Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 10
Pūtanā-mokṣa — The Witch Pūtanā’s Attempt and Kṛṣṇa’s Deliverance
तस्मिन् स्तनं दुर्जरवीर्यमुल्बणं घोराङ्कमादाय शिशोर्ददावथ । गाढं कराभ्यां भगवान् प्रपीड्य तत्- प्राणै: समं रोषसमन्वितोऽपिबत् ॥ १० ॥
tasmin stanaṁ durjara-vīryam ulbaṇaṁ ghorāṅkam ādāya śiśor dadāv atha gāḍhaṁ karābhyāṁ bhagavān prapīḍya tat- prāṇaiḥ samaṁ roṣa-samanvito ’pibat
On that very spot, the fiercely dangerous Rākṣasī took Kṛṣṇa on her lap and pushed her breast into His mouth. The nipple of her breast was smeared with a dangerous, immediately effective poison, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, becoming very angry at her, took hold of her breast, squeezed it very hard with both hands, and sucked out both the poison and her life.
Lord Kṛṣṇa was not angry at Pūtanā for His own sake. Rather, He was angry because the Rākṣasī had killed so many small children in Vrajabhūmi. Therefore He decided that she should be punished by having to forfeit her life.
FAQs
This verse describes how Pūtanā offered her poison-smeared breast to the infant Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa firmly seized it and sucked out not only the poison but also her very life, showing His supreme power and protection.
Pūtanā came as a demoness sent to kill Kṛṣṇa; disguising herself as a nurse, she tried to murder Him by feeding poison through her breast.
Even when danger appears in an attractive form, sincere dependence on the Lord brings protection; the verse also warns against deception and harmful intent, which ultimately destroys the wrongdoer.