Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

कृष्णस् तस्याः स्तनं गाढं कराभ्याम् अतिपीडितम् गृहीत्वा प्राणसहितं पपौ कोपसमन्वितः

Transliteration

kṛṣṇas tasyāḥ stanaṃ gāḍhaṃ karābhyām atipīḍitam gṛhītvā prāṇasahitaṃ papau kopasamanvitaḥ

Translation

Then Kṛṣṇa, filled with protective wrath, seized her breast firmly in both hands and pressed it hard; and as he sucked, he drew out with the milk her very life-breath.

Word by Word

• कृष्णः: Krishna
• कृष्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• स्तनम्: breast
• स्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• गाढम्: firmly, tightly
• गाढम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गाढ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् स्तनम् प्रति

• कराभ्याम्: with (his) two hands
• कराभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), द्विवचन (Dual)

• अतिपीडितम्: pressed hard, squeezed
• अतिपीडितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति-पीड् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् स्तनम् प्रति

• गृहीत्वा: having seized
• गृहीत्वा: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वक्रिया (prior action)

• प्राणसहितम्: together with the life-breath
• प्राणसहितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + सहित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सहितः प्राणैः/with the life-breath); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (स्तनम्/दुग्धम्) प्रति

• पपौ: drank, sucked
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• कोपसमन्वितः: filled with anger
• कोपसमन्वितः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप (प्रातिपदिक) + समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कोपेन समन्वितः/possessed of anger); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् कृष्णः प्रति

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: To protect Vraja and destroy the rākṣasī Pūtanā who came to kill the infant, thereby safeguarding dharma through loka-rakṣaṇa.

Leela: Loka-rakshana

Dharma Restored: Protection of the saintly and the sanctity of Vraja’s maternal care from demonic violation.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Bhakti Type: Vatsalya

Characters & Entities

• Krishna
• Pūtanā

FAQs

What is the significance of Krishna drawing out Pūtanā’s life-breath in the Vishnu Purana?

It shows Krishna’s absolute sovereignty: even as an infant he neutralizes adharma at its root, removing not only the outward danger (poison) but the very prāṇa sustaining the hostile force.

How does Sage Parāśara explain divine protection in this episode?

Through narrative action rather than abstract doctrine: Parāśara depicts the Lord instinctively safeguarding the world, demonstrating that divine guardianship is immediate and effortless for Vishnu’s avatāra.

What is the theological importance of Lord Vishnu (as Krishna) in this context?

Krishna is presented as the Supreme Lord whose līlā reveals both compassion for the vulnerable and the power to destroy evil—supporting Vaishnava teachings that the highest reality actively upholds cosmic order.