Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 10.6.37-38

padbhyāḿ bhakta-hṛdi-sthābhyāḿ

vandyābhyāḿ loka-vanditaiḥ

ańgaḿ 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; ańgam — 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?

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 Kaḿsa 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.

<<< >>>

Copyright © The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari