The cold air was hitting Putana’s face, and the edges of her sari fluttered in the wind.

Her giant
body was moving swiftly, passing over the hills, valleys, and fields. Her gaze was fixed towards
the North, her heart was filled with a single desire: to fulfill the mission entrusted to her by her
master.
Putana’s lord was the powerful king of Bhoja dynasty, Kamsa – son of Ugrasena, cruel and
unscrupulous as only an asura – God hating and phobic creature can be. After dethroning and
imprisoning his own father, defeating all opposing kings and subduing other threatening
elements, he was still terrified of his death to be – Lord Visnu. Visnu, chief of the demigods had
already been born somewhere and she, Putana was the one entrusted with the mission to find
and liquidate Him. Being a khecari – the witch, she was the right person to locate and kill new
born children. Born in the family that has been cultivating witchcraft for generations, her mystic
abilities were innate, and her grandfather and father were famous masters of black art. Her
brothers, Agha and Bakha have also been trained in the family tradition and Putana or Baki,
though a girl was not less of a talent than them. She had already killed hundreds of infants, but
her ambition wasn’t fulfilled. Only when Visnu, the chief of the demigods and the enemy of her
master Kamsa, meets death at her hands, will her heart be content.
Slowing down her motion, Putana began observing landscape beneath her. She was already
above Vraja, the area of Mathura’s kingdom where Kamsa’s spies reported Visnu had appeared
in disguise as an infant named Krishna. Whole area was covered with trees and pasturing
grounds. Rivers of white cows with their calves were flowing in all directions. Beautiful gardens
were filled with flowers and the sounds of humming bees and singing birds. The lakes with lotus
flowers, ducks and swans were increasing the beauty of whole scene. Village houses were
aesthetically ornamented with fragrant incenses and ghee lamps. Village men and women
appeared to be beautiful, well dressed and in a joyful mood.
After smoothly landing in the remote corner of the forest grove, Putana, the mistress of black
art, effortlessly transformed her terrible form, into the most beautiful lady. She had perfectly
shaped figure and was dressed most attractively, drawing attention of everybody she met. Sash
of bells danced on her hips and necklace of large pearls played on her breast. Her face
resembled lotus whorl and her black hair being scattered over her forehead was decorated with
malika flowers. Smiling coquettishly she was able to bewilder the mind of even Cupid himself.

When residents of Vraja saw her, they thought:” This most splendid lady walking on the pathway
of our eyes must be Laksmidevi, Goddess of fortune herself. She must have come to see
Krishna who according to the words of Garga Muni is non different from Lord Narayana”. Thus
everybody gave her free passage, being bewildered by her extraordinary beauty. Unobstructed,
she entered the palace of Nanda Maharaj, king of Vraja. Being lead by her unfailing raksasi
instinct she proceeded straight to the maternal room where newborn baby was located. Mothers
Rohini and Yasoda saw her entering, but as everybody else, being influenced by her beauty and
gentle manners, didn’t say anything when she approached the place where baby Krishna was
lying. Raksasi Putana’s face was as attractive as a blossoming lotus flower during autumn and
her words were very sweet and pleasing to the ear, but her heart was extremely sharp, like the
blade of razor.
She saw Krishna lying in the cradle on His back, His eyes half open. His lotus face was
encircled by locks of soft black hair tinged with red; His cheeks were splendid like fool moons
and His lips were reddish like the bimba fruit. His neck was marked with three lines like
conchshell and His whole body that had a hue of a monsoon cloud was as soft as butter. Seeing
Krishna Putana smiled as affectionate mother would and thought to herself:”This child is
thousands of times more lovely than any other I’ve seen. It is softening my heart and distracting
me from my task to kill him. If I had not been Khecari, I would have desired to fondle him as my

