Bhagavatism, Buddhism and Religion in the Gupta Age

At a Glance

• Dominant faith Bhagavatism (Vaishnavism)
• Core ideas Bhakti, ahimsa, avatars
• Buddhism No royal patronage; Nalanda
• Practice Temple image worship
• State policy Tolerance
• Exam link UPSC Prelims, Ancient History: Gupta Age and Post-Gupta Kingdoms

Where Does It Fit?

This is the sixth topic of the category on the Gupta age. The previous topic covered social developments, and this one covers religion. The next topic covers Gupta art and architecture. Previous topic: Social Developments in the Gupta Age.

How Did Bhagavatism Originate?

In short: three streams of gods and worshippers merged into one faith centred on Vishnu.

Bhagavatism originated in post-Mauryan times and centred on the worship of Vishnu, or Bhagavata. In Vedic times Vishnu was a minor god who represented the sun and the fertility cult. By the second century BC he merged with Narayana, and came to be known as Narayana-Vishnu. Narayana was originally a non-Vedic tribal god, called bhagavata, and his worshippers were bhagavatas. He was conceived as a divine counterpart of the tribal chief: as a chief received presents from kinsmen and gave shares to them, Narayana gave shares or good fortune (bhaga) to his bhaktas, who in return offered devotion (bhakti). Vishnu was also identified with a legendary hero of the Vrishni tribe in western India called Krishna-Vasudeva, and the Mahabharata was recast to show that Krishna and Vishnu were one. By 200 BC three streams of gods and worshippers had merged into Bhagavatism or Vaishnavism. It was marked by bhakti and ahimsa. Bhakti was loyalty offered by a tribal to his chief or a subject to his king, and ahimsa suited an agricultural society and the old cult of life-giving fertility; some worshippers took to a vegetarian diet. The earlier Vishnu worship, such as the Heliodorus pillar, is in Shungas and Kanvas – Post-Mauryan Rule in the Ganga Valley.

What Were the Features and Spread of Vaishnavism?

The new religion was liberal enough to attract foreigners, and it also appealed to artisans and merchants who had become important under the Satavahanas and Kushans. Krishna taught in the Bhagavadgita that even women, vaishyas and shudras, born of sin, could seek refuge in him. The Vishnu Purana and, to an extent, the Vishnu Smriti also deal with Vaishnava teachings. Bhagavatism overshadowed Mahayana Buddhism by Gupta times. It preached the doctrine of incarnation, or avatar, presenting history as a cycle of ten incarnations of Vishnu, who appears in human form whenever the social order is in crisis, and each incarnation was seen as saving dharma, which matched a varna-divided society and the patriarchal family protected by the state. By the sixth century Vishnu became a member of the trinity with Shiva and Brahma, yet dominant in his own right. After the sixth century texts were written to popularise his worship, the most important being the Bhagavata Purana, recited by priests over several days. Bhagavatagharas, places for Vishnu worship and reading of his legends, were later set up in eastern India, and religious texts such as the Vishnusahasranama were composed. A few Gupta kings worshipped Shiva, but he came to the fore later and was less important than Vishnu in the early Gupta phase. Idol worship in temples became a common feature of Hinduism from the Gupta period onwards, and agricultural festivals were given religious colour and became sources of income for priests.

What Was the State of Buddhism and Religious Policy?

Buddhism ceased to receive royal patronage during the Gupta period. Fa-hsien gives the impression of a flourishing religion, but in reality it was not as important as in the days of Ashoka and Kanishka. Some stupas and viharas were built, and Nalanda became a centre of Buddhist education. The Gupta kings followed a policy of tolerance towards sects, and there is no example of persecution of Buddhists or Jainas. This was also because Buddhism had come to acquire many features of Brahmanism or Hinduism. As an analytical point, the Guptas were Vaishnava patrons who gave grants to brahmanas, as in Trade, Agrarian Economy and Land Grants in the Gupta Age, but kept a plural religious arena, which helped the state hold together a diverse society. The Buddhist changes before this are in Mahayana Buddhism and the Gandhara and Mathura Schools of Art, and the later monastic centre is in Nalanda and Buddhism in Harsha’s Age.

Why Is This Topic Important?

• Religion history Rise of Vaishnavism
• Terms Avatar, bhakti
• Policy Gupta tolerance

What Came Next?

The next topic describes Gupta art and architecture. Next topic: Gupta Art and Architecture.

Key People and Terms

• Bhagavata Worshipper of Vishnu or tribal god
• Bhakti Loving devotion
• Avatar Incarnation
• Narayana-Vishnu Merged deity
• Ahimsa Non-killing
• Bhagavatagharas Places for Vishnu worship

Exam Corner

Mains Angle

Questions ask about religious trends in the Gupta age. These points add depth.

• Origin Merger
• Features Avatars, bhakti
• Buddhism Waning