Shloka 23
Uddhava’s Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa and the Theology of the Lord’s Disappearance
अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी । लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ॥ २३ ॥
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema
Alas! Though the she-demon Pūtanā was faithless and, intent on killing, offered her breast smeared with deadly poison, she still attained the destiny befitting a nursing mother. To whom could we go for shelter more merciful than He?
Here is an example of the extreme mercy of the Lord, even to His enemy. It is said that a noble man accepts the good qualities of a person of doubtful character, just as one accepts nectar from a stock of poison. In His babyhood, He was administered deadly poison by Pūtanā, a she-demon who tried to kill the wonderful baby. And because she was a demon, it was impossible for her to know that the Supreme Lord, even though playing the part of a baby, was no one less than the same Supreme Personality of Godhead. His value as the Supreme Lord did not diminish upon His becoming a baby to please His devotee Yaśodā. The Lord may assume the form of a baby or a shape other than that of a human being, but it doesn’t make the slightest difference; He is always the same Supreme. A living creature, however powerful he may become by dint of severe penance, can never become equal to the Supreme Lord.
FAQs
This verse says that even Bakī (Pūtanā), who tried to kill Krishna with poison, attained a spiritual destination like that of His nurse—showing Krishna’s extraordinary mercy.
He highlights that Krishna awards liberation and elevated status even to one who approached Him with hostility, proving that taking shelter of Him is the highest hope for all.
Approach Krishna sincerely through prayer, chanting, and service, trusting that His compassion can transform even flawed beginnings into spiritual progress.