The Vrishni heroes (

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

: Vṛṣṇi Viras), also referred to as ''Pancha-viras'' (

: Pañca vīras, "Five heroes"), are a group of five legendary, deified heroes who are found in the literature and archaeological sites of

ancient India According to consensus in modern genetics, anatomically modern humans first arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa between 73,000 and 55,000 years ago. Quote: "Y-Chromosome and Mt-DNA data support the colonization of South Asia by m ...

. Their earliest worship is attestable in the clan of the

Vrishni The Vrishnis (Brahmi: ''vri-shņi'') were an ancient Vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni. It is believed that Vrishni was the son of Satvata, a descendant of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari an ...

s near

Mathura Mathura () is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately north of Agra, and south-east of Delhi; about from the town of Vrindavan, and from Govardhan. ...

by 4th-century BCE. Legends are associated with these deified heroes, some of which may be based on real, historical heroes of the Vrishni clan. Their early worship has been variously described as cross-sectarian, much like the cult of the

Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

s, related to the early

Bhagavata The Bhagavata tradition, also called Bhagavatism, refers to an ancient religious sect that traced its origin to the region of Mathura. After its syncretism with the Brahmanical tradition of Vishnu, Bhagavatism became a pan-Indian tradition ...

tradition of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, and with possible links to

Jainism Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religions, Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current ...

as well. They and their legends – particularly of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

and Balarama – have been an important part of the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The Vrishnis were already known in the late

Vedic upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''. The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...

literature. They are also mentioned by

Pāṇini , era = ;;6th–5th century BCE , region = Indian philosophy , main_interests = Grammar, linguistics , notable_works = ' (Sanskrit#Classical Sanskrit, Classical Sanskrit) , influenced= , notable_ideas=Descript ...

in ''Astadhyayi'' verse 6.2.34, while Krishna is referred to as Krishna ''Varshneya'' ("the Vrishni") in verse 3.187.51 of the ''Mahabharata''. Beyond texts, their importance in ancient India is attested by the ancient inscriptions found near Mathura and coins discovered in the ruins of Ai-Khanoum (Afghanistan), bearing images of the two main Vrishni heroes, with Greek and

Brahmi Brahmi (; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such ...

legends. The cult of the Vrishni heroes existed as an independent cult in

, as suggested by the

Mora Well Inscription The Mora Well inscription is an ancient Sanskrit inscription found in the village of Mora about from Mathura, India.Heinrich Lüders and Klaus Ludwig Janert (1961), Mathurā inscriptions, Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, , page 154, image o ...

, and was then amalgamated very progressively into

Vaishnavism Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

. The deification of the Vrhisni heroes centered around the cult of Vasudeva-Krishna, known as

Bhagavatism The Bhagavata tradition, also called Bhagavatism, refers to an ancient religious sect that traced its origin to the region of Mathura. After its syncretism with the Brahmanical tradition of Vishnu, Bhagavatism became a pan-Indian tradition ...

. Epigraphical evidence suggests that their legends and worship swiftly expanded to other parts of India by the start of the common era. The Vrishni heroes are generally identified as Samkarshana ( Balarama-Samkarshana, son of

Vasudeva Anakadundubhi According to Hindu scriptures, Vasudeva (Sanskrit: वसुदेव, IAST: ''Vasudeva''), also called Anakadundubhi, (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his b ...

and

Devaki Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, IAST: ''Devakī'') is a character in Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna. She is one of the seven daughters of Devapa or Devaka, a king of the Yadu dynasty, and has four broth ...

Vāsudeva Vāsudeva ( sa, वासुदेव, ), later incorporated as Vāsudeva-Krishna (, "Krishna, son of Vasudeva"),"While the earliest piece of evidence do not yet use the name Krsna...." in Krishna-Vāsudeva or simply Krishna, was the son of V ...

( Vāsudeva-Krishna, another son of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi and

), Pradyumna (son of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Rukmini),

Samba Samba (), also known as samba urbano carioca (''urban Carioca samba'') or simply samba carioca (''Carioca samba''), is a Brazilian music genre that originated in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro in the early 20th century. Havin ...

