Devotion to Vasudeva alone swiftly awakens transcendental knowledge and detachment from material existence.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.7 — November 13, 1973, Delhi 731113SB-DELHI [49:39 Minutes] SB-01.02.07_731113SB-DELHI Prabhupāda: [vāsudeve] bhagavati bhakti-yogaḥ prayojitaḥ janayaty āśu vairāgyaṁ jñānaṁ ca yad ahaitukam [SB 1.2.7] Vāsudeve bhagavati. Vāsudeva is another name of Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa appears as the son of Vasudeva. Whenever Kṛṣṇa appears, He appears as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everyone.
So how there can be a father and mother of Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is described as sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1], the cause of all causes. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām [Bg. 10.2]. Devānām, the demigods.
The first demigod is Lord Brahmā, the first living creature within this universe. Then Viṣṇu, then Lord Śiva, then other demigods, Indra, Candra, Sūrya—many, some millions. So how Vasudeva can become His father so that His name is famous as Vāsudeva, "son of Vasudeva"? The thing is that Vasudeva formerly underwent severe austerities, and he wanted a son like Kṛṣṇa.
So Kṛṣṇa agreed, that "Like Me, there is nobody else." Kṛṣṇa is asamordhva. Nobody is equal to Him; nobody is above Him. Therefore Vasudeva, in his previous birth, he wanted like..., a son like Kṛṣṇa. So He could not find anyone like Him.
Therefore He agreed Himself to become his son. The idea is that Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, when He comes upon this material world just like ordinary human child, He accepts His devotee as His father, His devotee as His mother. That is the way. Therefore Kṛṣṇa appeared as the son of Vasudeva, and He is well known as Vāsudeva.
Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a person advancing in spiritual knowledge must come to the point of understanding Vasudeva..., Vāsudeva. Then his knowledge is perfect. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante. Not ordinary men, but those who are actually searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, such persons, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante, after many, many births of searching like that, he understands that "Vāsudeva is everything." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ [Bg. 7.19]. Such mahātmā, or advanced soul...
Mahātmā and kṣudrātmā, or durātmā. Those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge, they are called mahātmā. And the symptom of mahātmā is, mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ bhajanty ananya-manasaḥ [Bg. 9.13]. Mahātmā is not changing a dress or having a big beard.