br ick '; ▁and ▁th al , ▁which ▁may ▁have ▁origin ated ▁from ▁the ▁S ansk rit ▁st h ala , ▁meaning ▁' standing '. ▁Thus , ▁Vit th ala ▁would ▁mean ▁' one ▁standing ▁on ▁a ▁brick '. ▁William ▁Cro oke , ▁orient al ist , ▁supported ▁this ▁explanation . ▁The ▁pres cribed ▁icon ography ▁of ▁V ith oba ▁st ip ul ates ▁that ▁he ▁be ▁shown ▁standing ▁arms - ak im bo ▁upon ▁a ▁brick , ▁which ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁legend ▁of ▁the ▁dev ote e ▁P und al ik . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁V ark ari ▁poet - s aint ▁T uk aram ▁proposed ▁a ▁different ▁et ym ology — that ▁Vit th ala ▁is ▁composed ▁of ▁the ▁words ▁vit tha ▁( ign or ance ) ▁and ▁la ▁( one ▁who ▁accepts ), ▁thus ▁meaning ▁' one ▁who ▁accepts ▁innoc ent ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁de void ▁of ▁knowledge '. ▁Histor ian ▁Ram ak r ish na ▁G op al ▁B hand ark ar ▁offers ▁yet ▁another ▁possibility — that ▁Vit th u ▁() ▁is ▁a ▁K ann ada ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁V ish nu ▁adopted ▁in ▁Mar ath i . ▁The ▁suffix es ▁- la ▁and ▁- ba ▁( mean ing ▁' father ' ▁in ▁Mar ath i ) ▁were ▁app ended ▁for ▁rever ence , ▁producing ▁the ▁names ▁Vit th ala ▁and ▁V ith oba . ▁This ▁cor ruption ▁of ▁V ish nu ▁to ▁Vit th u ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁t endency