▁propos es ▁that ▁the ▁image ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁is ▁a ▁vi rag al ▁( h ero ▁stone ), ▁which ▁was ▁later ▁identified ▁with ▁V ish nu ▁in ▁his ▁form ▁as ▁Kr ish na , ▁and ▁that ▁P und al ik ▁transformed ▁the ▁Pur an ic , ▁rit ual istic ▁pu ja ▁worship ▁into ▁more ▁ideal ised ▁b h ak ti ▁worship — " inter ior ized ▁ad oration ▁pres c inding ▁cas te ▁distinction ▁and ▁institution al ▁priest hood ▁.. " ▁Ind ologist ▁Dr . ▁T il ak ▁suggests ▁that ▁V ith oba ▁emer ged ▁as ▁" an ▁alternative ▁to ▁the ▁existing ▁p ant he on " ▁of ▁bra h min ical ▁de ities ▁( related ▁to ▁classical , ▁rit ual istic ▁H indu ism ). ▁The ▁emer gence ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁was ▁concurrent ▁with ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁a ▁" new ▁type ▁of ▁lay ▁dev ote e ", ▁the ▁V ark ari . ▁While ▁V ish nu ▁and ▁Sh iva ▁were ▁bound ▁in ▁rig id ▁rit ual istic ▁worship ▁and ▁Bra h min ▁( p ri est ly ) ▁control , ▁V ith oba , ▁" the ▁God ▁of ▁the ▁sub altern , ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁human ." ▁V ith oba ▁is ▁often ▁pra ised ▁as ▁the ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁the ▁poor ▁and ▁need y . ▁Stevens on ▁( 1 8 4 3 ) ▁suggests ▁that ▁V ith oba ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁J ain ▁saint , ▁as ▁the ▁V ith oba ▁images ▁were ▁similar ▁to ▁J ain ▁images . ▁