(son of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Jambavati), and

Aniruddha Aniruddha ( sa, अनिरुद्ध ') is a character in Hindu mythology, the son of Pradyumna and Rukmavati, and the grandson of Krishna and Rukmini. He is said to have been very much like his grandfather, to the extent that he is con ...

(son of Pradyumna). Probably as late as the 1st century CE, the cult of the Vrishni heroes (''Vīravāda'') retained more importance than the Vyuha doctrine (''Vyūhavāda''), the subsequent cult of emanations that evolved from the Vrishni hero cult. Still later, it evolved into the ''Avatāravāda'' system of incarnations of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

. Overall, according to

Doris Srinivasan Doris Meth Srinivasan is a Professor of Indological studies. She has authored more than 75 publications. She was curator of South and South East Asian arts at Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, Missouri. Early life Doris Meth Srinivasan was ...

, "the absorption of the Vrishni hero into the Vaishnava worship is very gradual. The amalgamation process was preceded and concurrent with a cult of several Vrishni heroes". The Vrishni heroes also have distinct individual qualities:

is also associated with gentleness and strength, Samkarsana with knowledge, Pradyumna with female power, Samba with male power and

with ferociousness and sovereignty."Gentleness and strength are associated with Vasudeva, knowledge with Samkarsana, (Narasimha) female power with Pradyumna (Varaha) and ferociousness and sovereignty with Aniruddha (Kapila)."

Identity

The historical roots and the identity of the Vrishni heroes is unclear. Several interpretations have been proposed.

Local heroes turned deities

According to Rosenfield, the five heroes of the Vrishnis may have been ancient historical rulers in the region of Mathura, and Vāsudeva and Krishna "may well have been kings of this dynasty as well". According to the

Vayu Purana The ''Vayu Purana'' ( sa, वायुपुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. ''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to pr ...

(97.1-2), the five Vrishni heroes were originally human, and their names were Samkarshana, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, Samba, and Aniruddha. The heroes would then have evolved into Vaishnavite deities through a step-by-step process: 1) deification of the Vrishni heroes 2) association with the God

Narayana Narayana (Sanskrit: नारायण, IAST: ''Nārāyaṇa'') is one of the forms and names of Vishnu, who is in yogic slumber under the celestial waters, referring to the masculine principle. He is also known as Purushottama, and is co ...

3) incorporation into the Vyuha concept of successive emanations of the God. Epigraphically, the deified status of Vāsudeva in particular is confirmed by his appearance on the coinage of Agathocles of Bactria (190-180 BCE) and by the devotional character of the Heliodorus pillar inscription (circa 110 BCE). Later, the association with

(

) is suggested by the Hathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions of the 1st century BCE. It is generally thought that "by the beginning of the Christian era, the cult of Vasudeva, Vishnu and Narayana amalgamated". By the 2nd century CE, the "''avatara'' concept was in its infancy", and the depiction of Vishnu with his four emanations (the '' Chatur-vyūha''), consisting in the Vrishni heroes minus Samba, starts to become visible in art at the end of the

Kushan The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...

period. Banerjee too considered that they may have been semi-deified legendary kings who came to be considered as Vishnu's

avatar Avatar (, ; ), is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means "descent". It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, goddess or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearanc ...

s. This would lead to an early form of Vaishnavism, currently described as the

Pancaratra ''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities. Also according to Gavin Flood – an Indologist and scholar of Hinduism, Vāsudeva may have originated in a real Vrishni hero or king, but the lineage is difficult to establish. This Vasudeva became deified in the Vrishni clan, its worship being traceable to the 4th century text of

, which mentions ''Vāsudevaka'' or a "devotee of Vāsudeva". Vāsudeva then fused with Krishna of the Yadavas clan. Over time, Vāsudeva was identified with Krishna and Vishnu. According to Christopher Austin, the Vrishni heroes are characters linked to the end of ''Mahabharata'', reflecting the three generations of Vrishnis of Krishna from the

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...

