Vāsudeva
Vāsudeva on a coin ofAgathocles of Bactria, circa 190–180 BCE.[1][2][3] This is "the earliest unambiguous image" of the deity.[4]
Weapon	Sudarshana Chakra Kaumodaki
Genealogy
Born	Mathura,Surasena (present-dayUttar Pradesh,India)[5]
Parents	Devaki (mother) Vasudeva Anakadundubhi (father)
Siblings	Saṃkarṣaṇa (brother) Subhadra (sister)
Consort	Rukmini
Children	Pradyumna,Samba

Vrishni heroes
Saṃkarṣaṇa Vāsudeva Pradyumna Samba Aniruddha
v t e

Vāsudeva (/ˌvɑːsuˈdeɪvə/;Sanskrit:वासुदेव[ʋɑːsudéːʋɐ]), later incorporated asVāsudeva-Krishna (Vāsudeva-Kṛṣṇa, "Krishna, son ofVasudeva"),^[6][7][8]Krishna-Vāsudeva or simplyKrishna, was the son ofVasudeva Anakadundubhi, king of theVrishnis in the region ofMathura.^[9] He was a leading member of the legendaryVrishni heroes, and may well have been a historical ruler in the region of Mathura.^{[9][10][11][12]}

Vāsudevism arose with the decline ofVedism in India, which occurred during the 8th to 6th century BCE.^[13] Vāsudeva then became the object of one of the earliest forms of personal deity worship in India, and is attested from around the 4th century BCE.^[14][15][16] At that time, Vāsudeva was already considered as a deity, as he appears inPāṇini's writings in conjunction withArjuna as an object of worship, since Pāṇini explains that avāsudevaka is a devotee (bhakta) of Vāsudeva.^[17][18]

By the end of the 2nd century BCE, Vāsudeva was considered asDevadeva, the "God of Gods", the Supreme Deity, whose emblem was the mythical birdGaruda, as known from theHeliodorus pillar inscription.^[19][20] This pillar, offered by the Greek ambassador and devoteeHeliodorus, also shows that Vāsudeva even received dedications from theIndo-Greeks, who also represented him on the coinage ofAgathocles of Bactria (190–180 BCE). TheHeliodorus pillar, joining earth, space and heaven, is thought to symbolize the "cosmic axis" and express the cosmic totality of the Deity.^[19] Next to the pillar, a large Temple of Vāsudeva was discovered, where he was celebrated together with his deified kinsmen, the Vrishni heroes.^[19]

The movement of Vāsudeva was one of the major independent religious movements alongside those ofNarayana,Shri andLakshmi, which later coalesced to formVaishnavism.^[1] After the movement of Vāsudeva had been established, the tribe of the Vrishnis fused with the tribe of theYadavas, who had their own hero-god namedKrishna.^[8] The early Krishna is known from theMahabharata, where he is described as the chief of the Yadavas kingdom ofDvārakā (modernDwarka inGujarat).^[8] The fused religious movement of Vāsudeva-Krishna became a major component of the amalgamated worship of Krishna, the 8th incarnation ofVishnu.^[10] According to theVaishnava doctrine of theavatars, Vishnu takes various forms to rescue the world, with Vāsudeva-Krishna understood as one of the most popular ones.^[21] This process lasted from the 4th century BCE when Vāsudeva was an independent deity, to the 4th century CE, when Vishnu became much more prominent as the central deity of an integrated Vaishnava movement, with Vāsudeva-Krishna regarded as one of his manifestations.^[21]

"Vāsudeva" is the first name to appear in the epigraphical record and in the earliest literary sources such as the writings ofPāṇini.^[6] It is unknown at what point of time precisely Vāsudeva came to be associated with "Krishna".^[7] The association between the names "Vāsudeva" and "Krishna" starts to appear with theMahabharata and theHarivamsa, both completed in the 3rd century CE, where "Vāsudeva" appears as the patronymic of Krishna, his father being calledVasudeva Anakadundubhi in these writings.^[6] "Vāsudeva-Krishna" refers to "Krishna, son ofVasudeva", "Vāsudeva" in the lengthened form being avṛddhi-derivative of the short form "Vasudeva" standing for Vasudeva Anakadundubhi, a type of formation very common in Sanskrit signifying "of, belonging to, descended from".^[22]

