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14. THE CONCEPT OF AVATARS
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 12th CAD.
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 wide-ranging, 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.
The Latin writer Ovid (43 BC - AD 17) writes:
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