Vrishni heroes
The Vrishni heroes (IAST: Vṛṣṇi Viras), also referred to as Pancha-viras (IAST: Pañca vīras, "Five heroes"), are a group of five legendary, deified heroes who are found in the literature and archaeological sites of ancient India. Their earliest worship is attestable in the clan of the Vrishnis near Mathura by 4th-century BCE. Legends are associated with these deified heroes, some of which may be based on real, historical heroes of the Vrishni clan. Their early worship has been variously described as cross-sectarian, much like the cult of the Yakshas, related to the early Bhagavata tradition of Hinduism, and with possible links to Jainism as well. They and their legends – particularly of Krishna and Balarama – have been an important part of the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism.

The Vrishnis were already known in the late Vedic literature. They are also mentioned by Pāṇini in "Astadhyayi" verse 6.2.34, while Krishna is referred to as Krishna "Varshneya" ("the Vrishni") in verse 3.187.51 of the "Mahabharata". Beyond texts, their importance in ancient India is attested by the ancient inscriptions found near Mathura and coins discovered in the ruins of Ai-Khanoum (Afghanistan), bearing images of the two main Vrishni heroes, with Greek and Brahmi legends.

The cult of the Vrishni heroes existed as an independent cult in Mathura, as suggested by the Mora Well Inscription, and was then amalgamated very progressively into Vaishnavism. The deification of the Vrhisni heroes centered around the cult of Vasudeva-Krishna, known as Bhagavatism. Epigraphical evidence suggests that their legends and worship swiftly expanded to other parts of India by the start of the common era. The Vrishni heroes are generally identified as Samkarshana (Balarama-Samkarshana, son of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi and Devaki), Vāsudeva (Vāsudeva-Krishna, another son of Vasudeva Anakadundubhi and Devaki), Pradyumna (son of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Rukmini), Samba (son of Vāsudeva-Krishna and Jambavati), and Aniruddha (son of Pradyumna).

Probably as late as the 1st century CE, the cult of the Vrishni heroes ("Vīravāda") retained more importance than the Vyuha doctrine ("Vyūhavāda"), the subsequent cult of emanations that evolved from the Vrishni hero cult. Still later, it evolved into the "Avatāravāda" system of incarnations of Vishnu. Overall, according to Doris Srinivasan, "the absorption of the Vrishni hero into the Vaishnava worship is very gradual. The amalgamation process was preceded and concurrent with a cult of several Vrishni heroes".

The Vrishni heroes also have distinct individual qualities: Vāsudeva is also associated with gentleness and strength, Samkarsana with knowledge, Pradyumna with female power, and Aniruddha with ferociousness and sovereignty.
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