Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 23
Pūtanā-mokṣa — The Witch Pūtanā’s Attempt and Kṛṣṇa’s Deliverance
अव्यादजोऽङ्घ्रि मणिमांस्तव जान्वथोरू यज्ञोऽच्युत: कटितटं जठरं हयास्य: । हृत्केशवस्त्वदुर ईश इनस्तु कण्ठं विष्णुर्भुजं मुखमुरुक्रम ईश्वर: कम् ॥ २२ ॥ चक्रयग्रत: सहगदो हरिरस्तु पश्चात् त्वत्पार्श्वयोर्धनुरसी मधुहाजनश्च । कोणेषु शङ्ख उरुगाय उपर्युपेन्द्र- स्तार्क्ष्य: क्षितौ हलधर: पुरुष: समन्तात् ॥ २३ ॥
avyād ajo ’ṅghri maṇimāṁs tava jānv athorū yajño ’cyutaḥ kaṭi-taṭaṁ jaṭharaṁ hayāsyaḥ hṛt keśavas tvad-ura īśa inas tu kaṇṭhaṁ viṣṇur bhujaṁ mukham urukrama īśvaraḥ kam
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī informed Mahārāja Parīkṣit that the gopīs, following the proper system, protected Kṛṣṇa, their child, with this mantra.] May Aja protect Your legs, may Maṇimān protect Your knees, Yajña Your thighs, Acyuta the upper part of Your waist, and Hayagrīva Your abdomen. May Keśava protect Your heart, Īśa Your chest, the sun-god Your neck, Viṣṇu Your arms, Urukrama Your face, and Īśvara Your head. May Cakrī protect You from the front; may Śrī Hari, Gadādharī, the carrier of the club, protect You from the back; and may the carrier of the bow, who is known as the enemy of Madhu, and Lord Ajana, the carrier of the sword, protect Your two sides. May Lord Urugāya, the carrier of the conchshell, protect You from all corners; may Upendra protect You from above; may Garuḍa protect You on the ground; and may Lord Haladhara, the Supreme Person, protect You on all sides.
Even in the houses of the cultivators, who were not very advanced in the modern ways of civilization, the ladies used to know how to chant mantras to give protection to children with the help of cow dung and cow urine. This was a simple and practical way to give the greatest protection from the greatest dangers. People should know how to do this, for this is a part of Vedic civilization.
FAQs
This verse presents a protective meditation (kavaca-like) where different names/forms of the Lord are invoked to guard each part of the body, emphasizing remembrance and surrender as spiritual protection.
In the context of dangers surrounding the infant Kṛṣṇa (including Pūtanā’s attack), the narration highlights that the Lord is the ultimate protector; invoking His names expresses bhakti and dependence on Him.
By daily remembering the Lord’s names with faith—especially in anxiety or danger—one cultivates steadiness, surrender, and a devotional mindset that brings inner protection and clarity.