fame, his son, his grandson along with the Balarama (Samkarshana). This view is supported by Srinivasan and Banerjee based on evidence in two Puranic passages and the Mora well inscription. In early

, the five Vrishni heroes have been identified as Vāsudeva-Krishna, Samkarsana- Balarama, Pradyumna,

and

as known from the Medieval

Early coinage (3rd-2nd century BCE)

The Vrishni heroes appear on the coinage of Agathocles of Bactria, circa 190-180 BCE: Samkarshana, with Gada mace and

plow A plough or plow ( US; both ) is a farm tool for loosening or turning the soil before sowing seed or planting. Ploughs were traditionally drawn by oxen and horses, but in modern farms are drawn by tractors. A plough may have a wooden, iron or ...

, and

, with

Shankha A Shankha ( conch shell) has religious ritual importance in Hinduism. It is the shell of any suitable sea snail which had a hole made for the performer's embouchure. In Hindu history, the shankha is a sacred emblem of The Hindu preserver god V ...

(a pear-shaped case or conch) and

Chakra Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...

wheel. This is "the earliest unambiguous image" of the two deities. On some of the Indian punch-marked coins, three individuals appear without attributes, possibly deities

Saṃkarṣaṇa Saṃkarṣaṇa (IAST , "The Plougher") later known as Balarama, was a son of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi, king of the Vrishnis in the region of Mathura. He was a leading member of the Vrishni heroes, and may well have been an ancient historical ru ...

and

Ekanamsha Ekanamsha ( sa, एकानंशा; ) is a Hindu goddess. She is primarily identified with the illusory power of Vishnu, Yogamaya. The goddess is believed to have been worshipped by the Vrishnis. Many "kinship triads", depicting Vasudeva K ...

in the late 4th-2nd century BCE. The same type of coins was excavated in

Besnagar Vidisha (विदिशा, formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar in ancient times) is a city in central Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 62.5 km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from th ...

. On some post-Mauryan punch-marked coins, possible depictions of Saṃkarṣaṇa-Balarama appear. He is shown wielding a mace and a plough."Post-Mauryan punch-marked coin" These punch-marked coin are dated to the 2nd century BCE, and may be associated with Mathura. Coin_of_the_Bactrian_King_Agathokles.jpg, Coin of Agathocles of Bactria (190-180 BCE) Mauryan Empire. Circa late 4th-2nd century BC.jpg, Mauryan Empire. Late 4th-2nd century BC Mauryan punch-marked coin with three deities 4th-2nd century BCE.jpg, Mauryan punch-marked coin with three deities 4th-2nd century BCE Besnagar silver punch-marked coins (anthropomorphical).jpg, Punch-marked coins excavated in Besnagar Mauryan Balarama Coin 3rd-2nd Century CE (detail).jpg, Post-Mauryan punch-marked coin with possible Balarama (detail)

Jainism

Another theory has been proposed by Heinrich Luders. Based on analysis of 10th to 12th century Jaina texts, Luders proposed that Vrishnis may have roots in Jainism, noting the co-existence of the Jain and Vrishni-related archaeological findings in Mathura, and the strength of Jainism at that time in Mathura. He names the Vrishni heroes as Baladeva, Akrura, Anadhrsti, Sarana and Viduratha – all Jain heroes and with Akrura as the commander.

Cross-sectarian deities

According to Quintanilla, the cult of the Vrishnis may have been cross-sectarian, much like the cult of the Yakshas, and "may not necessarily represent the roots of Vaiṣṇava theology at Mathura".

Devotional structures and symbolism (circa 115 BCE)

Several pillar capitals with symbolic statuary associated to the Vhrishni heroes have been found in

around the site of the Heliodorus pillar, dated to about 115 BCE. The Heliodorus pillar inscription explains that the pillar erected to honour

is a

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

-vajra, although the Garuda statue has not been found. According to Susan L. Huntington, the Garuda capital on the Heliodorus pillar was probably similar to a portable Garuda standard illustrated on one of the nearly contemporary reliefs at Bharhut. In Bharhut, a man riding a horse is seen holding a portable pillar-standard, crowned by a bird-man creature similar to a

Kinnara A kinnara is a celestial musician, part human and part bird, who are musically paradigmatic lovers, in Hinduism and Buddhism. In these traditions, the ''kinnaras'' (male) and ''kinnaris'' (female counterpart) are two of the most beloved myth ...

