▁of ▁Ash ad ha , ▁and ▁P rab od h ini ▁Ek ad ashi ▁in ▁the ▁month ▁of ▁K art ik . ▁ ▁The ▁histor i ography ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁and ▁his ▁cult ▁is ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁continu ing ▁debate , ▁even ▁regarding ▁his ▁name . ▁Vari ous ▁Ind olog ists ▁have ▁proposed ▁a ▁pre history ▁for ▁V ith oba ▁worship ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁previously : ▁a ▁hero ▁stone , ▁a ▁past oral ▁de ity , ▁a ▁manifest ation ▁of ▁Sh iva , ▁a ▁J ain ▁saint , ▁or ▁even ▁all ▁of ▁these ▁at ▁various ▁times ▁for ▁various ▁dev ote es . ▁Though ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁both ▁his ▁cult ▁and ▁his ▁main ▁temple ▁are ▁like wise ▁deb ated , ▁there ▁is ▁clear ▁evidence ▁that ▁they ▁already ▁existed ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁and ▁other ▁names ▁▁ ▁V ith oba ▁( , ▁) ▁is ▁known ▁by ▁many ▁names , ▁including : ▁Vit th ala , ▁P and ur anga , ▁P and har in ath , ▁H ari ▁and ▁Nar ay an . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁theories ▁about ▁the ▁orig ins ▁and ▁mean ings ▁of ▁these ▁names . ▁V ark ari ▁tradition ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁name ▁Vit th ala ▁( also ▁sp elled ▁as ▁Vit th al , ▁V ith th al , ▁Vitt ala ▁and ▁V ith al ; ▁, ▁; ▁, ▁ ▁and ▁; ▁) ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁two ▁S ansk rit - Mar ath i ▁words : ▁, ▁which ▁means ▁'