# Krishna's family in Mathura *Krishna's appearance in the prison of Kamsa and His childhood in Vrindavana involve a network of family relationships that are both material and transcendental. Understanding these connections illuminates the pastimes and shows how the Lord reciprocates with His devotees in various family roles.* ## The Parents ### Devaki and Vasudeva: Birth Parents **Devaki** and **Vasudeva** were Krishna's birth parents in Mathura. They were imprisoned by the tyrant Kamsa (Devaki's brother) because of a prophecy that her eighth son would kill him: ![[sb/10/1/56]] ![[sb/10/3/47]] ### Nanda and Yashoda: Foster Parents Immediately after birth, Vasudeva carried Krishna to Vrindavana and exchanged Him with the newborn daughter of **Nanda** and **Yashoda**. Thus Krishna was raised as their son: ![[sb/10/3/50]] ![[sb/10/8/48]] ## The Family Network ``` SHURASENA (King of Mathura) │ ┌──────────────┼──────────────┐ │ │ │ VASUDEVA KUNTI (other children) │ (married to │ Pandu) married to │ │ PANDAVAS DEVAKI (Krishna's │ cousins) │ ┌────┴────┐ │ │ BALARAMA KRISHNA ─── (exchanged) ──→ raised by │ NANDA & YASHODA (elder in Vrindavana brother) ``` ## The Dual Parentage ### Vasudeva and Devaki They loved Krishna with awe and reverence, knowing His supreme position: ![[sb/10/3/24]] ![[sb/10/3/43]] ### Nanda and Yashoda They loved Krishna with intimate parental affection (vatsalya-rasa), unaware of His supreme position: ![[sb/10/8/45]] ![[sb/10/9/20]] ## Balarama: The Elder Brother **Balarama** (also called Baladeva) is Krishna's elder brother, first born to Devaki but transferred to Rohini (another wife of Vasudeva) in Vrindavana: ![[sb/10/2/8]] ![[sb/10/8/12]] ## Extended Family Connections ### The Yadu Dynasty Krishna belongs to the Yadu dynasty through Vasudeva. The Yadus were a powerful clan: ![[sb/10/1/1]] ### Connection to the Pandavas Kunti (mother of the Pandavas) was Vasudeva's sister, making the Pandavas Krishna's cousins. This explains His special relationship with Arjuna: ![[sb/1/8/23]] ## Two Sets of Parents, Two Moods | Aspect | Devaki-Vasudeva | Nanda-Yashoda | |--------|-----------------|---------------| | Location | Mathura | Vrindavana | | Rasa | Awe and reverence | Pure parental love | | Knowledge | Knew He was God | Saw Him as their child | | Mood | Prayers of praise | Intimate affection | ## The Significance Krishna accepted two sets of parents to show different aspects of His relationships: - With Devaki-Vasudeva: The Lord accepts worship even from parents - With Nanda-Yashoda: The Lord enjoys intimate family love This dual arrangement allowed both moods to be demonstrated in His pastimes. ## Related Articles - [[wiki/articles/Devaki and Vasudeva|Devaki and Vasudeva]] — Krishna's birth parents - [[wiki/articles/The gopis of Vrindavana|The gopis of Vrindavana]] — The cowherd women - [[wiki/articles/The Pandava family and associates|The Pandava family and associates]] — His cousins - [[wiki/articles/Arjuna the warrior devotee|Arjuna the warrior devotee]] — His cousin and friend - [[wiki/articles/Queen Kunti's prayers|Queen Kunti's prayers]] — His aunt's devotion ## From the Index - [[index/entries/devaki|Devaki]] — Krishna's mother - [[index/entries/vasudeva|Vasudeva]] — Krishna's father - [[index/entries/nanda-maharaja|Nanda Maharaja]] — His foster father - [[index/entries/yasoda|Yashoda]] — His foster mother - [[index/entries/balarama|Balarama]] — His elder brother - [[index/entries/yadu-dynasty|Yadu Dynasty]] — His dynasty