Member of the earliest recorded Hindu sect, representing the beginnings of theistic, devotional worship and modern Vaishnavism .
The Bhagavata sect originated in the Mathura region 0441; 3rd2nd century BC and spread through western, northern, and southern India. The faith centers on devotion to a personal god, variously called Vishnu , Krishna , Hari, or Narayana. The Bhagavadgita (1st2nd century AD) is the earliest exposition of the Bhagavata system, but its central scripture is the Bhagavata Purana . The sect was prominent within Vaishnavism until the 11th century, when bhakti (devotional worship) was revitalized by Ramanuja .