Shloka 39
Pūtanā-mokṣa — The Witch Pūtanā’s Attempt and Kṛṣṇa’s Deliverance
पयांसि यासामपिबत् पुत्रस्नेहस्नुतान्यलम् । भगवान् देवकीपुत्र: कैवल्याद्यखिलप्रद: ॥ ३९ ॥ तासामविरतं कृष्णे कुर्वतीनां सुतेक्षणम् । न पुन: कल्पते राजन् संसारोऽज्ञानसम्भव: ॥ ४० ॥
payāṁsi yāsām apibat putra-sneha-snutāny alam bhagavān devakī-putraḥ kaivalyādy-akhila-pradaḥ
Kṛṣṇa, der Sohn Devakīs, ist der Spender aller Gnaden, selbst des Kaivalya, der Befreiung. Voller Sättigung trank Er die Milch der gopīs, die aus mütterlicher Liebe von selbst floss. O König, auch in häuslichen Pflichten vertieft, blickten sie unablässig auf Kṛṣṇa als auf ihren Sohn; darum darf man nicht meinen, sie seien nach dem Verlassen des Körpers in den aus Unwissen geborenen Saṁsāra zurückgekehrt.
The advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is described herein. Kṛṣṇa consciousness gradually develops on the transcendental platform. One may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme personality, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme master, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme friend, one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme son, or one may think of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme conjugal lover. If one is connected with Kṛṣṇa in any of these transcendental relationships, the course of one’s material life is understood to have already ended. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti: for such devotees, going back home, back to Godhead, is guaranteed. Na punaḥ kalpate rājan saṁsāro jñāna-sambhavaḥ. This verse also guarantees that devotees who constantly think of Kṛṣṇa in a particular relationship will never return to this material world. In this material world of saṁsāra, there are the same relationships. One thinks, “Here is my son,” “Here is my wife,” “Here is my lover,” or “Here is my friend.” But these relationships are temporary illusions. Ajñāna-sambhavaḥ: such a consciousness awakens in ignorance. But when the same relationships awaken in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one’s spiritual life is revived, and one is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead. Even though the gopīs who were friends of Rohiṇī and mother Yaśodā and who allowed their breasts to be sucked by Kṛṣṇa were not directly Kṛṣṇa’s mothers, they all had the same chance as Rohiṇī and Yaśodā to go back to Godhead and act as Kṛṣṇa’s mothers-in-law, servants and so on. The word saṁsāra refers to attachment for one’s body, home, husband or wife, and children, but although the gopīs and all the other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had the same affection and attachment for husband and home, their central affection was for Kṛṣṇa in some transcendental relationship, and therefore they were guaranteed to be promoted to Goloka Vṛndāvana in the next life, to live with Kṛṣṇa eternally in spiritual happiness. The easiest way to attain spiritual elevation, to be liberated from this material world, and to go back home, back to Godhead, is recommended by Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura: kṛṣṇera saṁsāra kara chāḍi’ anācāra. One should give up all sinful activities and remain in the family of Kṛṣṇa. Then one’s liberation is guaranteed.
FAQs
This verse shows that the gopīs’ motherly love makes their service natural and overflowing, and Krishna personally accepts it, even though He is the Supreme Lord.
Śukadeva highlights Krishna’s supreme identity—born as Devakī’s son—while showing that in Vraja He becomes ‘their child’ by the power of loving devotion.
Serve Krishna with simple, heartfelt care—like a parent’s selfless affection—rather than with calculation; such sincere devotion invites deep purification.