The object of the Vāsudeva worship was initially the warrior hero of theVrishni clan named Vāsudeva. Vāsudeva later became known asKrishna, who is "Vāsudeva" (i.e. "the son of Vasudeva", i.e.Vasudeva Anakadundubhi), a king of the Vrishni clan in the region ofMathura. Vāsudeva, historically is believed to be part of theVrishni or Satvata tribe, and according to them his followers called themselvesBhagavatas. This religion formed between the 4th century BC and the 2nd century BC (the time ofPatanjali), according to evidence inMegasthenes and in theArthashastra ofKautilya, whenVāsudeva was worshiped as supreme Deity in a stronglymonotheistic format, where the supreme Being was perfect, eternal and full of grace.^[24] In many sources outside of the cult, devotee orbhakta is defined asVāsudevaka.^[25]

The cult of Vāsudeva may have evolved from the worship of a historical figure belonging to theVrishni clan in the region ofMathura.^[1] He is known as a member of the five "Vrishni heroes".^[1]

It is thought that the hero deity Vāsudeva may have evolved into a Vaishnavite deity through a step-by-step process:
1. deification of theVrishni heroes, of whom Vāsudeva was the leader
2. association with the GodNarayana-Vishnu
3. incorporation into theVyuha concept of successive emanations of the God.^[26]

In literature, the Vrishni heroes and Vāsudeva are mentioned byPāṇini inAstadhyayi verse 6.2.34 around the 4th century BCE, while Krishna is referred to as Krishna Varshneya in verse 3.187.51 of theMahabharata.^[27] Epigraphically, the deified status of Vāsudeva is confirmed by his appearance on the coinage ofAgathocles of Bactria (190–180 BCE) and by the devotional character of theHeliodorus pillar inscription.^[28] Later, the association withNarayana (Vishnu) is confirmed by theHathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions of the 1st century BCE.^[28] It is generally thought that "by the beginning of the Christian era, the cult of Vāsudeva, Vishnu and Narayana amalgamated".^[29] By the 2nd century CE, the "avatara concept was in its infancy", and the depiction of the four emanations of Vishnu (theChatur-vyūha), consisting in the Vrishni heroes including Vāsudeva and minus Samba, starts to become visible in theart of Mathura at the end of theKushan period.^[30]

TheHarivamsa describes intricate relationships between Krishna Vāsudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha that would later form aVaishnava concept of primary quadrupled expansion, orchatur vyuha.^[31]

Vāsudeva is also associated with the qualities of gentleness and strength.^[32]

The tradition of Vāsudeva-Krishna is considered as separate from other ancient traditions such as that ofGopala-Krishna, with which it amalgamated at a later stage of the historical development.^[10] Some early scholars equate it withBhagavatism.^[33] The cult of Krishna Vāsudeva ultimately merged with various traditions such asBhagavatism, the cult of Gopala-Krishna or the cult ofBala-Krishna, to form the basis of the current tradition of monotheistic religion ofKrishna:

"Present day Krishna worship is an amalgam of various elements. According to historical testimonies Krishna-Vāsudeva worship already flourished in and around Mathura several centuries before Christ. A second important element is the cult of Krishna Govinda. Still later is the worship of Bala-Krishna, the Divine Child Krishna - a quite prominent feature of modern Krishnaism. The last element seems to have been Krishna Gopijanavallabha, Krishna the lover of the Gopis, among whomRadha occupies a special position. In some books Krishna is presented as the founder and first teacher of the Bhagavata religion."

Arrian in his workIndica, quotes the earlier work of thesame name byMegasthenes which claims thatHerakles, son ofZeus had come to India and was honoured by the locals as an 'indigenous' Indian deity. This reference is understood to be to Vāsudeva.^[36]

But Heracles, whom tradition states to have arrived as far as India, was called by the Indians themselves 'Indigenous.' This Heracles was chiefly honoured by the Surasenians, an Indian tribe, among whom are two great cities, Methora and Cleisobora, and the navigable river Iobares flows through their territory.

