— " V edic ▁or ▁pre - V edic ", ▁hence ▁pre - dating ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁Kr ish na . ▁According ▁to ▁this ▁theory , ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁Y ad ava ▁dynast y , ▁which ▁had ▁cow h erd ▁ancest ry , ▁could ▁have ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁gl or ification ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁as ▁Kr ish na , ▁who ▁is ▁often ▁dep icted ▁as ▁a ▁cow h erd . ▁This ▁Va ish nav ization ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁also ▁led ▁to ▁conversion ▁of ▁the ▁Sh a iva ▁P und ar ika ▁shr ine ▁to ▁the ▁Va ish n ava ▁shr ine ▁of ▁the ▁dev ote e ▁P und al ik , ▁who — acc ording ▁to ▁legend — br ought ▁V ith oba ▁to ▁P and h arp ur . ▁There ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁assim il ate ▁V ith oba ▁into ▁Buddh ism ; ▁today , ▁both ▁are ▁viewed ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁V ish nu ▁in ▁H indu ism . ▁ ▁V ith oba ▁is ▁associated ▁more ▁with ▁" comp ass ion , ▁an ▁infinite ▁love ▁and ▁tend ern ess ▁for ▁his ▁b h akt as ▁( dev ote es ) ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁compared ▁to ▁the ▁love ▁of ▁the ▁mother ▁for ▁her ▁children ▁p ining ▁for ▁the ▁presence ▁of ▁his ▁dev ote es ▁the ▁way ▁a ▁cow ▁p ines ▁for ▁her ▁far - away ▁cal f ." ▁ ▁G . ▁A . ▁De le ury , ▁author ▁of ▁The ▁cult ▁of ▁V ith oba ,