Devanagari
तां तीक्ष्णचित्तामतिवामचेष्टितां
वीक्ष्यान्तरा कोषपरिच्छदासिवत् ।
वरस्त्रियं तत्प्रभया च धर्षिते
निरीक्ष्यमाणे जननी ह्यतिष्ठताम् ॥ ९ ॥
Verse text
tāṁ tīkṣṇa-cittām ativāma-ceṣṭitāṁ
vīkṣyāntarā koṣa-paricchadāsivat
vara-striyaṁ tat-prabhayā ca dharṣite
nirīkṣyamāṇe jananī hy atiṣṭhatām
Synonyms
tām
—
that (Pūtanā Rākṣasī)
;
tīkṣṇa
—
cittām — having a very fierce heart for killing the child
;
ati
—
vāma — ceṣṭitām — although she was trying to treat the child better than a mother
;
vīkṣya antarā
—
seeing her within the room
;
koṣa
—
paricchada — asi — vat — like a sharp sword within a soft sheath
;
vara
—
striyam — the very beautiful woman
;
tat
—
prabhayā — by her influence
;
ca
—
also
;
dharṣite
—
being overwhelmed
;
nirīkṣyamāṇe
—
were seeing
;
jananī
—
the two mothers
;
hi
—
indeed
;
atiṣṭhatām
—
they remained silent, without prohibiting .
Translation
Pūtanā Rākṣasī’s heart was fierce and cruel, but she looked like a very affectionate mother. Thus she resembled a sharp sword in a soft sheath. Although seeing her within the room, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī, overwhelmed by her beauty, did not stop her, but remained silent because she treated the child like a mother.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Pūtanā Rākṣasī's heart was fierce and cruel, but she looked like a very affectionate mother. Thus she resembled a sharp sword in a soft sheath. Although seeing her within the room, Yaśodā and Rohiṇī, overwhelmed by her beauty, did not stop her, but remained silent because she treated the child like a mother.
KB 10.6.9
When Pūtanā was taking baby Kṛṣṇa on her lap, both Yaśodā and Rohiṇī were present, but because she was so beautifully dressed and showed motherly affection toward Kṛṣṇa, they did not forbid her. They could not understand that she was a sword within a decorated case.
Purport
Although Pūtanā was an outsider and although she personified fierce death because the determination within her heart was to kill the child, when she directly came and placed the child on her lap to offer the child her breast to suck, the mothers were so captivated by her beauty that they did not prohibit her. Sometimes a beautiful woman is dangerous because everyone, being captivated by external beauty (
māyā-mohita
), is unable to understand what is in her mind. Those who are captivated by the beauty of the external energy are called
māyā-mohita.
Mohitaṁ nābhijānāti mām ebhyaḥ param avyayam
(
Bg. 7.13
).
Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ
(
Bhāg.
7.5.31
). Here, of course, the two mothers Rohiṇī and Yaśodā were not
māyā-mohita,
deluded by the external energy, but to develop the pastimes of the Lord, they were captivated by Yoga-māyā. Such
māyā-moha
is the action of Yoga-māyā.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Why did Yasoda and Rohini not stop Putana? This verse answers the question. She acted like a very attentive mother. Though inside inwardly she was cruel, externally she was gentle. She was like a sharp knife in a soft leather sheath. Yasoda and Rohini were overwhelmed by her influence (tat prabhaya), thinking that Ambika, Indrani or Laksmi of the three worlds had come to feed Krsna out of motherly love. Thus they stood there watching her, not preventing her from holding the child.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Instead of ati sometimes atha (meaning “very much” in this case) is seen. It modifies both phrases. Pūtanā had a very cruel heart and very gentle conduct. Because of her gentle exterior her real motive could not be detected. Because she came within the house, the two mothers did not detect her motive, since they could not conceive that an evil person would suddenly enter a stranger’s house. They had no doubts because she appeared to be the best of women. They were overpowered by the power of her show of affection (tat-prabhayā). The word jananī (singular) is used for the dual number by poetic license, following rules like Pāṇini 7.1.39.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
They saw her in the room, near the child (antarā), as the best of women, though she had a cruel heart and had crooked activities (vāma-ceṣṭitām). Though they saw her, they just stood there. They did not stop her because they were bewildered (dharṣite) by her beauty, since she was affectionate like a mother (prabhayā), or they were overcome by the Lord’s power, since he wanted to suck Pūtanā’s life air. Otherwise they would have prevented her and she would not be able to put Kṛṣṇa on her lap.
Or though cruel hearted, she had charming actions like a mother (vāma-ceṣṭitām). She did not seem wicked. Evil persons cannot suddenly enter others’ houses. They had faith that she was a good woman. Thus they did not do anything, overpowered by her beauty and charm. She was capable of doing her actions, like a knife in a sheath.