Krishna & Balram : The Earliest Representation




These coins seem to be the first known representations of Vedic deities on coins, and they display early Avatars of Vishnu: Balarama-Sankarshana with attributes consisting of the Gada mace and the plow, and Vasudeva-Krishna with the Vishnu attributes of the Shankha and the Sudarshana Chakra wheel.

Agathocles Dikaios (meaning: "The Just") was a Greco-Bactrian/ Indo-Greek king, who reigned between around 190 and 180 BC. He might have been a son of Demetrius and one of his sub-kings in charge of the Paropamisade between Bactria and Indus-Ganges plains. He seems to be a Buddhist. Very little is known about him, apart from his extensive coinage.

Agathocles issued an intriguing range of bilingual coinage, displaying what seem to be Buddhist as well as Hindu symbolism. Manufactured according to the Indian standard, using either Brahmi (ancient Indian script), Greek or Kharoshthi (ancient script used in Gandhar kingdom : present day Afghanistan & Pakistan), and displaying symbols of the various faiths in India,

The Hindu coins of Agathocles are few but spectacular. Six Indian-standard silver drachmas were discovered at Ai-Khanoum in 1970, which depict Hindu deities. These coins, discovered on 3 October 1970 hidden in a pilgrim’s water-vessel in a room of the administrative quarter of the Greco-Bactrian city of Ai-Khanoum, are key to the understanding of the evolution of Vaisnava imagery in India.

These coins from Ai-Khanoum are a precious indication of the forms taken by the Bhagavata cult and Vaishnavism in early India, and shows that this cult was already popular in the area of Gandhara around the 2nd century BCE.

The dancing girls on some of the coins of Agathocles and Pantaleon are also sometimes considered as representations of Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, but also a Goddess of abundance and fortune for Buddhists, or Subhadra, the sister of Krishna and Balarama. She is also seen in the Post-Mauryan coinage of Gandhara, on a Taxilan coin which is thought to have been minted by Demetrius I following his invasion.

Description of Deities on the Coins. 

The coinage of Agathocles (circa 180 BCE) incorporated the Brahmi script and several deities from India, which have been variously interpreted as Vishnu, Shiva, Vasudeva, Balarama or the Buddha.

1. Zeus holding Hecate and a scepter.

2. Divinity with a long coat (himation) with some volume on top of hair, partly folded arms. The attitude is similar to the Buddha of the Bimaran casket

3. Hindu god Balarama-Samkarshana with attributes

4. Hindu god Vasudeva-Krishna with attributes

5. Indian goddess Lakshmi.


    

Early representation of Balarama at the lower right of a Mauryan empire punch-marked coin, holding a mace and conch; 3rd BC.

(Presently at British Museum)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agathocles_of_Bactria



Subjects

Spirituality   Bhagvad Gita  Bhagwad Puran  Buddhism Krishna Guru

First & Earliest  Influence of Culture  Knowledge   History 

Past Glories   Unique India 

Chanakya  Video

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NatyaShastra & Bhava-Rasa Theory of Bharata

Image
                                                  Nav Ras / The Nine Melows or Moods INTRODUCTION NatyaShastra and the Bhava-Rasa Theory of Bharata Muni emphasizes that the success of a performance is measured by whether or not the audience has a specific experience called RASA. Rasa is the internal enjoyment which is relished by the audience which are nine in number. HISTORY OF NATYASHASTRA  The Natyaśāstra, is the oldest surviving Indian compendium on the knowledge of performing arts. It primarily deals with theatre, dance & musical performance. The text, which now contains 6000 slokas, is believed to have been written during the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE by Sage Bharata. The NatyaShastra itself is based upon the much older Gandharva Veda (appendix to Sama Veda) which contained 36000slokas. However, its most complete exposition in drama, songs and other performance arts is found in the works of the Kashmiri Shaivite philosopher Abhinavagupta (c. 1000 CE). OVERVIEW OF
Read more

SWASTIK Symbol Originated in the Harappan Period?

Image
SWASTIK symbol was found in Indus Valley.  It seems later it was adopted world over. The symbol of the true Swastika goes back over 11,000 years and is believed to have originated in the Harappan period and the culture of the Indus Valley Civilization. “We have found the most mature and geometrically ordered Swastika in the pre-Harappan times in the form of seals. We have also been able to trace the mention of the Swastika in the Vedas around the same time. These are scintillating findings that will help us announce that the Indian civilization is far more ancient than what is written in accepted history books, mostly by Europeans,” said Joy Sen, a faculty member at IIT-Kgp faculty and lead project. Indus Seal Subjects Spirituality     Bhagvad Gita    Bhagwad Puran    Buddhism   Krishna   Guru First & Earliest    Influence of Culture    Knowledge     History   Past Glories     Unique India   Chanakya    Video
Read more

Ancient Indian Hair-Styles

Image
  Ancient Indian hair-styles as seen through sculptures  & archaeology are presented here.   Ancient Indian Hair-Styles   Bhu Varaha Swami Temple, Chidambaram, tamil Nadu. Initially build by Medival Cholas An Unknown Sculpture.   A 12th  Century Sculpture, MP.     Bodhi Tree : Depicting different hair-do.     Yakshi under a flowering Asoka Tree. Shunga Period, 2nd-1st Century BC.     From Mohenjodaro. Indus Valley Civilization.     A 12th Century Sculpture.     Ajanta Fresco Showing Hair-do & Jewelry.     Yakshi Statue in the Bihar Museum.     Dancing Girl Mohinjodaro A Gandhar Sculpture.     A Kushan Sculpture.     Barhut Stupa - Maurya Period 3rd BCE   Bharhut  Sunga Period Sculpture Showing 'An Individual'. ___ XXX ___ For More:  Ancient-Indian-Life-Style. Subjects Spirituality     Bhagvad Gita    Bhagwad Puran    Buddhism   Krishna   Guru First & Earliest    Influence of Culture    Knowledge     History   Past Glories     Unique India   Chanakya    Video
Read more