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son…” But then second voice in her head interfered: “O Putana, stop being childish. When I
was a small girl who loved playing with baby dolls, my Mum would tell me that if I nurtured these
sort of soft feelings I would never become Khecari thus disappointing all our ancestors. Now I
must reject this weakness and do my duty. I’ve killed hundreds of children already and never felt
any feebleness before… But why is my heart now throbbing with no reason? Does it want to tell
me that this cutie is like powerful fire covered by ashes and is able to completely extinguish my
race?
Ridiculous, how can a mere infant do any harm to me, undisputed mistress of black art? I’m
becoming childish due to influence of my younger brothers, Agha and Bakha, who are still just
immature lads. Our family never had any weaklings and I must uphold its reputation. Let me
finish with this Visnu at once.”
Lord Sri Krishna, the all-pervading Supersoul, lying on the bed, understood that Putana, the
witch who was expert in killing small children, had come to kill Him. He looked at her with little
perplexity in His mind. This women who came to Him with sort of motherly affection, though
artificial, made Him feel obliged to give her benediction. But at the same time she came to kill
Him, so how should He respond? Lord then remembered that she had already killed so many
innocent children in Vraja and that aroused transcendental anger in His mind. Closing His eyes,
Lord contemplated for a moment the history of Putana’s previous life.

Millions of years ago, they had met in the field known as Bhrigukaccha, on the Northern side of
Narmada River. It was the place where Bali Maharaj, the king of asuras was performing
aswamedha sacrifice. All the priests, along with Bali Maharaj and other members of the
assembly saw Him, Lord Vamanadeva, brighter than the Sun, appearing on the entrance of
sacrificial arena and causing them to lose their bodily splendor. Holding the rod, the umbrella
and a waterpot in His hand, He slowly walked in, attracting minds of everybody present.
Appearing as a brahmana boy, wearing a belt of straw, a sacred thread, an upper garment of
deerskin, and matted locks of hair Lord looked exclusively charming. All the priests and their
disciples stood up and offered obeisances to Him. Bali Maharaj, feeling very jubilant, also stood
up with his wife Vindyavali, daughter Ratnamala and other family members and offered his
respects. After offering sitting place to Lord Vamanadeva Bali worshiped Him by washing His
lotus feet. Standing behind, Bali’s young daughter could not divert her glance from Lord
Vamanadeva, whose beautiful limbs contributed equally to the beauty of His entire body.
Ratnamala, whose mind was captured by the unique loveliness of that small brahmana boy, felt
her heart bubbling with motherly affection. She thought, "If this cute boy had been my son, I
would have fed him my milk."Being Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities, Lord
Vamanadeva immediately became aware of her desire. Feeling obliged to her father and
wishing to reciprocate her affectionate feeling, Lord blessed her with His merciful glance:”evam
astu – So be it.”
After listening the prayers of King Bali, Lord Vamanadeva begged charity from him and then in
just two steps took whole universe. Garuda, carrier of Lord Visnu, understanding purpose of the
Lord, arrested Bali Maharaj, for not being able to fulfill his promise to give three steps of land in
charity to the Lord. Seeing her father deprived of all his wealth, humiliated and bound by the
ropes of Varuna, Ratnamala, felt uncontrollable anger overwhelming her whole being. Looking
at Vamanadeva, her feelings having now swung into opposite direction, she thought: “If you
become my son, I would feed you my breast milk, but milk mixed with poison. I wish to kill you.”
Again understanding her intense feelings that have now assumed opposite quality, Lord
Vamanadeva thought for a moment: “First she desired to feed me as her son, and now she
desires to kill me! Who can fulfill such contradictory desires of the living entity? But I am
Supreme Person and all contradictions are resolved in me. Evam astu - So be it.”
Having remembered the previous life history of this charming yet dangerous lady standing
above Him, Lord Krishna resolved within His mind: “Now is the time to fulfill desires she had in

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her previous birth.” Hugging the child to her breast, Putana pushed her nipple into His mouth.
She had smeared the nipple with a fast-acting, deadly poison. Krishna squeezed her breast with
both His hands and began to suck very hard. Putana broke out in a sweat, something was going
wrong. It seemed that this baby was not sucking only her breast milk but also all her energy and
very life force as well. Her hair loosened, her eyes bulged, and she started flailing her arms and
legs. Feeling intense pain, she jumped up, desperately trying to knock the baby away, but
Krishna’s tough grip was impossible to break. Screaming “Stop! Stop! Enough! Enough!” she
ran out of the house and far out of the village. Holding fast to her breast Krishna sucked out the
poison, her milk and her very life too. Her screams echoing through the meadows and pastures,
Putana left her body which returned to its original, gigantic, monstrous form. Falling down, her
giant form leveled trees in the twelve miles circumference, leaving disastrous scene. When the
first gopis and gopas arrived, they could see small baby Krishna innocently crawling over her
chest.