Thread by @whiffofreshair

Bhagavata tradition, precursor of Vaishnavism and oldest shrines in India – a #Thread
Pāṇini (5th – 4th centuries BCE), the great grammarian mentions the name Vāsudeva in his sūtras. Based on several inscriptions like: i) Dvādaśāditya Mound in Vṛndāvana (2nd century BCE), 1/n

Ghosuṇḍi Inscription from Rajasthan (2nd Century BCE), Nāṇeghāṭ Inscription of Sātavāhana queen, Nāganikā, invoking Saṃkarṣaṇa and Vāsudeva along with Vaidika deities (1st century BCE), Mora Well Inscription from Mathurā, inscription at Mathurā recording donations to 2/n

the temple of God Vāsudeva known as Vāsudeva Mahāsthāna all establish that the Bhāgavata Sect was deeply entrenched in the Indian society two millennia ago. 3/n

The Besnagar Pillar Inscription of Heliodorus, was brought to notice of John H. Marshall, the then Director General of Archaeology. The inscription has been written in the Brāhmī script and the language is Prākṛt. The inscription is not a very long one and has eight lines. 4/n

The object of inscription was to record erection of a Garuḍadhvaja in honour of the God Vāsudeva by the Greek ambassador (Yona i.e. Yavana Dūta) named Heliodorus who was representing Indo-Greek king, Antalkidas in the court of the king or crown prince Kosīputra Bhāgabhadra. 5/n

The translation of inscription given by D.R. Bhandarkar : The Garuḍdhavaja of Vāsudeva, the God of Gods (Devadeva) was caused to be made here, for instructions in (his) new religion by Heliodora, a Bhāgavata, son of Diya, a native of Takṣaśīlā, a Yavana ambassador 6/n

coming from the great king Aṁtalikita to Kautisiputra Bhāgabhadra, the savior (and) residing in the country of Nai in middle country i.e. Madhya Deśa.
Heliodorus was sent to the court of Kautisīputra (or Kosiputra) Bhāgabhadra who ruled Vidiśā in the Madhyadeśa 7/n

by the king Antalkidas. Vidiśā is identified with Besnagar. In the 1970s, a few coins of Indo-Greek king Agathocles, who ruled in 2nd century BCE, discovered at Ai Khanoum in modern day Afghanistan, had on them the images of Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa and Saṃkarṣaṇa-Balarāma. 8/n

Presence of these images indicates that Bhāgavata sect might have spread up to Ai Khanoum by 2nd century BCE and perhaps Agathocles himself was a follower of the Bhāgavata Sect.
The Bhāgavata Sect must have been an open sect as it gave admission to a Yavana like Heliodorus. 9/n

Heliodorus, not only became a Bhāgavata but was also instrumental in proliferating its teachings. It is plausible that there must have been a temple dedicated to Vāsudeva near the Garuḍadhvaja along with temples dedicated to Saṃkarṣaṇa and Pradyumna. 10/n

It is possible that the Suṅga king Bhāgabhadra (a man of power and authority) might have patronised Bhāgavata establishment at Besnagar since an Indo-Greek king from the north western part of South Asia sent an embassy to his court. 11/n

Thus the Besnagar Pillar Inscription of Heliodorus is an important historical document shedding valuable light on religious and political life of ancient India. 12/n

References:
1.Bhandarkar, D.R. 1969 (Reprint). “The New Besnagar Inscription”. The Journal of the Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Volume XXIII: 104-106. 13/13
#OurTrueHistory @ShefVaidya

@threadreaderapp compile