However Arrian himself does not consider the stories about Herakles credible, stating:

If anyone believes this, at least it must be some other Heracles, not he of Thebes, but either of Tyre or of Egypt, or some great king of the higher inhabited country near India.

It has been proposed that Megasthenes misheard the words "Hari-Krishna" as "Herakles".^[36] According toUpinder Singh, "Vāsudeva-Krishna was the Indian God bearing the closest resemblance to the Greek God Herakles".^[1]

Temple of Vāsudeva

Initial excavations

Elliptic plan of the Temple

Excavation of the huge Temple of Vāsudeva next to theHeliodorus pillar, dated to the 2nd century BCE,Vidisha.^[19] The Temple measured 30x30 meters, and the walls were 2.4 meters thick.^[38] An earlier and smaller elliptic temple structure underneath probably dates to the end of the 3rd century BCE.^[39]

The cult of Vāsudeva soon extended well beyond the area of Mathura, as shown by theHeliodorus pillar, established by anIndo-Greek ambassador to the court of an Indian king inVidisha, in the name of Vāsudeva.^[1]

In the Heliodorus pillar, Vāsudeva is described asDeva deva, the "God of Gods", the Supreme Deity.^[40] According toHarry Falk, making dedications to foreign gods was a logical practice for the Greeks, in order to appropriate their power: "Venerating Vāsudeva, as did Heliodor in the time of Antialkidas, should not be regarded as a "conversion" to Hinduism, but rather as the result of a search for the most helpful local powers, upholding own traditions in a foreign garb."^[41]

A large temple, probably dedicated to Vāsudeva or theVrishni heroes, was also discovered next to the Heliodorus pillar at Vidisha.^[19][42] The Temple measured 30x30 meters, and the walls were 2.4 meters thick. Pottery finds confirmed that the Temple dated to the 2nd century BCE.^[43] An earlier and smaller elliptic temple structure underneath probably dates to the end of the 3rd century BCE.^[44]

The Naneghat inscription, dated to the 1st century BCE, mentions bothSamkarshana and Vāsudeva, along with the Vedic deities ofIndra,Chandra, and the fourLokapala guardiansYama,Varuna andKubera andVāsava.^[45] This provided the link betweenVedic tradition and theVaishnava tradition.^[46][47][48] Given it is inscribed in stone and dated to 1st-century BCE, it also linked the religious thought in the post-Vedic centuries in late 1st millennium BCE with those found in the unreliable highly variant texts such as thePuranas dated to later half of the 1st millennium CE. The inscription is a reliable historical record, providing a name andfloruit to theSatavahana dynasty.^[45][47][49]

The first dedicatory sentence in the inscription mentions:

Praise (Sidham) toDharma, adoration toIndra, adoration to Samkarshana and Vāsudeva the descendants of the Moon ("Chandra") endowed with majesty, and to the four guardians of the world ("Lokapalas"), Yama, Varuna, Kubera andVasava; praise to Vedisri, the best of royal princes ("kumara")!

Vāsudeva andSamkarshana are also mentioned in the 1st century BCEHathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions:^[1]

(This) enclosing wall round the stone (object) of worship, called Narayana-vatika (Compound) for the divinities Samkarshana-Vāsudeva who are unconquered and are lords of all (has been caused to be made) by (the king) Sarvatata, a Gajayana and son of (a lady) of the Parasaragotra, who is a devotee of Bhagavat (Vishnu) and has performed an Asvamedha sacrifice.

– Ghosundi Hathibada Inscriptions, 1st-century BCE^[51]

AtChilas II archeological site dated to the first half of 1st-century CE in northwestPakistan, near the Afghanistan border, are engraved two males along with many Buddhist images nearby. The larger of the two males holds a plough and club in his two hands. The artwork also has an inscription with it in Kharosthi script, which has been deciphered by scholars asRama-Krsna, and interpreted as an ancient depiction of the two brothers Balarama and Krishna.^[52][53]