. The same concept of Garuda pillar may have been adopted for the Heliodorus pillar."The rider of the horse holds a portable pillar-standard (dhvaja stambha) related to the stationary type seen since Maurya and pre-Maurya times, here probably intended as a royal insignia. It is interesting to note resemblance between this standard with its square abacus, lotus capital, and bird-man creature called a kinnara and what was probably the original concept of the Heliodorus Garuda pillar at Vidisa. Since this particular sculpture of the Bharhut vedika was dedicated by an individual from

Vidisa Vidisha (विदिशा, formerly known as Bhelsa and known as Besnagar in ancient times) is a city in central Madhya Pradesh, India. It is located 62.5 km northeast of the state capital, Bhopal. The name "Vidisha" is derived from th ...

, as indicated by an inscription, this resemblance is even more remarkable and may indicate that the Bharhut form was based specifically on the Vedika pillar, or a common prototype." in Other sculptures and pillar capitals were found near the Heliodorus pillar, and it is thought they were dedicated to Vāsudeva's kinsmen, otherwise known as the Vrishni heroes and objects of the

cult. These are a ''tala'' (fan-palm capital), a ''makara'' (crocodile) capital, a banyan-tree capital, and a possible statue of the goddess Lakshmi, also associated with the Bhagavat cult. Just as Garuda is associated with Vāsudesa, the fan-palm capital is generally associated with

, and the ''makara'' is associated with Pradyumna. The banyan-tree capital with ''ashtanidhis'' is associated with Lakshmi. In effect, the findings surrounding the Heliodorus pillar suggest the cult of a trio of the Vrishni heroes in this time and area, composed of the three deities Vāsudesa,

and Pradyumna.

Vrishni Temple structure

Excavations suggests that these various pillars with their symbolic capitals were standing in line at the site, and that the Heliodorus pillar was just one of them, standing at the end of the line. Although the pillars are aniconic, it is probable that now lost sculptures representing the deities, broadly similar to the depictions on

and Samkarshana on the coins of Agathocles of Bactria (190-180 BCE), were located in adjoining shrines. The 1963–65 excavations at the site suggest that the site had an elliptical shrine – possibly dating to the 4th to 3rd-century BCE – with a brick foundation and likely a wooden superstructure. This was destroyed by a flood around 200 BCE. New soil was then added and the ground level raised to build a new second temple to Vāsudeva, with a wooden pillar (Garuda dhvaja) in front of the east-facing elliptical shrine. This too was destroyed by floods sometime in the 2nd-century BCE. In late 2nd-century BCE, after some ground preparation, yet another Vāsudeva temple was rebuilt, this time with eight stone pillars aligned in the north-south cardinal axis. Only one of these eight pillars have survived: the Heliodorus pillar. File:Deity_Krishna-Vasudeva_on_a_coin_of_Agathocles_of_Bactria_190-180_BCE.jpg, Depiction of Vasudeva circa 190-180 BCE. File:Garuda_pillar_from_Bharhut_relief.jpg, The ''

'', symbol of

, was probably similar to this design from Bharhut, circa 100 BCE. Besnagar fan-palm capital.jpg, The fan-palm capital, found next to the Heliodorus pillar, is associated with

. File:Besnagar Makara pillar capital.jpg, The '' Makara'' capital, found at the site of the Heliodorus pillar, is associated with Pradyumna. 2nd century BCE.

Gwalior Museum The Gujari Mahal Archeological Museum or State Archaeological Museum, sometimes called the "Gwalior Fort Museum", is a state museum in Gwalior, located in the fortress of Gujari Mahal. It displays numerous artifacts of the region, including a f ...

