According to the inscriptions, Pushyamitra Shunga was a devotee of which of the following Gods?

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Step 1: Inscriptions explicitly associate Pushyamitra Shunga with the cult of Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva). The primary epigraphic references use names and honorifics tied to Kṛṣṇa-Vāsudeva worship, identifying him in relation to that deity.

Step 2: Titles and formulaic phrases in the inscriptions function as markers of personal religious allegiance. When an inscription calls a ruler or donor a devotee of a named god, it is recording that ruler’s declared devotion; in Pushyamitra’s case the deity named is Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva), so the inscription records him as a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

Step 3: The content of the inscriptions includes references to ritual acts, donations, or dedications made in honor of Kṛṣṇa—actions that are standard epigraphic evidence of patronage and devotion. These recorded acts demonstrate active worship and support for the Kṛṣṇa cult.

Step 4: Linguistic indicators in the inscriptions—specific epithets such as “Vāsudeva” or related devotional terms—are unambiguous markers linking Pushyamitra to Kṛṣṇa worship. Epigraphists treat these terms as direct testimony of the devotee-deity relationship.

Step 5: Taken together, the direct naming of Kṛṣṇa, the recorded devotional acts, and the standard epigraphic practice of recording a patron’s declared deity lead to the clear conclusion that, according to the inscriptions, Pushyamitra Shunga was a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

FINAL_ANSWER: C

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