Putana's End and Protection Rituals to the Lord

Srimad Bhagavatam - Putana's End and Protection Rituals to the Lord 

Putana, a demon with a cruel heart, had a tendency to kill babies. Otherwise, she wasn't brave enough. On being instructed by Kamsa, she started searching for newborn babies in every city, village, hamlet in, and around Mathura. 

Camouflage in beautiful dresses, she would get access to newborn babies and would kill them through breastfeed. She wouldn't dare to go near yagna, yaga, and where prayers are conducted to Sriman Narayana.

Demon Putana was moving around in the sky and had a glance at Gokulam. She felt someone was performing a ‘Jatakarma' function, and immediately she landed there. She converted herself into a beautiful woman and entered Nanda's house. 

None stopped her, though she was a stranger. Probably her appearance and beauty befooled everyone. She saw the Lord (baby Krishna) and decided to finish Him. 

The Lord was hiding his prowess, and hence, Putana was not afraid of Him. He recognized Putana even by closing His eyes. He looked innocent. 

Putana took Him on her lap just like a mad person disturbing a python, thinking it as a rope. Breast feeding Him, she planned to inject poison. Yasoda and Rohini and none others suspected her motive. 

The Lord kept His hand on her breast, and in no time, He sucked her life. When it became unbearable, she cried “Stop, Stop”. Her eyes became big, she stretched her legs away and started sweating. In one go, she suffered all the children crying whom she killed.

People around were afraid as she felt dead in demonic form. The Lord was lying safely on her body. With the presence of mind, Yasoda and Rohini ran to take the baby to safety. 

To avoid evil effects on the baby, Yasoda and other Gopicas did “Drshti” rituals. It began with ‘gomutra’ wash to the baby. 

On completion of this ritual, their anxiety came down a bit but were not fully convinced. Gopikas did another ritual called Beejanyasa (while reciting God’s name, touching their body parts and touching the child's similar body part one after the other).

In this way, Yasoda and others sought protection for the child from Sriman Narayana, ‘Who is the protector of all’. 

Nanda and his retinue were returning back to Vraja and were astonished to see the huge body of Putana. They cut the body into small pieces and cremated them. To the surprise of all there came a sweet fragrance. Coming home, they were told the whole incident. Nanda hugged his son and kissed on his forehead (a sort of blessing for long life). 

Putana, in her previous birth, was the daughter of pious King Bali by name Rathnamala. However, her samskara was different from that of her parents. Putana saw Vamana and had a desire that had she been her son, she would have breastfed him. This small desire was fulfilled by Srihari in Dwaparyug and was equally punished for her wrongdoings.

Source: Bhagavatha Mahapurana