Bhagavatam tenth canto study 35 – 10.6.35-44 Bhagavatam highlights the extraordinariness of the Vrajavasis

She became purified. kim punah sraddhaya bhaktya krishnaya paramatmane yacchan priyatamam kim no rakastan mataro yatha Putana lokabalagni Putana was the killer of human children.
Lokabalagni, the killer. Rakshasi rudhirashana And she was a demoness who was rudhirashana, who was bloodthirsty. She was a demoness.
She came out of envy, out of animosity, to kill Krishna. And what happened in that process? sthanam tattvapa sadgatim Because she offered her breasts to Krishna, Krishna rewarded her, reciprocated with her by giving her sadgatim, the eternal destination, liberation. And then, if that is the destination available to those who contact Krishna with an inimical disposition and an inimical intention, both.
She was overall demoniac, and on top of that, that specific action was also demoniac. It was not like in a demoniac disposition, she was doing one good action. No, but even then, she got such a glorious destination.
Then what to speak of? kim punah shraddhaya bhaktya What then to speak of somebody with faith and devotion? krishnaya paramatmane yacchan priyatamam kim no And those who consider him to be their dearest object, priyatamam. And they are absorbed in him. raktas tan mataro yatha Just like his mothers, the motherly women of Vrindavan.
It can refer generically to them or it can refer specifically to mother Yashoda. So here, by contrast, an important point is being brought about that how extraordinarily purifying is the potency of Krishna and how extraordinarily fortunate are the Vrajavasis. The Vrajavasis have a devotional disposition towards Krishna and they’re absorbed in Krishna and especially mother Yashoda, who is the foremost among those who approach Krishna with vatsalya bhava and especially matra bhava.
So, Krishna drinks her milk not once or twice, but repeatedly and then Krishna does, does. How fortunate must be the mother Yashoda, must be the mother of Krishna Yashoda and how fortunate, how exalted will be her destination. The Bhagavatam, especially in its section on Vrindavan, will time and again draw comparisons by which it will highlight the exaltedness of the Vrajavasis, of the devotees of Krishna in Vrindavan.
So this is one comparison, now the next verse will offer another comparison. padbhyam bhaktir udyastha ardhisthabhyam vandhya vandhyabhyam loka vanditai angam yasya samakramya bhagavān api tatstanam yathu dhānyā api sāsvargaṁ avāpajana nīgatiṁ krṣṇa bhakta-stana-kṣīraḥ kimu gāvo anumātaraḥ So Krishna is so great that padbhyam bhaktir udyasthabhyam, that his lotus feet are embraced in the heart by the pure devotees and vandhyabhyam loka vanditai and he is respected and worshipped by those who are worshipable in this world, that is Brahma and Shiva, the powerful devatas who are worshipped in this world, but they worship Krishna. This was evident right at the start of Krishna’s, of the 10th canto, when in the Garbha Stuti, Brahma and Shiva both came along with other devatas to offer their prayers to Krishna.
Angam yasya samakramya bhagavān api tatstanam, angam yasya samakramya. So they, so now his body was touched, her body was touched and not only her body was touched, Krishna not, but actually Krishna drank from her breasts and then by this yathu dhānyā api sāsvargaṁ yathu dhānyā is that demoness, she actually ended up getting a heavenly destination, actually she got a transcendental destination, but here the word svarga is used as a generic describer to refer to a higher destination, that she got elevated, such was the position, such was the power of Krishna in purifying and elevating. Not only did she get elevated there, but she got elevated there also to a significant position, the position of being Krishna’s mother, like his mother, became a nurse over there.
krishna bhuktas tanakshīraha, now Krishna has drunk the milk from the breasts of even the cows of Vrindavan, kimu gāvo anumātara, mātara is mother, anumātara is just like mothers, these cows were just like the mothers for Krishna, they also offered their milk and Krishna drank their breast milk. So if Krishna drank their breast milk, then why would they not get an exalted destination, they will surely get a very exalted destination. So Krishna has played even with their bodies, Krishna has drunk their breast milk.
Normally at first glance, Krishna’s killing the demons can seem very extraordinary. It is extraordinary how a small child can kill giant demons, it is undoubtedly extraordinary. But if we consider that Krishna’s setting of his pastime in Vrindavan, that might not seem that extraordinary, because we may think that, oh, actually Krishna, he is, these are simple cowherd boys and girls, cowherd men and women, they are cows, they may seem ordinary.
