▁below ), ▁is ▁a ▁major ▁character ▁in ▁the ▁leg ends ▁of ▁V ith oba . ▁He ▁is ▁commonly ▁perce ived ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁historical ▁figure , ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁establishment ▁and ▁propag ation ▁of ▁the ▁V ith oba - cent ric ▁V ark ari ▁sect . ▁Ram ak r ish na ▁G op al ▁B hand ark ar ▁cons iders ▁P und al ik ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁V ark ari ▁sect ▁and ▁the ▁one ▁who ▁prom ul g ated ▁the ▁sect ▁in ▁Mar ath a ▁country . ▁Stevens on ▁( 1 8 4 3 ) ▁goes ▁further , ▁suggesting ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁J ain ▁or ▁a ▁Buddh ist , ▁since ▁V ark ari ▁tradition ▁is ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁J ain ▁and ▁Buddh ist ▁mor als , ▁and ▁V ith oba ▁is ▁viewed ▁as ▁V ish nu ▁in ▁his ▁form ▁as ▁Bud d ha . ▁Fra zer , ▁Edwards ▁and ▁P . R . ▁B hand ark ar ▁( 1 9 2 2 ) ▁all ▁suggest ▁that ▁P und al ik ▁tried ▁to ▁un ify ▁Sh iva ▁and ▁V ish nu , ▁and ▁that ▁this ▁sect ▁origin ated ▁in ▁K arn ata ka . ▁R ana de ▁( 1 9 3 3 ) ▁thinks ▁that ▁P und al ik , ▁a ▁K ann ada ▁saint , ▁was ▁not ▁only ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁V ark ari ▁sect ▁but ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁great ▁dev ote e ▁or ▁first ▁high ▁priest ▁of ▁the ▁P and h arp ur ▁temple . ▁Up