 1900 AD period to form the present day Vaishnavism.
In the Alternative Krishnas, Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity edited by Guy
L. Beck, the contributors examine the alternative, or unconventional, Krishnas, offering
examples from more localized Krishna traditions found in different regions among various ethnic
groups, vernacular language traditions, and remote branches of Indian religions. These wideranging,
alternative visions of Krishna include the Tantric Krishna of Bengal, Krishna in urban
women's rituals, Krishna as monogamous husband and younger brother in
Braj, Krishna in Jainism, Krishna in Marathi tradition, Krishna in South India, and the Krishna of
nineteenth-century reformed Hinduism. Myth maiking and exaggeration was at its best in
Krishna. One example of that is his sexuality . Krishna is said to have 180,000 children during
his 120 or so years of life. To achieve this he must have had at least 1600 wives and Radha was
not one of them.
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