So the bhagavata is inverting, bhagavatam is expanding our conception of what is extraordinary. If we think that Krishna’s killing Putana is extraordinary, if we think that Putana’s getting elevated, her body turning fragrant by being touched by Krishna is extraordinary, then the bhagavatam is saying how extraordinary must be the mothers of Krishna, how extraordinary must be the cows of Vrindavan, who have also offered their milk regularly to Krishna. In villages, people who live comfortably with cows, for whom cows are integral part of their culture, sometimes there people may drink milk directly from the cow’s breast, and cow’s nipples rather, cow’s udders.
So now people, especially children, as the milk dribbles out, they may drink from it directly. So this is what Krishna has done. So the bhagavatam is highlighting, is expanding our conception of extraordinariness by revealing how the ordinary seeming women and cows of Vrindavan are also extraordinary.
Text 40, 39 and 40. गुर्वन्तिनां सुतेक्षणं नपुन कल्पतेराजन् सम्सारो अज्ञानसंभवः पयाम् सियासां अपिबत् That if Krishna has drunk milk coming from their breast, and that milk came out, because they were filled with affection for Krishna. पुत्रस्नेह सुतान्यलं So, Sutan, abundantly the milk came out.
When cows are kept in an atmosphere of love and affection, they give abundant milk. Similarly, when a mother feels love for her child, the desire to nourish that child in every possible way causes her body to function in a way by which she generates abundant milk. पुत्रस्नेह सुतान्यलं So then, Krishna has drunk that milk repeatedly.
भगवान देवकी पुत्रः That Lord, who is, who appeared in this world as the son of Devaki, but He has drunk the milk from the breast of Yashoda. कैवल्याद्याखिलप्रदः So, He is the bestower of all exalted blessings, even blessings which are considered very exalted in general spiritual circles. कैवल्याद्याखिलप्रदः The blessing of liberation that can also be offered by Him.
तासां अविरतं कृष्णे And to that Krishna, by all those gopis, who, अविरतं, constantly was remembering, कुर्वन्तीनां सुतिक्षनम् That Krishna was looked upon by these gopis, by mother Yashoda, has her own son, सुतिक्षनम्, सुतिक्ष is eyes. So with the vision of a child, and such was her affection that she cared for him as a child. So for, so if Krishna can give कैवल्याद्याखिलप्रदः as such a liberation and other indictions to everyone, for somebody who has such unflinching, unfailing, unceasing devotion for Him, नपुन कल्पते राजन। Certainly then, again they will not take birth.
कल्पते राजन संसारो ज्ञान संभवः in this samsara, in this material existence, which is अज्ञान संभवः, which is born of ignorance, which is here for some time, I mean, which, there is no, there is people who are trying to, अज्ञान here refers simply to ultimate, the most damaging ignorance, the most damaging ignorance is ignorance about how to become happy, and that ignorance causes us to seek happiness in self-destructive ways. So संसारो अज्ञान संभवः, this material world is a place where out of ignorance people are trying to become happy in various illusory ways, and they are ending up in greater and greater trouble because of that. So certainly those who are absorbed in Krishna, those who are delighting in giving pleasure to Krishna, they will never have to take birth again in such a world.
Their elevation to Krishna’s eternal abode is positively guaranteed. So in this way, the Bhagavatam is underscoring, reminding us forcefully that don’t consider the Vrajvasis to be ordinary people. They are incomparably extraordinary.
They are so extraordinary that we can’t even conceive of the magnitude of their extraordinariness. Surely for them liberation is going to be attained. It’s just a matter of time.
Actually speaking, a deeper understanding is that the Vrajvasis are always liberated. The Bhagavatam here is speaking to people at their level so that they can understand the exaltedness of Vrindavan and of the Vrajvasis. People means the sages who are assembled.
The sages are of different, from different backgrounds, of different understandings and dispositions. Not all of them are devotees. Not all of them appreciate the path of devotion the way Shukadeva Goswami, Parishad Maharaj appreciate.
So for them, this is being spoken over here, that these are no ordinary people. Recognize that they are very exalted. Vrajvasis are supremely exalted.
Text 41 From when dhooma, the smoke coming from burning the body of Putana, that fragrance which is spread, the Vrajvasi, they smelled it. They took it in that fragrance from their nostrils. What is this? Where is it coming from? They became naturally curious.
And in that way, speaking thus, they came to that place. And while they were discussing thus, people from various places, they came to the place where when Putana’s body was being burned. So it was not just some nice fragrance which may spread in a room.
Sometimes we apply perfumes in our body so that we may smell good. Or sometimes we may put some fragrances in a room, so that again we may smell good. Room may smell good.