File:Kalpadruma.jpg, A pillar capital shaped as a

Kalpadruma Kalpavriksha () is a wish-fulfilling divine tree in Indian religions, like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Its earliest descriptions are mentioned in Sanskrit literature. It is also a popular theme in Jain cosmology and Buddhism. ...

tree, also found nearby at Besnagar, probably associated with

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, power, beauty, fertility and prosperity, and associated with ''Maya'' ("Illusion"). Alo ...

Saṃkarṣaṇa in Indo-Scythian coinage (1st century BCE)

, the Vrishni elder and the leading divinity until the rise to precedence of Vāsudeva, is known to appear on the coinage of the

Indo-Scythian Indo-Scythians (also called Indo-Sakas) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples of Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into modern day Pakistan and Northwestern India from the middle of the 2nd century BCE to the 4th centur ...

rulers

Maues Maues (Greek: ; (epigraphic); Kharosthi: , , called , on the Taxila copper plate; also called , in the Mathura lion capital inscription,) was the first Indo-Scythian king, ruling from 98/85 to 60/57 BCE. He invaded India and establishe ...

and Azes I during the 1st century BCE. These coins show him holding a mace and a plough. File:Maues coinage with Balarama.jpg, Samkarsana-Balarama on a coin of

(90-80 BCE) File:Samkarsana on the coinage of Maues.jpg, Samkarsana-Balarama on a coin of

(90-80 BCE) File:BalaramaMauesCoin1stCenturyBCE.jpg, Samkarsana-Balarama on a coin of

(90-80 BCE) File:Azes coinage with Balarama image.jpg, Samkarsana-Balarama on a coin of

Azes Azes I (Greek: , epigraphically ; Kharosthi: , ) was an Indo-Scythian ruler who ruled around c. 48/47 BCE – 25 BCE with a dynastic empire based in the Punjab and Indus Valley, completed the domination of the Scythians in the northwestern In ...

(58-12 BCE)

Ghosundi Inscriptions (1st century BCE)

Vasudeva in the Ghosundi Fragment A inscription

The two major Vrishni heroes Saṃkarṣaṇa and Vāsudeva, still in their proper seniority order, are again mentioned in the Hathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions, dated to the 1st century BCE. For the first time they seem to be associated to a higher divinity, as the inscription mention that their cult is made on a precinct of

Mora Vrishni heroes (circa 15 CE)

The Vrishni heroes are mentioned in the

in Mathura, dated to the time of the

Northern Satraps The Northern Satraps (Brahmi: , ''Kṣatrapa'', "Satraps" or , ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps"), or sometimes Satraps of Mathura, or Northern Sakas, are a dynasty of Indo-Scythian rulers who held sway over the area of Eastern Punjab and Math ...

Sodasa Sodasa (Kharosthi: , ; Middle Brahmi script: , , also , ) was an Indo-Scythian Northern Satrap and ruler of Mathura during the later part of the 1st century BCE or the early part of 1st century CE. He was the son of Rajuvula, the Great Satrap ...

, in which they are called ''

m''. Statue fragments were found in Mora, which are thought to represent some of the Vrishni heroes. Two uninscribed male torsos were discovered in the mound, both of high craftsmanship and in Indian style and costume. They are similar with minor variations, suggesting they may have been part of a series. They share some sculptural characteristics with the

statues found in Mathura, such as the sculpting in the round, or the clothing style. Sonya Rhie Quintanilla also supports an attribution of the torso to the five Vrishnis, and dates them to around the time of

(circa 15 CE), which is confirmed on artistic grounds.

Vrishni Temples (circa 15 CE)

Mention of Vrishni Temples appears in the

, which describes a pratima (murti, images), a stone shrine (temple) and calls the five Vrishnis as ''bhagavatam''. The inscription is dated to the early decades of the 1st century CE during the reign of

, probably circa 15 CE. A decorated doorjamb, also probably belonging to a Temple, on which is inscribed the

Vasu Doorjamb Inscription __NOTOC__ The Vasu Doorjamb Inscription is an early 1st-century CE Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script dedicated to the deity Vāsudeva, related to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. It is also one of the several dedicatory inscriptions fr ...

