SB 10.6.38 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

पद्‌भ्यां भक्तहृदिस्थाभ्यां वन्द्याभ्यां लोकवन्दितै: । अङ्गं यस्या: समाक्रम्य भगवानपितत् स्तनम् ॥ ३७ ॥ यातुधान्यपि सा स्वर्गमवाप जननीगतिम् । कृष्णभुक्तस्तनक्षीरा: किमु गावोऽनुमातर: ॥ ३८ ॥

Verse text

padbhyāṁ bhakta-hṛdi-sthābhyāṁ vandyābhyāṁ loka-vanditaiḥ aṅgaṁ yasyāḥ samākramya bhagavān api tat-stanam yātudhāny api sā svargam avāpa jananī-gatim kṛṣṇa-bhukta-stana-kṣīrāḥ kim u gāvo ’numātaraḥ

Synonyms

padbhyām — by the two lotus feet ; bhakta — hṛdi — sthābhyām — which are always thought of by pure devotees, in whose heart the Lord is therefore situated constantly ; vandyābhyām — which are always to be praised ; loka — vanditaiḥ — by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, who are praised by all the inhabitants of the three worlds ; aṅgam — the body ; yasyāḥ — of whom (Pūtanā) ; samākramya — embracing ; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead ; api — also ; tat — stanam — that breast ; yātudhānī api — although she was a witch (whose only business was to kill small children and who had tried to kill Kṛṣṇa also) ; sā — she ; svargam — the transcendental abode ; avāpa — achieved ; jananī — gatim — the position of a mother ; kṛṣṇa — bhukta — stana — kṣīrāḥ — therefore, because their breasts were sucked by Kṛṣṇa, who drank the milk flowing from their bodies ; kim u — what to speak of ; gāvaḥ — the cows ; anumātaraḥ — exactly like mothers (who allowed their nipples to be sucked by Kṛṣṇa) .

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always situated within the core of the heart of the pure devotee, and He is always offered prayers by such worshipable personalities as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Because Kṛṣṇa embraced Pūtanā’s body with great pleasure and sucked her breast, although she was a great witch, she attained the position of a mother in the transcendental world and thus achieved the highest perfection. What then is to be said of the cows whose nipples Kṛṣṇa sucked with great pleasure and who offered their milk very jubilantly with affection exactly like that of a mother?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, is always situated within the core of the heart of the pure devotee, and He is always offered prayers by such worshipable personalities as Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva. Because Kṛṣṇa embraced Pūtanā's body with great pleasure and sucked her breast, although she was a great witch, she attained the position of a mother in the transcendental world and thus achieved the highest perfection. What then is to be said of the cows whose nipples Kṛṣṇa sucked with great pleasure and who offered their milk very jubilantly with affection exactly like that of a mother? KB 10.6.37-38 Kṛṣṇa is worshipable by great demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva, and Pūtanā was so fortunate that the same Kṛṣṇa played in her lap as a little child. The lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, which are worshiped by great sages and devotees, were placed on the body of Pūtanā. People worship Kṛṣṇa and offer Him food with great reverence and devotion, but automatically He sucked the milk from the body of Pūtanā. Devotees therefore pray that if simply by offering something as an enemy Pūtanā got so much benefit, then who can measure the benefit of worshiping Kṛṣṇa in love and affection? Therefore only Kṛṣṇa should be worshiped, for so much benefit awaits the worshiper. Although Pūtanā 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 gopīs who offered milk to Kṛṣṇa were also elevated to the transcendental position.

Purport

These verses explain how devotional service rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whether directly or indirectly, knowingly or unknowingly, becomes successful. Pūtanā was neither a devotee nor a nondevotee; she was actually a demoniac witch instructed by Kaṁsa to kill Kṛṣṇa. Nonetheless, in the beginning she assumed the form of a very beautiful woman and approached Kṛṣṇa exactly like an affectionate mother, so that mother Yaśodā and Rohiṇī did not doubt her sincerity. The Lord took all this into consideration, and thus she was automatically promoted to a position like that of mother Yaśodā. As explained by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, there are various roles one may play in such a position. Pūtanā was immediately promoted to Vaikuṇṭhaloka, which is also sometimes described as Svarga. The Svarga mentioned in this verse is not the material heavenly planet, but the transcendental world. In Vaikuṇṭhaloka, Pūtanā attained the position of a nurse ( dhātry-ucitām ), as described by Uddhava. Pūtanā was elevated to the position of a nurse and maidservant in Goloka Vṛndāvana to assist mother Yaśodā.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

