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For the Kushan king, see Vasudeva I
Vasudeva I

Vasudeva I was a Kushan/Bactrian emperor, last of the "Great Kushans." Named inscriptions dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka's era suggest his reign extended from at least 191 to 225 CE....
. For the book by Narendra Kohli, see Vasudeva (book). Not to be confused with , a name of Krishna.

by Vasudeva just after his birth on Janmashtami]] In Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas....
, Vasudeva (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
 , IAST
IAST

The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a popular transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Brahmic family....
 ) is the father of Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
, the son of , of the Yadava dynasty. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu
Pandu

In the Mahabharata epic, Pandu is the son of Vichitravirya and his second wife, Ambalika from Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas....
. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap. The patronymic (with long a
Vrddhi

Vrddhi is a Sanskrit word meaning "growth" . In Panini 's grammar, it is also a technical term for a group of long vowels. In Indo-European studies, it has become a term for the lengthened grade of the Indo-European ablaut vowel gradation peculiar to the Indo-European languages....
) is a popular name of Krishna.

Related to this name is an early religion, sometimes called Bhagavatism that was largely formed by the 4th century BC where Vasudeva was worshiped as the supreme Deity in a strongly monotheistic format, where the supreme Being was perfect, eternal and full of grace.

The name forms part of a famous Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
 mantra
Mantra

A mantra can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation. Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra....
 also known as a "twelve syllable mantra", which believed to be the earliest mantra from pre-reformation times, pre-dating sectarian divisions in Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
- (IAST
IAST

The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a popular transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Brahmic family....
 ), it is translated as "Om, reverence to the adorable son of Vasudeva".

Vasudeva married Devaki
Devaki

In Hinduism, Devaki is the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna and Balarama.She was the daughter of Devaka, the younger brother of King Ugrasena of Mathura....
, the cousin of Kamsa
Kamsa

In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa , often known as Kans in Hindi, is the cousin of Devaki, and ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura....
, and he was also the father of Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
s sister Subhadra
Subhadra

Subhadra is an important character in the Mahabharata. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu. She was the partial incarnation of Shatarupa....
.






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For the Kushan king, see Vasudeva I
Vasudeva I

Vasudeva I was a Kushan/Bactrian emperor, last of the "Great Kushans." Named inscriptions dating from year 64 to 98 of Kanishka's era suggest his reign extended from at least 191 to 225 CE....
. For the book by Narendra Kohli, see Vasudeva (book). Not to be confused with , a name of Krishna.

by Vasudeva just after his birth on Janmashtami]] In Hindu mythology
Hindu mythology

Hindu mythology is the large body of traditional narratives related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and the Puranas....
, Vasudeva (Devanagari
Devanagari

, or 'Nagari', is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal. It is written from left to right, lacks distinct letter cases, and is recognizable by a distinctive horizontal line running along the tops of the letters that links them together....
 , IAST
IAST

The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a popular transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Brahmic family....
 ) is the father of Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
, the son of , of the Yadava dynasty. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu
Pandu

In the Mahabharata epic, Pandu is the son of Vichitravirya and his second wife, Ambalika from Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas....
. He was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyap. The patronymic (with long a
Vrddhi

Vrddhi is a Sanskrit word meaning "growth" . In Panini 's grammar, it is also a technical term for a group of long vowels. In Indo-European studies, it has become a term for the lengthened grade of the Indo-European ablaut vowel gradation peculiar to the Indo-European languages....
) is a popular name of Krishna.

Related to this name is an early religion, sometimes called Bhagavatism that was largely formed by the 4th century BC where Vasudeva was worshiped as the supreme Deity in a strongly monotheistic format, where the supreme Being was perfect, eternal and full of grace.

The name forms part of a famous Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
 mantra
Mantra

A mantra can be defined as a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that are considered capable of creating transformation. Their use and type varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra....
 also known as a "twelve syllable mantra", which believed to be the earliest mantra from pre-reformation times, pre-dating sectarian divisions in Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism

Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or his associated avatars, principally as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
- (IAST
IAST

The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration is a popular transliteration scheme that allows a lossless romanization of Brahmic family....
 ), it is translated as "Om, reverence to the adorable son of Vasudeva".

Vasudeva married Devaki
Devaki

In Hinduism, Devaki is the wife of Vasudeva and mother of Krishna and Balarama.She was the daughter of Devaka, the younger brother of King Ugrasena of Mathura....
, the cousin of Kamsa
Kamsa

In Hinduism, Kamsa or Kansa , often known as Kans in Hindi, is the cousin of Devaki, and ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura....
, and he was also the father of Krishna
Krishna

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. While many Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of Vishnu, other traditions within Krishnaism consider Krishna to be svayam bhagavan, or the supreme being....
s sister Subhadra
Subhadra

Subhadra is an important character in the Mahabharata. She is the half-sister of Krishna, wife of Arjuna, and mother of Abhimanyu. She was the partial incarnation of Shatarupa....
. He also took a second wife, Rohini
Rohini

Rohini may refer to:* Rohini , a lunar mansion in Indian astronomy corresponding to Aldebaran* Rohini Devi, in Hindu mythology a consort of Vasudeva and mother of Balarama and Subhadra...
, who bore his eldest son, Balarama
Balarama

Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism....
. According to some accounts he also had several other children by other wives.

Vasudeva and Devaki spent most of their early adult life behind bars in the deepest pits of darkness as ordered by Kamsa. Vasudeva was known for his consistent approach to life and his virtue of being a truthful person, never uttering a lie during his lifetime. After Kamsa was killed by Krishna, Vasudeva was installed as the Crown-Prince of Mathura
Mathura

Mathura is a holy city in the Indian States and territories of India of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi; about twenty kilometers from holy Vrindavana....
 under the reign of Devaki's uncle, King Ugrasena
Ugrasena

Ugrasena was the King of Mathura, a kingdom that was established after the various factions of Yadava, Vrishni and Bhoja clans decided that the dividing states would unite as one and that the Kingship would not be subject to heredity and if decided not to be so, the succeeding leader would be chosen by a simple majority, therefore, a semi-de...
.

The name is from vásu "good" and deva "deity". The Vasus are a group of eight Vedic deities.

See also

  • Heliodorus pillar
    Heliodorus pillar

    The Heliodorus pillar is a stone column that was erected around 110 BCE in central India in Vidisha near modern Besnagar, by Heliodorus , a Greek ambassador of the Indo-Greek king Antialcidas to the court of the Sunga king Bhagabhadra....


Further reading

RG Bhandarkar: "Vasudeva of Panini" 4.3.98. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society (1910),