, is dedicated to deity

, and mentions the rule of the

Northern Satrap The Northern Satraps (Brahmi: , ''Kṣatrapa'', "Satraps" or , ''Mahakṣatrapa'', "Great Satraps"), or sometimes Satraps of Mathura, or Northern Sakas, are a dynasty of Indo-Scythian rulers who held sway over the area of Eastern Punjab and Math ...

, and has similar carving to the Mora doorjamb. The decoration of these and many similar doorjambs from Mathura consists in scrolls of grapevines. They are all dated to the reign of Sodasa, circa 15 CE and constitute a secure dated artistic reference for the evaluation of datation of other Mathura sculptures. It has been suggested that the grapevine design had been introduced from the Gandhara area in the northwest, and maybe associated with the northern taste of the

Satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median and Achaemenid Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic empires. The satrap served as viceroy to the king, though with consid ...

rulers. These designs may also be the result of the work of northern artists in Mathura. The grapevine designs of Gandhara are generally considered as originating from Hellenistic art. File:Vasu doorjamb horizontal.jpg, The Vasu doorjamb, dedicated to

"in the reign of Sodasa",

, circa 15 CE.

Mathura Museum __NOTOC__ Government Museum, Mathura, commonly referred to as Mathura museum, is an archaeological museum in Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh state in India. The museum was founded by then collector of the Mathura district, Sir F. S. Growse in ...

, GMM 13.367 File:Mora doorjamb designs Mathura, 1st century CE.jpg, Mora doorjamb with grapevine design, probably belonging to a Vrishni Temple at Mora, near

, circa 15 CE. State Museum Lucknow, SML J.526.

Chamunda Tila Vrishni symbols (1st century CE)

Chamunda Tila pillar capital, Mathura (background)

The ''Chamunda Tila'' pillar capital, also found in Mathura, may be another example of the Vrishni cult in the area of Mathura, this time using the Vrishni ''lanchana'' symbols around a central figure. This pillar capital uses five symbols on both sides: a lion, a palm leaf, a makara, an adorned woman, and Yaksha in central position, with a probable top symbol missing. The ''Tāladdhvaja'' (palm leaf column) is known to symbolize Samkarsana, the ''Garuḍadhvaja'' (

garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

column) symbolizes

, the ''Makaradhvaja'' ( makara crocodile column) symbolizes Pradyumna, and the ''Ṛṣyadhvaja'' (white antilope column) corresponds to

. The lion pillar capital corresponds to Samba. The function of the adorned woman is Shri Rukmani. The central figure uses the iconography of a Yaksha, pointing to the association of Vrishni iconography with Yasha iconography, as seen in the Mora statue found with the

Triads (1st-2nd century CE)

A few triads are known from Mathura, dated to the 1st-2nd century CE, showing Vāsudeva and Saṃkarṣaṇa with their attributes, together with a female standing in the middle, thought to be

. In these triads, the kinship of the warrior heroes is still emphasized, with the depiction focusing on the elder brother, the younger brother and the sister, with a prominence still given to the elder brother Samkarsana. They are still presented as warrior "''

kshatriya Kshatriya ( hi, क्षत्रिय) (from Sanskrit ''kṣatra'', "rule, authority") is one of the four varna (social orders) of Hindu society, associated with warrior aristocracy. The Sanskrit term ''kṣatriyaḥ'' is used in the con ...

''" heroes who are not yet fully deified or considered as royals, and are only the object of

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

devotional worship towards ancestral heroes, focusing on their enshrined icons.

Caturvyūha (2nd century CE)

Chaturvuyha Sankarshan Vasudeva 2nd century CE, Mathura Museum

The famous " Chatur-vyūha" statue in

is an attempt to show in one composition

together with the other members of the

clan of the

Pancharatra ''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities.Samkarsana, Pradyumna and

, with

missing, Vāsudeva being the central deity from whom the others emanate. The back of the relief is carved with the branches of a

Kadamba tree ''Neolamarckia cadamba'', with English common names burflower-tree, laran, and Leichhardt pine, and called kadam or cadamba locally, is an evergreen, tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia. The genus name honours French naturalist Jea ...

