While Nanda Mahäräja was returning home, he considered Vasudeva’s warning that there might be some disturbance in Gokula. Certainly the advice was friendly and not false. So Nanda thought, “There is some truth in it.” Therefore, out of fear, he began to take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is quite natural for a devotee in danger to think of Krishna, because he has no other shelter. When a child is in danger, he takes shelter of his mother or father. Similarly, a devotee is always under the shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when he specifically sees some danger, he remembers the Lord very rapidly.

After consulting with his demoniac ministers, Kansa instructed a witch named Pütanä, who knew the black art of killing small children by ghastly sinful methods, to kill all kinds of children in the cities, villages and pasturing grounds. Such witches can play their black art only where there is no chanting or hearing of the holy name of Krishna. It is said that wherever the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done, even negligently, all bad elements—witches, ghosts and dangerous calamities—immediately disappear. And this is certainly true of the place where the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done seriously—especially in Våndävana when the Supreme Lord was personally present. Therefore, the doubts of Nanda Mahäräja were certainly based on affection for Krishna. Actually there was no danger from the activities of Pütanä, despite her powers. Such witches are called khecaré, which means they can fly in the sky. This black art of witchcraft is still practiced by some women in the remote northwestern side of India. They can transfer themselves from one place to another on the branch of an uprooted tree. Pütanä knew this witchcraft, and therefore she is described in the Bhägavatam as khecaré.

Pütanä entered the county of Gokula, the residential quarter of Nanda Mahäräja, without permission. Dressing herself just like a beautiful woman, she entered the house of mother Yaçodä. She appeared very beautiful, with raised hips, nicely swollen breasts, earrings, and flowers in her hair. She looked especially beautiful on account of her thin waist. She was glancing at everyone with very attractive looks and smiling face, and all the residents of Våndävana were captivated. The innocent cowherd women thought that she was the goddess of fortune appearing in Våndävana with a lotus flower in her hand. It seemed to them that she had personally come to see Krishna, who is her husband. Because of her exquisite beauty, no one checked her movement, and therefore she freely entered the house of Nanda Mahäräja. Pütanä, the killer of many, many children, found baby Krishna lying on a small bed, and she could at once perceive that the baby was hiding His unparalleled potencies, which resembled fire covered by ashes. Pütanä thought, “This child is so powerful that He can destroy the whole universe immediately.”

Pütanä’s understanding is very significant. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is situated in everyone’s heart. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä that He gives one necessary intelligence, and He also causes one to forget. Pütanä was immediately aware that the child whom she was observing in the house of Nanda Mahäräja was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He was lying there as a small baby, but that does not mean He was less powerful. The materialistic theory that God-worship is anthropomorphic is not correct. No living being can become God by undergoing meditation or austerities. God is always God. Krishna as a baby is as complete as He is as a full-fledged youth. The Mäyäväda theory holds that the living entity was formerly God but has now become overwhelmed by the influence of mäyä. Therefore they say that presently he is not God, but when the influence of mäyä is taken away, then he again becomes God. This theory cannot be applied to the minute living entities. The living entities are minute parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; they are minute particles or sparks of the original fire. So these sparks can be covered by the influence of mäyä, but the original fire, Krishna, cannot. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, even from the beginning of His appearance in the house of Vasudeva and Devaké.

Krishna showed the nature of a small baby and closed His eyes, as if to avoid the face of Pütanä. This closing of the eyes is interpreted and studied in different ways by the devotees. Some say that Krishna closed His eyes because He did not like to see the face of Pütanä, who had killed so many children and who had now come to kill Him. Others say that Pütanä hesitated to take the baby on her lap because something extraordinary was being dictated to her from within, and in order to give her assurance, Krishna closed His eyes so that she would not be frightened. And yet others interpret in this way: Krishna appeared in order to kill the demons and give protection to the devotees, as stated in the Bhagavad-gétä: pariträëäya sädhünäà vinäçäya ca duñkåtäm [Bg. 4.8]. The first demon to be killed was a woman. According to Vedic rules, the killing of a woman, a brähmaëa, cows or a child is strictly forbidden. Krishna was obliged to kill the demon Pütanä, and because the killing of a woman is forbidden according to Vedic çästra, He could not help but close His eyes. Another interpretation is that Krishna closed His eyes because He simply took Pütanä to be His nurse. Pütanä came to Krishna just to offer her breast for the Lord to suck. Krishna is so merciful that even though He knew Pütanä was there to kill Him, He took her as His nurse or mother.

There are seven kinds of mothers according to Vedic injunction: the real mother, the wife of a teacher or spiritual master, the wife of a king, the wife of a brähmaëa, the cow, the nurse and mother earth. Because Pütanä came to take Krishna on her lap and offer her breast milk to be sucked by Him, she was accepted by Krishna as one of His mothers. That is considered to be another reason He closed His eyes: He had to kill a nurse or mother. But His killing of His mother or nurse was no different from His love for His real mother or foster mother Yaçodä. We further understand from Vedic information that Pütanä was also treated as a mother and given the same facility as Yaçodä. As Yaçodä was given liberation from the material world, Pütanä was also given liberation. When the baby Krishna closed His eyes, Pütanä took Him on her lap. She did not know that she was holding death personified. If a person mistakes a snake for a rope, he dies. Similarly, Pütanä had killed so many babies before meeting Krishna, and she mistook Him to be like them, but now she was accepting the snake that would kill her immediately.

