Vaishnavism in India ll Vaishnavism upsc ll History of India

 

Vaishnavism

 

Lord Vishnu is the chief God of the Vaishnavism. He have 10 Avatars like, Matsya or Fish, Kurma or Tortoise, Varaha or Boar, Narasimha or Lion-Man, Vamana or Dwarf, Parshurama or Rama with Axes, Rama or King of Ayodhya, Krishna or King of Dwarika, Buddha and Kalki (yet to come). Vaishnava saints were called the Alvars.

The Taittriya brahmana speaks Narayana, Vishnu, and Vasudeva are one. According to Patanjali, Krishna and Janardhana are another name of Vasudeva. Sandipani and Angiras was the Guru of Vasudev or Krishna. In Besnagar, Nanaghat, and Ghomundi inscriptions Vasudeva Krishna mentions. In Besnagar inscription, Heliodorus mentioned worship of Krishna. According to Gangadhar inscription, Vishnu called as Madhusudan. In Panini’s Ashtadhyayi, worship of Vasudeva Krishna mentioned. According to Megasthenes, Krishna as Hercules and a Hero who destroyed the demons. There are 5 form of Vasudeva Krishna worshiped. In Satapatha Brahmana, various avatars of Vishnu dealt. The Abhiras, worshiped baby Krishna in the First century A.D. in Adiparva of Maabharata, Krishna described as Govinda. According to Chandogya Upanishad, Angiras was the Guru of Krishna. Varaha Avatar of Vishnu was considered most important in Gupta period. According to Narayanaparva, there are 6 Avatars of Vishnu. In Brahmana scripture, there are 39 Avatars of Vishnu.