, symbolically showing the relationship being the different deities. Vāsudeva is fittingly in the center with ornate crown and flower necklace, making the Abhaya Mudra and holding his decorated heavy mace on the side, his elder brother Balarama to his right under a serpent hood, his son Pradyumna to his left (lost), and his grandson

on top. Vishnu image rear view, background, Mathura Museum.jpg, Tree and branches sculpted in the back, showing their genealogical relationship. File:Caturvyuha, Balarama under his snake hood holding a cup.jpg, Samkarsana- Balarama under his snake hood holding a cup File:Caturvyuha, vasudeva's mace held by one of his supplementary hands.jpg, Vasudeva's ornate mace held by one of his supplementary hands

Cult images of Vāsudeva (2nd-3rd century CE)

Vishnu_statuette,_3rd-4th_century_CE,_Udayagiri,_Vidisha_District

Cult images of

continued to be produced until the 4th century CE, the worship of this Mathuran deity being much more important than that of

during that period. Statues dating to the 2nd and 3rd century show a possibly four-armed Vāsudeva standing with his attributes: the wheel, the mace and the conch, his right hand saluting in '' Abhaya mudra''. Only with the Gupta period, did statues focusing on the worship of

himself start to appear, using the same iconography as the statues of Vāsudeva, but with the addition of an

aureole An aureola or aureole (diminutive of Latin ''aurea'', "golden") is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure. In Romance languages, the noun Aureola is usually more related to the d ...

starting at the shoulders.For English summary, see page 80 From the 4th century CE, independent devotional statues of Vāsudeva-Krishna become very rare, and are replaced by statues of Vishnu with the addition of an aureole. This suggests with a high probability that the human face in the statues of Vishnu, including those known as '' Vaikuntha Chaturmurti'', is actually the face of his human emanation, Vāsudeva-Krishna.

Kondamotu Vrishni heroes (4th century CE)

A relief from Kondamotu,

Guntur district Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the largest city of the district in terms of area and with a po ...

Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to the ...

, dates to the 4th century CE, and shows the Vrishni heroes standing in genealogical order around

Narasimha Narasimha ( sa, नरसिंह, lit=man-lion, ), sometimes rendered Narasingha, is the fourth avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. He is regarded to have incarnated in the form of a part-lion, part-man being to slay Hiranyakashipu, to end rel ...

. From left to right, they are:

, holding a mace and a ploughshare topped by the depiction of a lion,

, with a hand in ''abhaya mudra'' and the other hand on the hip holding a conch shell. Vāsudeva also has a crown, which distinguishes him from the others. Then follow Pradyumna, holding a bow and an arrow,

, holding a wine goblet, and

, holding a sword and a shield. The fact that they stand around Narasimha suggests a fusion of the Satvata cult with the Vrishni cult.

Evolution as avatars of Vishnu (4th century CE-)

The Vrishni heroes for the most part became avatars of

, and were incorporated in the

Vaishnavite Vaishnavism ( sa, वैष्णवसम्प्रदायः, Vaiṣṇavasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Shaivism, Shaktism, and Smartism. It is also called Vishnuism since it considers Vishnu as the ...

system from the 4th century CE. The avatars were combined in the Vishnu statuary from this time, in statues known as '' Vaikuntha Chaturmurti''. Saṃkarṣaṇa came to be associated with the lion, which is his

theriomorphic The word ''zoomorphism'' derives from the Greek ζωον (''zōon''), meaning "animal", and μορφη (''morphē''), meaning "shape" or "form". In the context of art, zoomorphism could describe art that imagines humans as non-human animals. It c ...

aspect. He can be identified as

. Saṃkarṣaṇa appears as a lion in some of the

Caturvyūha ''Caturvyūha'' or ''Chatur-vyūha'' (), is an ancient Indian religious concept initially focusing on the four earthly emanations (Vyūhas) of the Supreme deity Nārāyaṇa, and later Vishnu. The first of these emanations is the hero-god Vāsud ...

statues (the Bhita statue), where he is an assistant to

, and in the '' Vaikuntha Chaturmurti'' when his lion's head protrudes from the side of

's head.

came to be associated with the boar, which is his

aspect, also known as

Varaha Varaha ( sa, वराह, , "boar") is an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, in the form of a boar. Varaha is generally listed as third in the Dashavatara, the ten principal avatars of Vishnu. Varaha is most commonly associated with the lege ...

