Shloka 10

Vasudeva Meets Nanda; Pūtanā’s Fall; Viṣṇu-Rakṣā (Protective Hymn) in Gokula

Devanagari script

सा विमुक्तमहारावा विच्छिन्नस्नायुबन्धना पपात पूतना भूमौ म्रियमाणातिभीषणा

Transliteration

sā vimuktamahārāvā vicchinnasnāyubandhanā papāta pūtanā bhūmau mriyamāṇātibhīṣaṇā

Translation

Released, she uttered a vast and dreadful cry; her sinews and bonds were torn apart, and Pūtanā fell upon the earth—terrifying even as she died—overcome by the Lord Viṣṇu’s power abiding in the infant Kṛṣṇa.

Word by Word

• सा: she
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• विमुक्तमहारावा: having uttered a great cry
• विमुक्तमहारावा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + राव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (विमुक्तः महा-रावः यस्याḥ/she who has let out a great cry); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् सा/पूतना प्रति

• विच्छिन्नस्नायुबन्धना: with severed sinew-bonds
• विच्छिन्नस्नायुबन्धना: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विच्छिन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + स्नायु (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (विच्छिन्नानि स्नायु-बन्धनानि यस्याḥ/whose sinew-bonds are severed); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् सा/पूतना प्रति

• पपात: fell
• पपात: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पूतना: Pūtanā
• पूतना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूतना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); सा इत्यस्य अपपद-सम्बन्ध (apposition)

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• म्रियमाणातिभीषणा: dying and exceedingly dreadful
• म्रियमाणातिभीषणा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: म्रिय (धातु √मृ) + शानच् (कृदन्त) + अति (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + भीषण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (म्रियमाणा च अतिभीषणा च/ dying and very terrifying); वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि/कर्तरि कृदन्त (Present participle, शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् पूतना प्रति

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: revealing

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To annihilate Pūtanā’s murderous assault and preserve the devotee-community of Vraja, displaying the Lord’s effortless supremacy in bāla-līlā.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Removal of adharma embodied as child-killing deceit; restoration of safety for the cowherd community.

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: The Supreme abides (antaryāmin) even in the infant form, and that indwelling divinity alone overrules demonic शक्ति.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: Remember the Lord’s presence within all states of life—strength and helplessness alike—and take refuge (śaraṇāgati) rather than fear hostile forces.

Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s immanence: Viṣṇu’s power ‘abiding in’ the child shows Brahman as the inner controller present in embodied form, not an abstract impersonal absolute.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Antaryamin: Yes

Characters & Entities

• Pūtanā
• Krishna (Vishnu in human form)

FAQs

What is the significance of Pūtanā’s fall in the Vishnu Purana?

It dramatizes how hostile, deceptive adharma collapses instantly before the indwelling power of Vishnu in Krishna—divine protection is effortless and absolute.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine sovereignty through this event?

By portraying the demoness’ terrifying death as a direct consequence of contact with Krishna, Parāśara frames the avatāra not as vulnerable, but as the Supreme Lord whose will governs life and death.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu here?

Krishna is presented as Vishnu’s supreme presence in līlā: even in infant form, the Lord’s transcendent power remains intact, affirming Vishnu as the ultimate protector and ruler of cosmic order.