TheVasu Doorjamb Inscription is a significant early Sanskrit inscription from Mathura. The mention ofSodasa's time who, states Salomon, is "dated with reasonable certainty to the early early years of the first century AD".^[55] Its mention of Vasu, temple, Vedika and a torana (gateway) is significant as it confirms that the large temple building tradition was in vogue in the Mathura region by at least the start of the common era. Further, it also attests to the popularity of the Vāsudeva tradition in this period.^[56][57] The Vasu Doorjamb inscription of Sodasa inUttar Pradesh viewed with other epigraphical evidence such as the BesnagarHeliodorus pillar inMadhya Pradesh, theHathibada Ghosundi Inscriptions inRajasthan, and theNaneghat inscriptions inMaharashtra suggest that the cult of Vāsudeva had spread over a wide region by the 1st-century BCE to the start of common era.^[57][58]

According to Quintanilla, the Vasu Doorjamb and the inscription is "one of the most important and most beautiful objects" from the time of Sodasa, likely from a "temple to Vāsudeva".^[59] The carvings on the doorjamb are three woven compositions. It has a leafy vine that runs along the length of the red sandstone jamb. Along the stem of the vine are curling leaves and blossoms, that wrap along as those found in nature, a rosette added in where the intertwining vines meet.^[60][61] The wider band has lotus rhizome carved in, with subtle naturalistic variations, wherein the lotus flowers are shown in all their stages of bloom, states Quintanilla.^[60]

Vāsudeva in theCaturvyūha

The "Four emanations"

Detail of Vāsudeva

TheCaturvyūha ("Four emanations"): Vāsudeva and other members of theVrishni clan.^[11] Vāsudeva (avatar ofVishnu) is four-armed and is fittingly in the center with his heavy decorated mace on the side and holding a conch, his elder brotherBalarama to his right under a serpent hood, his sonPradyumna to his left (lost), and his grandsonAniruddha on top.^[11] 2nd century CE,Mathura Museum.

Some sculptures during this period suggest that the concept of theavatars was starting to emerge, as images of"Chatur-vyūha" (the four emanations ofVishnu) are appearing.^[30] The famous "Caturvyūha Viṣṇu" statue in Mathura Museum is an attempt to show in one composition Vāsudeva (avatar ofVishnu) together with the other members of theVrishni clan of thePancharatra system:Samkarsana,Pradyumna andAniruddha, withSamba missing, Vāsudeva being the central deity from whom the others emanate.^[11] The back of the relief is carved with the branches of aKadamba tree, symbolically showing the relationship being the different deities.^[11] The depiction of Vishnu was stylistically derived from the type of the ornate Bodhisattvas, with rich jewelry and ornate headdress.^[62]

TwoKushan Empire emperors were named after Vāsudeva:Vāsudeva I (191–232 CE) andVāsudeva II (275–300 CE).^[63]

Vāsudeva appears prominently in a relief from Kondamotu,Guntur district inAndhra Pradesh, dating to the 4th century CE, which shows theVrishni heroes standing in genealogical order aroundNarasimha.^[64][65] Vāsudeva follows Saṃkarṣaṇa, being second from the left in the place of seniority, with a hand inabhaya mudra and the other hand on the hip holding a conch shell.^[64] Vāsudeva also has a crown, which distinguishes him from the others.^[66] Then followPradyumna, holding a bow and an arrow,Samba, holding a wine goblet, andAniruddha, holding a sword and a shield.^[64] The fact that they stand around Narasimha suggests a fusion of the Satvata cult with the Vrishni cult at this point.^[64]

Vāsudeva in the Kondamotu relief (4th century CE)

Vāsudeva

Kondamotu Vrishni heroes relief, 4th century CE,Hyderabad State Museum. Vāsudeva is second from the left.^[64][65]

Various early statues showing a deity with the attributes of Vāsudeva have long been attributed to Vishnu.^[67] But it is now thought that statues dedicated to the worship ofVishnu only started to appear from the 4th century CE during the Gupta Empire period, derived from, and using the attributes of Vāsudeva, but adding anaureole starting at the shoulders: theVishnu Caturbhuja ("Four-Armed Vishnu") statues.^[67] The statues before the 4th century CE have been reattributed to Vāsudeva, a period during which Vāsudeva seems to have been much more important than Vishnu.^[67]

