Devaki

This article is about the mother of Krishna. For other uses, see Devaki (disambiguation).

Devaki
Krishna and Balarama meet their parents (Painting by Raja Ravi Varma)
TextsBhagavata Purana, Mahabharata
Genealogy
ParentsDevaka/Devapa (father)
SiblingsDhrtadeva, Santideva, Upadeva, Srideva, Devaraksita, and Sahadeva (sisters)
Devavana, Upadeva, Sudeva, Devavardhana (brothers)
Subala (half-sister, wife of Vidura)
SpouseVasudeva
ChildrenBalarama and Krishna (sons)
Subhadra (step-daughter)
Sadgarbha (first six children)[a]
DynastyYaduvamsha

Devaki (Sanskrit: देवकी, IAST: Devakī) is a character in Hindu literature, most noted for being the mother of the god Krishna.[1][2] She is one of the seven daughters of Devapa or Devaka, a king of the Yadu dynasty, and has four brothers.[3] She is one of the wives of Vasudeva.[4] Her cousin is Kamsa,[5][6] the king of Mathura, a cruel tyrant who had been told by Narada that he had been an asura killed by Vishnu in his previous life (Kalanemi), exacerbating his wickedness.[7] According to popular tradition, Devaki is considered to be an incarnation of Aditi, a mother goddess who was the daughter of Daksha and the wife of Kashyapa.[8]


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  1. ^ "XV". The Vishnu Purana: Book IV. p. 438.
  2. ^ "123". The Mahabharata: Book VI. Sacred-texts.com. p. 311.
  3. ^ Mani, Vettam (1 January 2015). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 210. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.
  4. ^ "XIV". The Vishnu Purana: Book IV. Sacred-texts.com. p. 435.
  5. ^ Chapple, Christopher Key (19 March 2009). The Bhagavad Gita: Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition. SUNY Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-4384-2841-3.
  6. ^ Herman, A. L. (4 May 2018). A Brief Introduction To Hinduism: Religion, Philosophy, And Ways Of Liberation. Routledge. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-429-98238-5.
  7. ^ Knapp, Stephen (2005). The Heart of kshatriya Hinduism: The Eastern Path to Freedom, Empowerment And Illumination. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-35075-9.
  8. ^ Mani, Vettam (1 January 2015). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 210. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.