2026-09-21 Mon

As Ganesh Utsav continues, the elephant once again offers a fascinating doorway into India’s ancient cultural and numismatic heritage. Revered in the form of Lord Ganesha and celebrated as a symbol of strength, wisdom and auspiciousness, the elephant has appeared in many religious and artistic traditions. An extraordinary example is found on the silver coinage of the Vrishnis, where an elephant’s head forms part of a remarkable composite standard alongside a lion and a Nandipada.

The Vrishnis, one of the ancient clans associated with the Yadava tradition, are particularly significant in Indian history and mythology because of their close association with Krishna. Paṇini refers to the Vrishnis along with the Andhakas, while Kautilya’s Arthashastra describes them as a sangha, indicating a form of collective political organisation. The Mahabharata also refers to the Vrishnis and Andhakas.

The present silver drachm, attributed to the Republic of the Vrishni Peoples and dated approximately 10–40 AD, weighs 2.15 g. A specimen of this type is recorded in the British Museum's historical collections.

On the obverse is an exceptionally unusual standard enclosed within an ornamental railing. Its upper portion is crowned by a Nandipada finial, while beneath it appears the head and forepart of a leaping lion combined with an elephant's head. Below the standard is the Brahmi legend, reading anticlockwise outwards, (Vṛ)ṣṇi Rajana Ganasya Tratarasya (वृ)ष्णी राजञ गणस्य त्रतरस्य

The reverse carries an ornate 14-spoked wheel with a scalloped outer rim, accompanied by a Kharoshthi legend, Vṛṣṇi Rajana Ganasa (Trata...)

The simultaneous use of Brahmi and Kharoshthi is particularly noteworthy. The wheel, Nandipada, elephant and lion can evoke a range of religious and cultural associations. The wheel may readily recall the Dharma Chakra, while the Nandipada is an ancient religious symbol whose interpretation varies according to context.

It is precisely this intersection of history, literature, religion and political organisation that makes the Vrishni drachm so important. It is not merely a rare piece of silver currency: its bilingual inscriptions, unusual composite standard and wheel symbol provide evidence for the identity and self-representation of a community that is otherwise known largely through ancient textual traditions.