In two verse is expressed the greatness of Putana’s attainment through the mercy of the Lord. Putana whose body was treaded upon by the feet of Krsna which are situated in the heart of the devotees and worshiped by those worthy of worship (devatas) and from whose breast Krsna drank milk, though being a rakasi, attained the supreme abode as a mother of the Lord. Those feet are situated only in the hearts of the devotees (bhakta hrdi sthabhyam) but Putana was not a devotee,-- she was not even a non devotee. She was an enemy of Krsna. Those feet are worshiped by entities worthy of worship such as Brahma and Siva (vandabhyam loka vanditaih), but Putana did not worship those feet, nor did she not worship those feet (she did worse). Rather at the time of her death she tried to dislodge those feet from her chest, and unable to do so, with her hands she began to beat them with all her strength. He stepped on her with his feet with force, not just touching her (samakramya samyak—completely). She attained svarga. This is explained in Bhagavatam 11.7.1 " Brahma, Siva and the loka palas now pray to live in vaikuntha dhama (svarga)." And in 10.14. 35 Brahma says, "Putana attained you along with her vamsa." According to these two verses, svarga must mean vaikuntha, not the temporary heavenly sphere called svarga. What is that vaikuntha? Janani gatim--what mother Yasoda attained. It was Goloka. So Putana attained Goloka, but a position predominated by happiness and reverence. She did not attain the place predominated by service in prema. One cannot say that she attained the status of a mother. 10.6. 36 says that place is reserved for those who are anuragi (rakta). And verse 38 says that the cows and motherly gopis who fed Krsna milk during the brahma mohana lila attained a higher destination than Putana. How could Putana, whose enmity was equal to Kamsa’s though she imitated the dress and emotion of a gopi, attain the same status as Yasoda? Therefore Uddhava says that she attained a status like a nurse (gataim labhe dhatry ucitam). Thus in the present verse some interpret the word janani (mother) in the present verse to be dhatri (nurse). But even then one should not say that she was a direct nurse, but rather attained a form like a nurse in a Goloka filled with sukhaisvarya.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

“If she was so evil, how did she attain Kṛṣṇa?” If one sees his powers, it is not astonishing. Though this can be said, two verses show that something more astonishing also happened by giving the details. He stepped on Pūtanā with his feet which are situated in the hearts of devotees (but not directly contacted) and not others-- with his feet suitable to be worshipped by all people including even great devotees like Brahmā and Śiva, though even they cannot serve him directly and touch those feet. But when he drank from her breast, she attained Kṛṣṇa. How astonishing! The cause is his mercy, evoked because she imitated the mood of a mother. Sad-veṣād iva pūtanāpi sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā: You have already arranged to give yourself to Pūtanā and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. (SB 10.14.35) aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than he who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Pūtanā] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast? SB 3.2.23 She attained Kṛṣṇa’s planet (svargam). Svarga means the place of highest happiness (not the heavenly planet) as in the following verse. Brahmā bhavo loka-pālāḥ svar-vāsaṁ me ’bhikāṅkṣiṇaḥ: Brahmā, Śiva and all other planetary rulers are now praying for me to resume my residence in Vaikuṇṭha. (SB 11.7.1) She did not attain a place in the material world: ya etat pūtanā-mokṣaṁ kṛṣṇasyārbhakam adbhutam śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā martyo govinde labhate ratim Any person who hears with faith and devotion about how Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord, killed Pūtanā, and who thus invests his hearing in such childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, certainly attains attachment for Govinda, the supreme, original person. SB 10.6.44 She attained Kṛṣṇa for it will be said sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā: you have already arranged to give yourself to Pūtanā and her family members. (SB 10.14.35) That place called Gokula is not part of the material world. Kṛṣṇa Upaniṣad says gokulaṁ vanavaikuṇṭham: Gokula is Vaikuṇṭha with forests. Brahma-saṁhitā says gokokulākhyaṁ mahat padam: this highest place is called Gokula. Brahma-samhitā describes that the walls are made of cintāmaṇi. The place of Kṛṣṇa called Goloka is famous: goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma bhūto govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi I worship the Supreme Lord Govinda who, though regarding all the inhabitants as his very self, resides only in Goloka. Brahma-saṁhitā 5.37 She attained the position of a mother (jananī-gatim). This means that she attained the position of a nurse who can care for the Lord like Yaśodā. Obtaining a position as a mother of some other form of the Lord is ruled out, for it will be said “You offered yourself to her.” (SB 10.14.35) Lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ: she attained the position suitable for a nurse and none other. (SB 3.2.23) “But it says in the verse that she attained the position of a mother, not a nurse.” No, it is also said that Pūtanā attained the position of a nurse, since the verse indicates the greater fortune of the cows and mothers fed Kṛṣṇa milk (during the Brahmā-mohana pastime). The cows are secondary and the mothers are the primary subjects. Instead of nu mātraḥ the words can be taken as anumātaraḥ (secondary mothers). Or the meaning can be “What to speak of the cows who acted as mothers.” By this expression Yaśodā is placed above all others. This may also be concluded since Kṛṣṇa only pretended to drink Pūtanā’s milk. This is indicated by using the work kṣīra (milk) in the last line. He did not drink milk from Pūtanā’s breast whereas he drank milk from the cows and gopīs.