When Pütanä was taking baby Krishna on her lap, both Yaçodä and Rohiëé were present, but they did not forbid her because she was so beautifully dressed, and because she showed motherly affection towards Krishna. They could not understand that she was a sword within a decorated case. Pütanä had smeared a very powerful poison on her breasts, and immediately after taking the baby on her lap, she pushed her breastly nipple within His mouth. She was hoping that as soon as He would suck her breast, He would die. But baby Krishna very quickly took the nipple in anger. He sucked the milk-poison along with the life air of the demon. In other words, Krishna simultaneously sucked the milk from her breast and killed her by sucking out her life. Krishna is so merciful that because the demon Pütanä came to offer her breast milk to Him, He fulfilled her desire and accepted her activity as motherly. But to stop her from further nefarious activities, He immediately killed her. And because the demon was killed by Krishna, she got liberation. As Krishna pressed her breast extremely hard and sucked out her very breath, Pütanä fell down on the ground, spread her arms and legs and began to cry, “Oh, child, leave me, leave me!” She was crying loudly and perspiring, and her whole body became wet.

As she died screaming, there was a tremendous vibration on the earth and in the sky, on the upper and lower planets and in all directions, and people thought that thunderbolts were falling. Thus the nightmare of the Pütanä witch was over, and she assumed her real feature as a great demon. She opened her fierce mouth and spread her arms and legs all over. She fell exactly as Våträsura did when struck by the thunderbolt of Indra. The long hair on her head was scattered all over her body. Her fallen body extended up to twelve miles and smashed all the trees to pieces, and everyone was struck with wonder upon seeing this gigantic body. Her teeth appeared just like plows, and her nostrils appeared just like mountain caves. Her breasts appeared like small hills, and her hair was a vast reddish bush. Her eye sockets appeared like blind wells, and her two thighs appeared like two banks of a river. Her two hands appeared like two strongly constructed bridges, and her abdomen seemed like a dried-up lake. All the cowherd men and women became struck with awe and wonder upon seeing this. And the tumultuous sound of her falling shocked their brains and ears and made their hearts beat strongly.

When the gopés saw little Krishna fearlessly playing on Pütanä’s lap, they very quickly came and picked Him up. Mother Yaçodä, Rohiëé and other elder gopés immediately performed the auspicious rituals by taking the tail of a cow and circumambulating His body. The child was completely washed with the urine of a cow, and the dust created by the hooves of the cows was thrown all over His body. This was all just to save little Krishna from future inauspicious accidents. This incident gives us a clear indication of how important the cow is to the family, society and to living beings in general. The transcendental body of Krishna did not require any protection, but to instruct us on the importance of the cow, the Lord was smeared over with cow dung, washed with the urine of a cow, and sprinkled with the dust upraised by the walking of the cows.

After this purificatory process, the gopés, headed by mother Yaçodä and Rohiëé, chanted twelve names of Vishnu to give Krishna’s body full protection from all evil influences. They washed their hands and feet and sipped water three times, as is the custom before chanting mantra. They chanted as follows: “My dear Krishna, may the Lord who is known as Aja protect Your legs; may Lord Maëimän protect Your knees; may Lord Yajïa protect Your thighs; may Lord Acyuta protect Your upper waist; may Lord Hayagréva protect Your abdomen; may Lord Keçava protect Your heart; may Lord Éça protect Your chest; may Lord Sürya protect Your neck; may Lord Vishnu protect Your arms; may Lord Urukrama protect Your face; may Lord Éçvara protect Your head; may Lord Cakradhara protect Your front; may Lord Gadädhara protect Your back; may Lord Madhusüdana, who carries a bow in His hand, protect Your right side; may Lord Ajana protect Your left side; may Lord Urugäya with His conchshell protect You on all sides; may the Personality of Godhead Upendra protect You from above; may Lord Tärkñya protect You on the ground; may Lord Haladhara protect You from all sides; may the Personality of Godhead known as Håñékeça protect all Your senses; may Lord Näräyaëa protect Your life airs; may the Lord of Çvetadvépa, Näräyaëa, protect the core of Your heart; may Lord Yogeçvara protect Your mind; may Lord Påçnigarbha protect Your intelligence; and may the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect Your soul. While You are playing, may Lord Govinda protect You from all sides, and when You are sleeping, may Lord Mädhava protect You from all danger; when You are walking, may the Lord of Vaikuëöha protect You from falling down; when You are sitting, may Lord Näräyaëa give You all protection; and while You are eating, may the Lord of all sacrifices give You all protection.”

