Sunday, November 25, 2012

35 Bhagavatha: Putana

Once Nanda went to Mathura to pay his annual tribute to Kamsa. Vasudeva comes to know of this and meets Nanda to enquire about his sons, Balarama and Krishna. Vasudeva exhorts Nanda, that he leave quickly for Gokula, for there are startling occurrences there too. Nanda takes leave of Vasudeva and apprehensive about the events, took refuge in Srihari and began his journey home, with other cowherds, in bullock carts.
Putana was a demoness, despatched by Kamsa to kill infants wherever she went. She disguises herself as a beautiful woman through her witchcraft and enters Gokula. The Gopis who saw her were captivated by her beauty. Moving around freely, she chances upon Krishna, who was lying in a bed. Recognising her to be an evil spirit given to killing infants, Krishna kept his eyes closed. She kept Krishna on her lap, while the mothers Yashoda and Rohini merely stood gazing, deceived by her charms. Putana placed her poison-smeared breasts into Krishna's mouth. Krishna squeezing it hard, sucked the poison along with her life. She screamed, "Leave me, Leave me, enough!" tossing about her feet, her limbs drenched with perspiration. Thus tormented, Putana reverted to her demoniac form and fell dead, stretching her arms and legs like the demon Vritra was knocked down by the Vajra(thunderbolt).
Finding the boy playing on her bosom, the cowherd women, in a state of alarm, quickly picked him up. Along with their mother Yashoda and Rohini, they offer prayers to guard him against evil spirits. Yashoda suckles him and puts him to sleep. Meanwhile, Nanda and the cowherds return from Mathura and were greatly astonished to see the colossal body of Putana. Now they could realise the danger which Vasudeva hinted at.
Putana's body is consigned to the flames. Out of that body, there arose a column of smoke emitting the fragrance of aloe-wood, as Putana's sin of killing infants was completely wiped out the moment Krishna sucked out her life.
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Ratnamala was the daughter of demon king Mahabali and Vindhyavali. Looking at the lustrous form of Vamana, she was overcome by motherly affection, "... how nice it would be if I could have this child Vamana as my son. I would be blessed to fondle him and nourish him."  But looking at the unfortunate predicament of her father Bali, she was angry. She also wanted to kill Vamana. She was reborn as Putana.

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Srimad Bhagavatham