. Aniruddha appears as a boar in some of the

statues, where he is an assistant to

, and in the '' Vaikuntha Chaturmurti'' when his boar's head protrudes from the side of

's head. In the ''Vaikuntha Chaturmurti'', especially in the statues from Kasmir, Pradyumna also appears sometimes in the back of the head of the central Vishnu, as a fearsome deity, also known as Kapila.

Symbolic system

The ''caturvyuha'', this

Gupta period The Gupta Empire was an ancient Indian empire which existed from the early 4th century CE to late 6th century CE. At its zenith, from approximately 319 to 467 CE, it covered much of the Indian subcontinent. This period is considered as the Gol ...

polycephalic aspect of Vishnu formed by the four Vrishni heroes as his emanations (a ''Saumya'' benevolent face to the east, a ''Simha'' lion face to the south, a ''Varaha'' boar face to the north, a ''Raudra'' terrible human face to the west) is described in detail in the '' Vishnudharmottara Purana'' (compiled between the 4th and the 7th century CE). This is to be understood in conjunction with the description of the four ''

Vyūha Vyūha (Sanskrit: व्यूह) means - 'to arrange troops in a battle array (formation)', 'to arrange, put or place in order, to dispose, separate, divide, alter, transpose, disarrange, resolve (vowels syllables etc.)'. Its root is व्यः ...

s'' Saṃkarṣaṇa, Vāsudeva, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha, also presented as emanations of Vishnu, as known from the

Dashavatara Temple, Deogarh (6th century CE)

The

Dashavatara Temple The Dashavatara Temple is an early 6th century Vishnu Hindu temple located at Deogarh, Uttar Pradesh which is 125 kilometers from Jhansi, in the Betwa River valley in northern-central India.Dehejia, Vidya. Indian Art. New York, NY: Phaidon Pres ...

in Deogarh is closely related to the iconic architectural temple structure described in the

Viṣṇudharmottara purāṇa The Vishnudharmottara Purana (or the ''Vishnudharmottara'') is a Hindu Sanskrit text in the ''Upapuranas'' genre. Like the ''Mahapuranas'', it is also encyclopedic covering a wide range of secular and religious topics in the traditions of Hinduism ...

, and can be interpreted as an architectural representation of the '' Caturvyuha'' concept and the

Pancaratra ''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatars of Vishnu as their central deities.Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

, Samkarshana, Pradyumna and

. According to Lubotsky, it is likely that the entrance is dedicated to the

aspect of Vishnu; the Anantashayana side is his role as the creator (

); the sage form of Nara-Narayana side symbolizes his preservation and maintainer role in cosmic existence ( Pradyumna); and the Gajendramoksha side represents his role as the destroyer ( Samkarsana).

Later depictions of the Vrishni heroes

The Vrishni heroes – particularly Krishna and Balarama – are still found in some Vaishnava

Hindu temple A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

s. 11th century Balarama, Lakshmi (Shubadra), Vasudeva (Krishna, Jagannath).jpg, 11th century Balarama, Lakshmi (or perhaps, Subhadra), Vasudeva (Krishna, Jagannath) ParthasarathyTemple EasternThoranaEntrance BeachRoad (Vrishni detail).jpg, The five Vrishni heroes standing in the

Parthasarathy Temple The Parthasarathy Temple is a 6th-century Hindu Vaishnavite temple dedicated to Vishnu in Chennai, India. Located in the neighbourhood of Thiruvallikeni, the temple is glorified in the ''Naalayira Divya Prabandham'', the early medieval Tamil ...

, Eastern Torana Entrance. From left to right: Balarama, Rukmini, Vasudeva-Krishna (center), Pradyumna,

and

Satyaki Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was ...

References

Sources

* * * * {{Mathura Museum Mathura art