Other statues of Vishnu show him as three-headed (with an implied fourth head in the back), theVisnu Vaikuntha Chaturmurti orChaturvyuha ("Four-Emanations") type, where Vishnu has a human head, flanked by the muzzle of a boar (his avatarVaraha) and the head of a lion (his avatarNarasimha), two of his most important and ancient avatars, laid out upon his aureole.^[67] Recent scholarship considers that these "Vishnu" statues still show the emanation Vāsudeva Krishna as the central human-shaped deity, rather than the Supreme God Vishnu himself.^[68][67]

Over centuries, the cult of Vāsudeva transformed intoVaishnavism.^[69] Overall, "Vaishnavite Hinduism is believed to have originated in the 4th century BC in the cult of Vāsudeva-Krishna, which was then grafted in the 2nd century AD onto the cult ofNarayana. By the 4th century, Vishnu's prominence increased considerably. He was now regarded as a member of theTrimurti, the cosmic triad of Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva".^[21]

From the 4–5th century, Vāsudeva-Krsna is identified with Vishnu and Narayana, and fuses withGopala-Krishna:^[70]

In the Kavyas ofKalidasa we find not only Vāsudeva-Krsna identified with Vishnu and Narayana, but Krsna is also called Gopala-Krsna. He has obtained the Kaustubha jewel from the serpent Kaliya of the Jamuna, "wears the peacock feathers resembling the cloud adorned with rainbow", and his wife isRukmini and his brother Balarama.

• 
  Vāsudeva with four attributes and without an aureole, terracotta^[67]
• 
  TheVishnu Nicolo Seal, 4th century CE, Gandhara, may depict Vāsudeva holding thegada club, thechakra discus, the wheel and thelotus, rather thanVishnu.^{[note 1]}
• 
  A statue of VishnuCaturanana ("Four-Armed"), using the attributes of Vāsudeva, with the addition of anaureole around the head (5th century CE)^[67]
• 
  Four-faced four-armed VishnuVaikuntha Chaturmurti, still showing Vāsudeva Krishna as the central human figure, 4th–5th century, Mathura^[68][67]
• 
  Four-armed SeatedVishnu (with the aureole) in meditation, Medieval Period

TheDashavatara Temple in Deogarh is closely related to the iconic architectural temple structure described in theViṣṇudharmottara purāṇa, and can be interpreted as an architectural representation of theCaturvyuha concept and thePancaratra doctrine, centering on the depictions of the four main emanations ofVishnu: Vāsudeva,Samkarshana,Pradyumna andAniruddha.^[72] According to Lubotsky, it is likely that the entrance is dedicated to the Vāsudeva aspect of Vishnu; the Anantashayana side is his role as the creator (Aniruddha); the sage form of Nara-Narayana side symbolizes his preservation and maintainer role in cosmic existence (Pradyumna); and the Gajendramoksha side represents his role as the destroyer (Samkarsana).^[72]

To this day, a group of religious mendicants known asVasudevs are people believed to be incarnation of Krishna.^{[citation needed]}

"The Vasudevs, the village mendicants, also live on the alms they get from the villagers. The religious cult from which this art form originated was that of Vasudev-Krishna which was in existence in the fourth century B.C. It gained popularity only after the first century B.C., and in subsequent centuries it was absorbed into the wider religious framework of Vaisnavism"

A popular short prayer for worshipping Vāsudeva isDvadasakshari ("the twelve-syllable mantra"), consisting in the recitation of the phrase"Om Namo Bhagavate Vāsudevāya" (listen^ⓘ) (indevanagari: ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय), which is one of the most popularHindumantras, and one of the most important mantras inVaishnavism. It means "Om, I bow to Lord Vāsudeva", who is variously understood asKrishna orVishnu.^[74][75]

• Radha Krishna
• Para Vasudeva
• Krishna in the Mahābhārata
• Bhagavad Gita
• Bhagavata Purana
• Historicity of the Mahabharata

Part ofa series on
Vaishnavism
Supreme deity Vishnu /Krishna /Rama
Important deities Dashavatara Matsya Kurma Varaha Narasimha Vamana Parasurama Rama Balarama Krishna Buddha Kalki Other forms Dhanvantari Guruvayurappan Hayagriva Jagannath Mohini Nara-Narayana Prithu Shrinathji Venkateshvara Vithoba Consorts Lakshmi Bhumi Sita Radha Rukmini Satyabhama Alamelu Related Garuda Hanuman Shesha Shasta
Holy scriptures Vedas Upanishads Vaikhanasa Pancharatra Bhagavad Gita Mahabharata Ramayana Harivamsa Divya Prabandha Gita Govinda Puranas Vishnu Bhagavata Naradiya Garuda Padma Agni
Sampradayas Sri (Vishishtadvaita,Akshar Purushottam Darshan) Rudra (Śuddhādvaita) Kumara (Dvaitadvaita) Brahma (Tattvavada or (Dvaita)),Acintyabhedabheda) Others Ekasarana Dharma Mahanubhava Pranami Radha Vallabha Ramsnehi Sant Mat Vaishnava-Sahajiya Warkari
Teachers—acharyas Chaitanya Chakradhara Dadu Dayal Harivansh Jayatirtha Jiva Goswami Jñāneśvara Kabir Madhavdev Madhvacharya Manavala Mamunigal Namadeva Nammalvar Nathamuni Nimbarka Srinivasacharya Padmanabha Tirtha Pillai Lokacharya Purandara Dasa Raghuttama Tirtha Raghavendra Tirtha Ram Charan Ramananda Ramanuja Ravidas Satyanatha Tirtha Satyabhinava Tirtha Satyabodha Tirtha Satyadharma Tirtha Satyadhyana Tirtha Samarth Ramdas Sankardev Swaminarayan Sripadaraja Tukaram Tulsidas Vallabha Vedanta Desika Vidyapati Vishnuswami Viṭṭhalanātha Vyasatirtha Vadiraja Tirtha Yamunacharya Sri Kantha Krishnamacharyulu Annamacharya Bhadrachala Ramadasu
Related traditions Bhagavatism Vaikhanasas Pancharatra Tenkalai Vadakalai Munitraya Krishnaism Jagannathism Haridasa Sahajiya Baul Pushtimarg Gaudiya ISKCON Ramanandi Kapadi Balmiki Kabir panth Dadu panth Mahanam
v t e

v t e Pāñcarātra system[76][77][78]
	Vyūhas	Image	Attributes	Symbol[79][80]		Direction	Face		Concept
Narayana Vishnu	Vāsudeva		Chakra Wheel Gadā Mace Shankha Conch	Garuda Eagle		East	Saumya (Placid/ benevolent)		Jṅāna Knowledge
	Samkarsana		LāṅgalaPlough MusalaPestle Wine glass	Tala Fan palm		South	Simha Lion		Bala Strength
	Pradyumna		Cāpa Bow Bāṇa Arrow	Makara Crocodile		West	Raudra Kapila		Aiśvaryā Sovereignty
	Aniruddha		Carma Shield Khaḍga Sword	Ṛṣya (ऋष्य) White-footed antelope		North	Varaha Boar		Śakti Power

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• Hein, Norvin. "A Revolution inKṛṣṇaism: The Cult of Gopāla: History of Religions, Vol. 25, No. 4 (May, 1986), pp. 296-317".JSTOR 1062622.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
• SINGER, Milton (1900).Krishna Myths Rites & Attitudes. UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.ISBN 0-313-22822-1.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• Delmonico, N. (2004)."The History Of Indic Monotheism And Modern Chaitanya Vaishnavism".The Hare Krishna Movement: The Postcharismatic Fate of a Religious Transplant. Columbia University Press.ISBN 978-0-231-12256-6. Retrieved12 April 2008.
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• COUTURE, André:The emergence of a group of four characters (Vasudeva, Samkarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha) in the Harivamsa: points for consideration. Journal of Indian Philosophy 34,6 (2006) 571–585.
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• Michael Willis (2000).Buddhist Reliquaries from Ancient India. British Museum Press.ISBN 978-0-7141-1492-7.

• Forms of Krishna

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