Vasudeva: Son of King Śūrasena, husband of Devakī and father of Lord Śrī Krishna. He is the brother of Kuntī and father of Subhadrā. Subhadrā was married with her cousin Arjuna, and this system is still prevalent in some parts of India. Vasudeva was appointed minister of Ugrasena, and later on he married eight daughters of Ugrasena’s brother Devaka. Devakī is only one of them. Kamsa was his brother-in-law, and Vasudeva accepted voluntary imprisonment by Kamsa on mutual agreement to deliver the eighth son of Devakī. This was foiled by the will of Krishna. As maternal uncle of the Pāndavas, he took active parts in the purificatory process of the Pāndavas. He sent for the priest Kaśyapa at Śataśringa Parvata, and he executed the functions. When Krishna appeared within the bars of Kamsa’s prison house, He was transferred by Vasudeva to the house of Nanda Mahārāja, the foster father of Krishna, at Gokula. Krishna disappeared along with Baladeva prior to the disappearance of Vasudeva, and Arjuna (Vasudeva’s nephew) undertook the charge of the funeral ceremony after Vasudeva’s disappearance.
Akrūra: The commander in chief of the Vrishni dynasty and a great devotee of Lord Krishna. Akrūra attained success in devotional service to the Lord by the one single process of offering prayers. He was the husband of Sūtanī, daughter of Ahūka. He supported Arjuna when Arjuna took Subhadrā forcibly away by the will of Krishna. Both Krishna and Akrūra went to see Arjuna after his successful kidnapping of Subhadrā. Both of them presented dowries to Arjuna after this incident. Akrūra was present also when Abhimanyu, the son of Subhadrā, was married with Uttarā, mother of Mahārāja Parīkshit. Ahūka, the father-in-law of Akrūra, was not on good terms with Akrūra. But both of them were devotees of the Lord.
Ugrasena: One of the powerful kings of the Vrishni dynasty and cousin of Mahārāja Kuntibhoja. His other name is Ahūka. His minister was Vasudeva, and his son was the powerful Kamsa. This Kamsa imprisoned his father and became the King of Mathurā. By the grace of Lord Krishna and His brother, Lord Baladeva, Kamsa was killed, and Ugrasena was reinstalled on the throne. When Śālva attacked the city of Dvārakā, Ugrasena fought very valiantly and repulsed the enemy. Ugrasena inquired from Nāradajī about the divinity of Lord Krishna. When the Yadu dynasty was to be vanquished, Ugrasena was entrusted with the iron lump produced from the womb of Sāmba. He cut the iron lump into pieces and then pasted it and mixed it up with the sea water on the coast of Dvārakā. After this, he ordered complete prohibition within the city of Dvārakā and the kingdom. He got salvation after his death.
Baladeva: He is the divine son of Vasudeva by his wife Rohinī. He is also known as Rohinī-nandana, the beloved son of Rohinī. He was also entrusted to Nanda Mahārāja along with His mother, Rohinī, when Vasudeva embraced imprisonment by mutual agreement with Kamsa. So Nanda Mahārāja is also the foster father of Baladeva along with Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna and Lord Baladeva were constant companions from Their very childhood, although They were stepbrothers. He is the plenary manifestation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore He is as good and powerful as Lord Krishna. He belongs to the vishnu-tattva (the principle of Godhead). He attended the svayamvara ceremony of Draupadī along with Śrī Krishna. When Subhadrā was kidnapped by Arjuna by the organized plan of Śrī Krishna, Baladeva was very angry with Arjuna and wanted to kill him at once. Śrī Krishna, for the sake of His dear friend, fell at the feet of Lord Baladeva and implored Him not to be so angry. Śrī Baladeva was thus satisfied. Similarly, He was once very angry with the Kauravas, and He wanted to throw their whole city into the depths of the Yamunā. But the Kauravas satisfied Him by surrendering unto His divine lotus feet. He was actually the seventh son of Devakī prior to the birth of Lord Krishna, but by the will of the Lord He was transferred to the womb of Rohinī to escape the wrath of Kamsa. His other name is therefore Sankarshana, who is also the plenary portion of Śrī Baladeva. Because He is as powerful as Lord Krishna and can bestow spiritual power to the devotees, He is therefore known as Baladeva. In the Vedas also it is enjoined that no one can know the Supreme Lord without being favored by Baladeva. Bala means spiritual strength, not physical. Some less intelligent persons interpret bala as the strength of the body. But no one can have spiritual realization by physical strength. Physical strength ends with the end of the physical body, but spiritual strength follows the spirit soul to the next transmigration, and therefore the strength obtained by Baladeva is never wasted. The strength is eternal, and thus Baladeva is the original spiritual master of all devotees.
