Which of the following statement (s) is/are true in the context of Puranic Hinduism?

All of the above.

 The correct answer is Option 4 - All of the above.

Option 1- Vaishnavism was a form of Hinduism within which Vishnu was worshipped as the principal deity.
Option 2- Shaivism was a tradition within which Shiva was regarded as the chief god.
Option 3- In both Vaishnavism & Shaivism, the bond between the devotee & the god was visualised as one of love & devotion, or bhakti.
Option 4- All of the above.

The growth of Puranic Hinduism:

The notion of a saviour was not unique to Buddhism. We find similar ideas being developed in different ways within traditions that we now consider part of Hinduism. These included Vaishnavism (a form of Hinduism within which Vishnu was worshipped as the principal deity) and Shaivism (a tradition within which Shiva was regarded as the chief god), in which there was growing emphasis on the worship of a chosen deity. In such worship the bond between the devotee and the god was visualised as one of love and devotion, or bhakti. In the case of Vaishnavism, cults developed around the various avatars or incarnations of the deity. Ten avatars were recognised within the tradition. These were forms that the deity was believed to have assumed in order to save the world whenever it was threatened by disorder and destruction because of the dominance of evil forces. It is likely that different avatars were popular in different parts of the country. Recognising each of these local deities as a form of Vishnu was one way of creating a more unified religious tradition. Some of these forms were represented in sculptures, as were other deities.