Thus mother Yaçodä chanted different names of Vishnu to protect child Krishna’s different bodily parts. Mother Yaçodä was firmly convinced that she should protect her child from different kinds of evil spirits and ghosts—namely Òäkinés, Yätudhänés, Kuñmäëòas, Yakñas, Räkñasas, Vinäyakas, Koöaräs, Revatés, Jyeñöhäs, Pütanäs, Mätåkäs, Unmädas and similar other evil spirits, who cause persons to forget their own existence and give trouble to the life airs and the senses. Sometimes they appear in dreams and cause much perturbation; sometimes they appear as old women and suck the blood of small children. But no such ghosts and evil spirits can remain where there is chanting of the holy name of God. Mother Yaçodä was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Vishnu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Vishnu just to protect her child Krishna. She recited all the holy names of Vishnu so that He might save the child. Vedic culture has taken advantage of keeping cows and chanting the holy name of Vishnu since the beginning of history, and persons who are still following the Vedic ways, especially the householders, keep at least one dozen cows and worship the Deity of Lord Vishnu, who is installed in their house. Persons who are advancing in Krishna consciousness should take instruction from this pastime and also be very much interested in cows and the holy name of Vishnu.

The elder gopés of Våndävana were so absorbed in affection for Krishna that they wanted to save Him, although there was no need to, for He had already protected Himself. They could not understand that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a child. After performing the formalities to protect the child, mother Yaçodä took Krishna and let Him suck her breast. When the child was protected by Vishnu-mantra, mother Yaçodä felt that He was safe. In the meantime, all the cowherd men who had gone to Mathurä to pay tax returned home and were struck with wonder at seeing the gigantic dead body of Pütanä.

Nanda Mahäräja recalled the prophecy of Vasudeva and considered him a great sage and mystic yogé; otherwise, how could he have foretold an incident that happened during his absence from Våndävana? After this, all the residents of Vraja cut the gigantic body of Pütanä into pieces and piled it up with wood for burning. When all the limbs of Pütanä’s body were burning, the smoke emanating from the fire created a good aroma of aguru. This aroma was due to her being killed by Krishna. This means that the demon Pütanä was washed of all her sinful activities and attained a celestial body. Here is an example of how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-good: Pütanä came to kill Krishna, but because He sucked her milk, she was immediately purified, and her dead body attained a transcendental quality. Her only business was to kill small children; she was only fond of blood. But in spite of being envious of Krishna, she attained salvation because she gave her milk to Him to drink. So what can be said of those who are affectionate to Krishna in the relationship of mother, who with great love and affection render service to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul of every living entity?

It is concluded therefore that even a little energy expended in the service of the Lord gives one immense transcendental profit. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gétä: sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya träyate mahato bhayät. Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is so sublime that even a little service to Krishna, knowingly or unknowingly, gives one the greatest transcendental benefit. The system of worshiping Krishna by offering flowers from a tree is also beneficial for the living entity who is confined to the bodily existence of that tree. When flowers and fruits are offered to Krishna, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly. The arcana process, or worshiping procedure, is therefore beneficial for everyone. Krishna is worshipable by great demigods like Brahmä and Lord Çiva, and Pütanä was so fortunate that the same Krishna played in her lap as a little child. The lotus feet of Krishna, which are worshiped by great sages and devotees, were placed on the body of Pütanä. People worship Krishna and offer food with great reverence and devotion, but automatically He sucked the milk from the body of Pütanä. Devotees therefore pray that if simply by offering something as an enemy Pütanä got so much benefit, then who can measure the benefit of worshiping Krishna in love and affection? Therefore only Krishna should be worshiped, for so much benefit awaits the worshiper.

Although Pütanä was an evil spirit, she gained elevation just like the mother of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is clear that the cows and the elder gopés who offered milk to Krishna were also elevated to the transcendental position. Krishna can offer anyone anything, from liberation to anything materially conceivable. Therefore, there cannot be any doubt of the salvation of Pütanä, whose bodily milk was sucked by Krishna for such a long time. And how can there be any doubt about the salvation of the gopés who were so fond of Krishna? Undoubtedly all the gopés, cowherd boys, cows and everyone else who served Krishna in Våndävana with love and affection were liberated from the miserable condition of material existence.

When all the inhabitants of Våndävana smelled the good aroma from the smoke of the burning Pütanä, they inquired from each other, “Where is this good fragrance coming from?” And while conversing, they came to understand that it was the fumes of the burning Pütanä. They were very fond of Krishna, and as soon as they heard that the demon Pütanä had been killed by Krishna, they offered blessings to the little child out of affection. After the burning of Pütanä, Nanda Mahäräja came home and immediately took up the child on his lap and began to smell His head. In this way, he was quite satisfied that his little child was saved from this great calamity. Çréla Çukadeva Gosvämé has given a blessing to all persons who hear the narration of the killing of Pütanä by Krishna: they will surely attain the favor of Govinda.