SB 10.6.36 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पूतना लोकबालघ्नी राक्षसी रुधिराशना । जिघांसयापि हरये स्तनं दत्त्वाप सद्गतिम् ॥ ३५ ॥ किं पुन: श्रद्धया भक्त्या कृष्णाय परमात्मने । यच्छन् प्रियतमं किं नु रक्तास्तन्मातरो यथा ॥ ३६ ॥

Verse text

pūtanā loka-bāla-ghnī rākṣasī rudhirāśanā jighāṁsayāpi haraye stanaṁ dattvāpa sad-gatim kiṁ punaḥ śraddhayā bhaktyā kṛṣṇāya paramātmane yacchan priyatamaṁ kiṁ nu raktās tan-mātaro yathā

Synonyms

pūtanā — Pūtanā, the professional Rākṣasī ; loka — bāla — ghnī — who used to kill human children ; rākṣasī — the she-demon ; rudhira — aśanā — simply hankering for blood ; jighāṁsayā — with the desire to kill Kṛṣṇa (being envious of Kṛṣṇa and having been instructed by Kaṁsa) ; api — still ; haraye — unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; stanam — her breast ; dattvā — after offering ; āpa — obtained ; sat — gatim — the most elevated position of spiritual existence ; kim — what to speak of ; punaḥ — again ; śraddhayā — with faith ; bhaktyā — by devotion ; kṛṣṇāya — unto Lord Kṛṣṇa ; paramātmane — who is the Supreme Person ; yacchan — offering ; priya — tamam — the dearmost ; kim — something ; nu — indeed ; raktāḥ — those who have an affinity ; tat — mātaraḥ — Kṛṣṇa’s affectionate mothers (offering the beloved child their breasts) ; yathā — exactly like .

Translation

Pūtanā was always hankering for the blood of human children, and with that desire she came to kill Kṛṣṇa; but because she offered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achievement. What then is to be said of those who had natural devotion and affection for Kṛṣṇa as mothers and who offered Him their breasts to suck or offered something very dear, as a mother offers something to a child?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Pūtanā was always hankering for the blood of human children, and with that desire she came to kill Kṛṣṇa; but because she offered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achievement. What then is to be said of those who had natural devotion and affection for Kṛṣṇa as mothers and who offered Him their breasts to suck or offered something very dear, as a mother offers something to a child? KB 10.6.35-36 Here is an example of how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-good: Pūtanā came to kill Kṛṣṇa, 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 Kṛṣṇa, she attained salvation because she gave her milk to Him to drink. So what can be said of those who are affectionate to Kṛṣṇa in the relationship of mother, who with great love and affection always serve 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-gītā: sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so sublime that even a little service rendered to Kṛṣṇa, knowingly or unknowingly, gives one the greatest transcendental benefit. The system of worshiping Kṛṣṇa 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 Kṛṣṇa, the tree that bore them also receives much benefit, indirectly. The arcana process, or worshiping procedure, is therefore beneficial for everyone.

Purport

Pūtanā had no affection for Kṛṣṇa; rather, she was envious and wanted to kill Him. Nonetheless, because with or without knowledge she offered her breast, she attained the highest achievement in life. But the offerings of devotees attracted to Kṛṣṇa in parental love are always sincere. A mother likes to offer something to her child with affection and love; there is no question of envy. So here we can make a comparative study. If Pūtanā could attain such an exalted position in spiritual life by neglectfully, enviously making an offering to Kṛṣṇa, what is to be said of mother Yaśodā and the other gopīs, who served Kṛṣṇa with such great affection and love, offering everything for Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction? The gopīs automatically achieved the highest perfection. Therefore Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu recommended the affection of the gopīs, either in maternal affection or in conjugal love, as the highest perfection in life ( ramyā kācid upāsanā vrajavadhū-vargeṇa yā kalpitā ).

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

If a person offers service with an attempt to kill and attains the goal of life, how much more will a person attain who offers with a neutral attitude. And how much more will a person attain who offers with faith? And how much more will a person attain who offers with pure bhakti? (kum uta concerning bhakti). And if a person offers to an avatara of the Lord he will attain the supreme destination. How much more will a person attain who worships the source of all avataras, Krsna? (kim uta concerning visaya) If one offers a poison breast to Krsna and attains the supreme, how much more one will attain by offering a more poisonous object? If one offers a dear object certainly one will attain a higher destination. But if one offers a dearer object, then how much more he will attain. And if one offers the dearmost object, certainly he will attain the highest destination. (kim uta concening the offering) If Putana, a raksasi, could attain the highest destination, what should a human being attain? If one is devotee, how much more he will attain. And if he is lover of the Lord (rakta), will he not attain attain the highest award? Then what to speak of the elderly gopis who had extreme affection for the Lord during the stealing of the calves by Lord Brahma ? (offering their breast milk to Krsna favorably though they were not his mother.) (kim uta concerning the asraya) Paying respects to Yasoda from a distance, having put her in the highest position, I will write no more , because it is beyond words.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

By species she was a Rākṣasī, but she was also a killer of children, and as well a drinker of blood. She offered her breast to Hari, who had the intention of taking away (harati) her faults. What to speak giving with external hatred to Paramātmā who gives general benefit by giving power of knowledge and action to almost dead internal and external senses, and of giving to Kṛṣṇa, who naturally attracts all hearts to himself by revelation of his ocean of qualities. Even a limited amount of his qualities give benefit to persons like Pūtanā. She attained Kṛṣṇa, the goal of the devotees (sad-gatim). What more will happen if one offers with faith? And what more will happen if one offers with bhakti or devotion. The word priyatamam also indicates degrees. What more will happen if one offers with affection something dear to Kṛṣṇa, if one offers with great affection what is dearer and if one offers with the highest affection what is dearest? And what to speak of the result for those whose very life is Kṛṣṇa, who are only happy with his happiness? That is the intention of saying kim punaḥ and then kim nu. Then what to speak of giving as a mother? The position of mother is established as supreme. The example of gopīs in madhura-rasa is not given because mothers show the greatest attraction to their children at the time of feeding them.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

She attained the highest goal (sad-gatim) or the goal like the devotees and those desiring liberation. She gained a goal similar to the devotees by destruction of suffering, birth and death, after liberation. She attained this because she offered her breast to Kṛṣṇa. By species she was a Rākṣasī, but she was also a killer of children, and as well a drinker of blood. She offered her breast to Hari, who had the intention of taking away (harati) her faults. What can be said of those who offer the best object with bhakti (śraddhayā) and prema (bhakyā) to he who is dearer than the self (paramātmane), to he who is the dearest to the self (kṛṣṇāha)? They attain pure bhakti like his mother. Yacchan (giving) is in the present tense to indicate that even in this body, while offering one attains this position. Or what else can be said? Just as offering the best with faith (śraddhayā) and respect (bhaktyā) one attains the highest goal. Affectionate (raktāḥ) mothers attain the same goal. Or just as attached persons attain the goal, mothers attain the goal.