But beyond that, if we consider that every one of us is here to purify ourselves, then if we consider the purificatory potency of Krishna, we have manifested not just at a transcendental level, but even at a material level. Normally when a person dies, it’s a painful sight to see. Generally it’s told that when a body is burnt in a crematorium, small children or people who are very sensitive, it’s recommended that they don’t go to see it because it’s quite painful.
And normally when a body is burnt, it doesn’t lead to anything attractive. But here, when Putana was killed, because her body was touched by Krishna, so the fragrance became such an attractive fragrance that people came to see what is this. So Krishna can transform even death into an attractive event, attractive happening.
Even the burning of a body after death can also become an attractive happening, such is the potency of Krishna. Text 42. Well, they came inquiring, what is this fragrance? And they came there.
Krishna, the Vrajavasis who had been there, especially the mothers, they all told the whole story. That how Putana came there and how she tried to snatch Krishna. How she was destroyed.
Then how the child was still auspicious. Then they saw the miraculous miracle of the child, miraculous potency of the child and they themselves offered their benedictions. May this child always stay safe.
May this child always be protected. Actually, that child had protected himself against a demoness from whom none of the Vrajavasis could have protected him. The Vrajavasis would have been, if they had wanted to, even if they had wanted to, it would have been very difficult for them to stop a demoness of the power of Putana.
Now when Putana knew that Krishna, that she was, the Vrajavasis were no match to her, then why did she come in a disguise? Actually, she was afraid, she was apprehensive, not so much about the Vrajavasis, but about Krishna. She had some understanding that if some child is being reputed to be destined to kill Kamsa, he must be very powerful. And she also felt that she would use a normal modus operandi, different criminals have some standard ways in which they function.
So this was her modus operandi, wherein she would actually do what it takes to get the children and then kill them. So she was balaghatini. If necessary, she could fight with others also, but her goal was children and that’s why she would disguise herself and get to the children and kill the children and then move on in her way to another children.
So she had come and Krishna single-handedly, actually not single-handedly, single-mouthedly, we have only one mouth, but just with that mouth, Krishna defeated her and Krishna killed her. Now normally, it’s almost impossible to kill simply with a mouth, isn’t it? Even when, there’s a tiger or a lion, the tiger pounces on someone, at that time the tiger, he definitely uses his jaws and its mouth, but along with that, the tiger also uses claws, its hands and maybe it uses the whole weight of the body to keep its body, to keep the prey animal down and then with the jaws and the nails, rips open the body of the prey, but Krishna used only his mouth. Krishna’s body itself was very small, so the body weight and the body force would be of no use and he didn’t use his hands per se.
It was not that when Putana was trying to push Krishna away, Krishna was with his hands tightly holding on to Putana. Krishna just held on to her breast and just by holding on to her breast, by that itself, that grip itself was so forceful that by that, he sucked out of her life, sucked out her life air. So such was the amazing power of Krishna and yet the Rajvasis, even after having heard about the story of Krishna’s amazing power, still they are offering benedictions to Krishna.
They’re offering good wishes and blessings so that Krishna will not face danger, so that Krishna will stay protected and safe. Such is the exalted devotion of the Rajvasis. Text 42, verse 3. Now Nanda Maharaj also came over there.
His journey has been described also. So when he saw his children, he felt as if it is as if he has come back from death, from such a, from when he was being abducted by, he was targeted by such a powerful demoness who could survive, but he survived. Pratyagatam udhāradhī, udhāradhī.
He was large-hearted. He took the hair to Krishna, pulled Krishna close to him and smelt his hair, and he attained the supreme joy. He attained that, oh kurudvaha, kurudvaha refers to Maharaj Pariksit.
Nanda Maharaj is the father. Till now, most of the pastime is centered on the mother and how the mothers were in anxiety and how the mothers were protected, but Nanda Maharaj is no less. He is also an exalted devotee.
And mudam lebhe kurudvaha, he attained enormous, infinite bliss by becoming absorbed in Krishna, by seeing that Krishna was safe and by smelling his hair in affection. Now the last verse is the, 644 is the Phalashruti. So one who hears, It is not only the story of pūtanāvadha, it is the story of pūtanāmokṣa.
Krishna, even those whom he kills, he delivers them, which is his magnanimity. And Krishna as a child, his wonderful activities, adbhutam, śruṇayāśraddhaya, martyo, if somebody hears them, his activity with fate, that person who is destined to die, martyo, govindelabhateratim, that person will get devotion to Govinda, attraction to Govinda, attachment to Govinda. So when we hear about the wonderful pastimes of Krishna, we naturally feel, attracted to Krishna, we naturally feel that, oh, I want to know more about Krishna, I want to love Krishna more and more.
And in that way, we move towards perfection of life, just by hearing about Krishna. Thank you.