Shloka 36
Pūtanā-mokṣa — The Witch Pūtanā’s Attempt and Kṛṣṇa’s Deliverance
पूतना लोकबालघ्नी राक्षसी रुधिराशना । जिघांसयापि हरये स्तनं दत्त्वाप सद्गतिम् ॥ ३५ ॥ किं पुन: श्रद्धया भक्त्या कृष्णाय परमात्मने । यच्छन् प्रियतमं किं नु रक्तास्तन्मातरो यथा ॥ ३६ ॥
pūtanā loka-bāla-ghnī rākṣasī rudhirāśanā jighāṁsayāpi haraye stanaṁ dattvāpa sad-gatim
Pūtanā war eine rākṣasī, Kindermörderin und Bluttrinkerin; sie kam, um Kṛṣṇa zu töten, doch weil sie Hari ihre Brust darbot, erlangte sie das höchste Ziel. Was ist dann erst von jenen zu sagen, die mit Glauben und Bhakti dem Paramātmā Kṛṣṇa mütterlich die Brust oder das Liebste darbringen, wie eine Mutter ihrem Kind?
Pūtanā had no affection for Kṛṣṇa; rather, she was envious and wanted to kill Him. Nonetheless, because with or without knowledge she offered her breast, she attained the highest achievement in life. But the offerings of devotees attracted to Kṛṣṇa in parental love are always sincere. A mother likes to offer something to her child with affection and love; there is no question of envy. So here we can make a comparative study. If Pūtanā could attain such an exalted position in spiritual life by neglectfully, enviously making an offering to Kṛṣṇa, what is to be said of mother Yaśodā and the other gopīs, who served Kṛṣṇa with such great affection and love, offering everything for Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction? The gopīs automatically achieved the highest perfection. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended the affection of the gopīs, either in maternal affection or in conjugal love, as the highest perfection in life ( ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā ).
FAQs
This verse says Pūtanā attained an auspicious supreme destination because she offered her breast to Lord Hari, even though her motive was to kill Him—showing the Lord’s purifying power.
To highlight the contrast: despite being a child-killing, blood-drinking demoness, she was purified by contact with Kṛṣṇa—emphasizing the extraordinary mercy of Bhagavān in His Vraja-līlā.
Even imperfect beginnings in spiritual practice can become transformative; sincere association with Kṛṣṇa through nāma-japa, kīrtana, and seva steadily purifies intention and elevates one’s destiny.