Vasudeva
Vasudeva (Sanskrit: वसुदेव, IAST: Vasudeva), also called Anakadundubhi (anakas and dundubhis both refer to drums, after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his birth), is the father of the Hindu deities Krishna (Vāsudeva, i.e. "son of Vasudeva"), Balarama, and Subhadra. He was a king of the Vrishnis, and a Yadava prince. The son of the Yadava king Shurasena, he was also the second cousin of Nanda, the foster-father of Krishna. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu.
| Vasudeva | |
|---|---|
Vasudeva carrying the newborn Krishna to Nanda's house in Gokula across the river Yamuna | |
| Devanagari | वसुदेव |
| Venerated in | Vaishnavism |
| Texts | Bhagavata Purana, Harivamsa, Vishnu Purana, Brahma Purana, Mahabharata |
| Personal information | |
| Spouse | Rohini, Devaki, and various other wives |
| Children | Balarama, Krishna, Subhadra, and various other children |
| Dynasty | Yaduvamsha-Chandravamsha |
The patronymic Vāsudeva (with a pronounced ā) is a popular name of Krishna, the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. "Vāsudeva" is a vṛddhi, a derivative of the short form "Vasudeva", a linguistic pragmatic in Sanskrit signifying "of, belonging to, descended from". "Vasudeva" as an object of worship in Hinduism usually refers to the son Vāsudeva (Krishna), rather than his father Vasudeva.