Pancharatra and the Greeks

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Sri

Srimathe Ramanujaya namaha

 

Dear Members,

 

I came across an interesting passage while reading the famous book on

Hinduism by Dr.C P Ramaswamy Aiyar. I quote as follows:

 

"As early as the 2nd century B. C. the renowned Besnagar Column had

been erected by a Greek named Heliodorous, who had been converted to

the Bhagavata or Vaisnava faith of which the Pancaratra doctrines

then formed an integral part; its scriptures were Satvata Samhita,

the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata and Visnu Puranas. The origin of

the Pancaratra doctrines which form the basis of Srivaisnava culture

has been traced further back to the well known Purusasukta of the

Rg-Veda. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to the Pancaratra sacrifices

performed by the primeval Narayana, the idea of Nara and Narayana

(Primordial man and the deity Visnu) being an integral part of

ancient Indian thought"

 

The entire book can be found here:

 

http://www.uni-giessen.de/~gk1415/

>From the above, I have a few questions:

 

1.) Does any one have more information about the Besnagar Column?

2.) What is the approximate provenance of the Pancharata Agamas which

we know today? Are they pourusheya or apourusheya?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Regards,

 

Malolan Cadambi

 

[ The Besnagar column is regarded as great proof not only of

the antiquity of the Vaishnava / Bhagavata faith, but also

of its catholicity. Heliodorus was the Greek ambassador of

Megasthenes to India. The pillar he erected is considered

holy by the locals in Besnagar (see Sri Tirumanjanam Kannan's

article on this matter:

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/jan98/0119.html )

 

In this regard the following site is also interesting:

http://www.gosai.com/chaitanya/saranagati/html/vedic-upanisads/vedic-archeology.\

html (pardon me if the URL wraps around).

Those interested in the antiquity of the Bhagavata tradition

may also wish to see http://www.ibiblio.org/radha/p_a045.htm

which refers to Panini and his usage of the names Vasudeva and

Arjuna.

 

The Pancaratra are considered paurusheya because they are

authored by Paramatman Narayana himself. For the same reason,

they are considered wholly authoritative by the tradition.

Please see http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/mar2000/0055.html

for some elaboration of this point. -- Moderator ]