Purport (Sanatana Goswami)

It is astonishing that such a women could attain the highest goal. Again this is praised. She attained the goal like a mother because the Lord tread on her limbs and drank from her breast. She was tred by the Lord’s feet which are the object of meditation for the devotees and are suitable for praise by Brahmā and others. But they are not capable of meditating on those feet. He directly stepped on her limbs (samākramya), and was held in her lap as if she were Devakī or a mother. She attained a goal similar to those who act as mothers and have Kṛṣṇa drink their milk, just as he drank cows’ milk. Uddhyava says: aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato ’nyaṁ kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema Oh! Evil Pūtanā, who offered her poisonous breast to Kṛṣṇa to drink with the intention of killing him, attained the position of a nurse in the spiritual world. How else is so merciful? I surrender to him! SB 3.2.23 Did she go to Vaikuṇṭha? No. She attained Svarga. It is said: ya etat pūtanā-mokṣaṁ kṛṣṇasyārbhakam adbhutam śṛṇuyāc chraddhayā martyo govinde labhate ratim Any person who hears with faith Kṛṣṇa’s remarkable pastime of liberating Pūtanā attains attachment for Govinda. SB 10.6.44 Or she attained the goal of a mother. That is indicated because Svarga also means the planet of Viṣṇu: sad-veṣād iva pūtanāpi sa-kulā tvām eva devāpitā yad-dhāmārtha-suhṛt-priyātma-tanaya-prāṇāśayās tvat-kṛte Thinking of this, my mind becomes bewildered. You awarded yourself even to Pūtanā and her family members because she wore the disguise of a nurse. Sb 10 1.435 Attaining the Lord (tvām) means she attained the happiness of a relationship with him. She attained a goal different from that of other demons. What to speak of the cows whose milk Kṛṣṇa drank all (nu) and mothers who gave their milk to him? They attained Svarga of course. By repetition of the statement there is no doubt about her attainment. In attaining this goal at death by giving her breast, though she was full of faults and violence, the other cause is the touch of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet. Actually she attained the goal because the Lord was most merciful on seeing her great suffering on dying. Uddhava says: kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema Who else is so merciful? I surrender to him! SB 10 3.2.23 She attained the goal like a mother because of giving her breast and acting with affection. That is the conclusion. Or Yātudhānis attain Svarga. What then to speak of the cows attaining the position of mothers? Nu indicates conjecture. It was because they were mothers. Or were the cows secondary mothers (anumātaraḥ)? No, their breast milk was drunk by the Lord.