Devaki
Devaki
5 min read
In Hindu mythology, Devaki is the mother of the god Krishna, one of the major incarnations of Vishnu. Imprisoned by her brother, the tyrant Kamsa, she saw her first children killed before giving birth to Krishna, who was miraculously saved. She embodies maternal love and devotion.
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Sister or cousin of the tyrant king Kamsa, she marries Vasudeva in the Krishna legend.
- A prophecy announces that her eighth son will kill Kamsa, prompting the tyrant to imprison her.
- Kamsa has her first six children killed to thwart the prophecy.
- She gives birth to Krishna, her eighth child, who is secretly saved and entrusted to foster parents.
- Her story is mainly told in the *Bhagavata Purana* and the *Harivamsa* (texts from the early centuries CE).
Works & Achievements
Central narrative of Krishna's birth, where Devaki plays the role of the imprisoned divine mother.
Appendix to the Mahabharata detailing the Yadava genealogy and the story of Devaki and Vasudeva.
Vaishnava text describing Vishnu's incarnation in Devaki's womb.
Devotional poem about Krishna that perpetuates the memory of his lineage and his mother.
Annual celebration of Krishna's birth that also commemorates Devaki's motherhood.
Paintings depicting Devaki in her prison and Vasudeva crossing the Yamuna.
Anecdotes
According to the *Bhagavata Purana*, on the day of Devaki's wedding to Vasudeva, a celestial voice warned Kamsa that his sister's eighth child would kill him. To avert this prophecy, the tyrant imprisoned the couple and killed their newborns one by one.
Tradition holds that Devaki's first seven children perished, but the seventh embryo, Balarama, was miraculously transferred into the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's other wife, thus escaping Kamsa.
At the birth of Krishna, the eighth child, Devaki and Vasudeva's chains are said to have broken by themselves and the guards fell asleep: Vasudeva was able to cross the Yamuna River to shelter the child in Gokul.
The texts describe Devaki as radiant with divine light during her pregnancy with Krishna, so much so that Kamsa himself perceived the glow of Vishnu through his prisoner's body.
After Kamsa's death, Puranic accounts report that Krishna, now grown, brought Devaki's six deceased sons back to life to console his mother, fulfilling a vow of filial piety.
Primary Sources
The eighth child that Devaki will bear, O Kamsa, will be the one who ends your life.
Devaki, radiant, carried within her womb the divine part of Vishnu, and her very prison seemed illuminated.
Vasudeva married Devaki, sister of Kamsa; and from this union was to be born the one who would deliver the earth.
Krishna, son of Devaki and Vasudeva, of the Yadava lineage, came into the world to restore dharma.
Key Places
Royal city of the Yadava on the Yamuna, site of Devaki's prison and Krishna's birth.
Dungeon in Mathura where Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned; a sanctuary (Krishna Janmabhoomi) is now venerated there.
Sacred river that Vasudeva crosses at night to bring Krishna to safety; its waters are said to have parted.
Cowherd village where Krishna is entrusted to Nanda and Yashoda to escape Kamsa.
Pastoral region associated with Krishna's childhood, a major pilgrimage site for Vaishnava worship.
