The Tale of Putana: A Demoness and Her Defeat

In the ancient kingdom of Mathura, a tyrannical king named Kamsa ruled with fear and cruelty. Kamsa, having been warned by a divine prophecy that his sister Devaki’s child would be his downfall, had imprisoned her and her husband, Vasudeva. When Krishna, the eighth child of Devaki, was born, he was secretly taken away to be raised by Nanda and Yashoda in the peaceful village of Gokul.

Even though Krishna was hidden, Kamsa’s fear grew with each passing day. He sent out his loyal demons to search for the child destined to kill him. Among them was Putana, a fearsome demoness skilled in dark arts and known for her ability to disguise herself. Her specialty was to appear as a beautiful woman and poison infants by feeding them her deadly milk.

Kamsa commanded Putana to go to Gokul and find the child. Disguised as a charming and graceful lady, she entered the village unnoticed. The moment she laid eyes on baby Krishna, resting in his cradle, she was taken aback by his divine beauty, but she quickly steeled her resolve to complete her mission.

Putana approached Yashoda, offering to nurse the child. Her beauty and gentle demeanor deceived everyone, and Yashoda, seeing no harm, allowed her to feed Krishna. As Putana lifted the baby into her arms, she smiled wickedly, her heart filled with the intent to kill. She offered Krishna her poisoned breast milk, believing that this would be the end of the prophecy.

But Krishna, who was no ordinary child, knew of her evil intentions. As he began to suckle, he did not merely drink the milk; he began to drain the very life force out of Putana. The demoness realized something was wrong. She tried to pull away, but Krishna’s grip tightened. She began to feel weaker and weaker, her strength leaving her body as Krishna drained her vitality.

In her panic, Putana shed her disguise, revealing her true terrifying form. Her body grew immense, towering over the village, her face twisted in agony. Yet Krishna remained unfazed, continuing to suckle until he had completely drained the life out of her.

With a final, deafening scream, Putana collapsed to the ground, dead. The villagers, horrified by the sight of the giant demoness, rushed to the scene, only to find baby Krishna playfully crawling on her body, unharmed and smiling.

Yashoda, realizing the miraculous nature of her child, praised the gods for protecting her son, though she still did not fully understand Krishna’s divine identity. The villagers, amazed by this display of divine power, celebrated the end of the wicked demoness Putana, unaware of the deeper destiny Krishna held.

Moral of the Tale:

The story of Putana teaches a profound moral. Even though Putana came with the intent to kill Krishna, her demise at his hands shows that evil can never triumph over divine will. Krishna, though an infant, demonstrated the power of truth and goodness, which will always prevail over deception and malice. Additionally, it serves as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving; one must be cautious not to trust someone solely based on outward beauty or kindness. Ultimately, this tale teaches us that goodness and righteousness will always conquer evil, no matter how strong or cunning it may seem.