Vasudeva Sutam Devam, the Krishna Shloka
वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम् ।
देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम् ॥
Vasudeva-sutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsa-cāṇūra-mardanam
Devakī-paramānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagad-gurum
“I bow to Krishna, the son of Vasudeva, the divine one, destroyer of Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme joy of Devaki, the teacher of the whole world.”
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam tradition, the customary opening verse
Word by word
A shloka a child understands is a shloka they keep. Here is what each word is actually doing.
On Janmashtami, before reading the Bhagavatam or the Gita, and as a daily morning prayer in many Vaishnava households.
- Carries the whole Krishna story in a single verse
- Natural doorway into the Bhagavad Gita for older children
- Two lines, strong rhythm, quickly learned
- Perfect for Janmashtami performances and school events
Every name in this verse is a story hook, who was Vasudeva, who was Kamsa, why was Devaki so full of joy. Teach the shloka first and let the questions come; you will find yourself telling the whole of Krishna’s birth by the second week. That is the intended order.
Bhagavad Gita for Kids
Reading a shloka and chanting it correctly are different things. In our live online classes a mentor corrects your child’s pronunciation in the moment, teaches the meaning alongside the sound, and builds a repertoire verse by verse. Ages 7-15 · 45 min · Weekly.
Questions parents ask
It means “the divine son of Vasudeva”, and the verse salutes Krishna as the one who destroyed Kamsa and Chanura, the supreme joy of his mother Devaki, and the teacher of the whole world.
Learn these next
All 28 shlokas
Teach your child Vasudeva Sutam Devam, properly
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