Śrī Baladeva was also a class friend of Lord Śrī Krishna as a student of Sāndīpani Muni. In His childhood He killed many asuras along with Śrī Krishna, and specifically He killed the Dhenukāsura at Tālavana. During the Kurukshetra battle, He remained neutral, and He tried His best not to bring about the fight. He was in favor of Duryodhana, but still He remained neutral. When there was a club-fight between Duryodhana and Bhīmasena, He was present on the spot. He was angry at Bhīmasena when the latter struck Duryodhana on the thigh or below the belt, and He wanted to retaliate the unfair action. Lord Śrī Krishna saved Bhīma from His wrath. But He left the place at once, being disgusted at Bhīmasena, and after His departure Duryodhana fell to the ground to meet his death. The funeral ceremony of Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna, was performed by Him, as He was the maternal uncle. It was impossible to be performed by any one of the Pāndavas, who were all overwhelmed with grief. At the last stage, He departed from this world by producing a great white snake from His mouth, and thus He was carried by Śeshanāga in the shape of a serpent.
Pradyumna: Incarnation of Kāmadeva or, according to others, incarnation of Sanat-kumāra, born as the son of the Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Krishna, and Lakshmīdevī, Śrīmatī Rukminī, the principal queen at Dvārakā. He was one of those who went to congratulate Arjuna upon his marrying Subhadrā. He was one of the great generals who fought with Śālva, and while fighting with him he became unconscious on the battlefield. His charioteer brought him back to the camp from the battlefield, and for this action he was very sorry and rebuked his charioteer. However, he fought again with Śālva and was victorious. He heard all about the different demigods from Nāradajī. He is one of the four plenary expansions of Lord Śrī Krishna. He is the third one. He inquired from his father, Śrī Krishna, about the glories of the brāhmanas. During the fratricidal war amongst the descendants of Yadu, he died at the hand of Bhoja, another king of the Vrishnis. After his death, he was installed in his original position.
Cārudeshna: Another son of Lord Śrī Krishna and Rukminīdevī. He was also present during the svayamvara ceremony of Draupadī. He was a great warrior like his brothers and father. He fought with Vivinidhaka and killed him in the fight.
Sāmba: One of the great heroes of the Yadu dynasty and the son of Lord Śrī Krishna by His wife Jāmbavatī. He learned the military art of throwing arrows from Arjuna, and he became a member of parliament during the time of Mahārāja Yudhishthira. He was present during the Rājasūya-yajña of Mahārāja Yudhishthira. When all the Vrishnis were assembled during the time of Prabhāsa-yajña, his glorious activities were narrated by Sātyaki before Lord Baladeva. He was also present along with his father, Lord Śrī Krishna, during the aśvamedha-yajña performed by Yudhishthira. He was presented before some rishis falsely dressed as a pregnant woman by his brothers, and in fun he asked the rishis what he was going to deliver. The rishis replied that he would deliver a lump of iron, which would be the cause of fratricidal war in the family of Yadu. The next day, in the morning, Sāmba delivered a large lump of iron, which was entrusted to Ugrasena for necessary action. Actually later on there was the foretold fratricidal war, and Sāmba died in that war.
So all these sons of Lord Krishna left their respective palaces and leaving aside all engagements, including lying down, sitting and dining, hastened toward their exalted father.