In Indian epic poetry, Vasudeva (Devanagari , IAST ) is the father of Krishna, the son of Shurasena, of the Yadu and Vrishni dynasties. He was brother of King Nanda Baba  who was foster father of Lord Krishna. His sister Kunti was married to Pandu. Kunti plays a big role later in the war Mahabharata. Vasudeva was a partial incarnation of Rishi Kashyapa. The patronymic (with long a) is a popular name of Krishna. According to the Harivansa Purana, Vasudeva and Nanda were brothers.

Krishna (; Sanskrit: , in IAST, pronounced ) is a Hindu deity, worshipped across many traditions of Hinduism in a variety of different perspectives. Krishna is recognized as the complete and eighth avatar of the God Vishnu or as the Supreme God in his own right. Krishna is one of the most widely revered and popular of all Hindu deities.