One-line: Vishnu’s earthly incarnation, shown here as divine but still inside the Goddess’s larger order.
First seen / best remembered: Book 4 is the main Krishna-as-avatar owner (Book 4 retelling; atlas: ). Note: Vasudeva can be Krishna’s patronymic, but is Krishna’s father.
Who they are: Krishna is familiar from the Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, but this Purana deliberately reframes him. Book 4 asks whether Krishna is supreme or subject to karma, curse, and the Goddess’s plan. The answer is subtle: Krishna is divine, but even Krishna’s incarnation happens inside Devi’s world.
What they do that matters:
- Is born through the prison-swap arranged by Yoga Maya.
- Lives under curses and family destruction in Book 4’s theology.
- Appears in Book 9 in the higher Goloka register with Radha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Ganga.
Other names: Vasudeva, Hari
Family / lineage (when relevant): Son of Devaki and Vasudeva; connected with Radha and the Yadava clan.