We have a special guest today, Dr. Sahitya Chaturvedi, CA based in the UAE, Sanskrit Language and Braj Traditions Expert.  Join us as we explore the Pūtanā Mokṣa episode from the Bhagavāta Purāṇa. Dr. Sahitya ji shares the inner meaning of this līlā from the context of the writings of Vallabhācārya ji, Vaiṣṇava Ācārya of the 15th century who propounded the Śuddhādvaita philosophy.

Pūtanā is the first demon to threaten Krishna's life.  She is a huge ogress and her role is that of child-killer sent by the evil Kaṃsa. Pūtanā assumes the form of a sweet and charming lady, she dabs her breasts with poison and while Nanda is still at Mathura, she comes to his house.  

In the Bhagavāta Purāṇa Canto 10, Chapter 6, Verses 5 & 6 it states: 

Pūtanā's earrings were brilliant, and as she smiled very attractively, glancing upon everyone, her beauty drew the attention of all the inhabitants of Braja.  When the Gopīs saw Pūtanā, they thought that the beautiful goddess of fortune, Shri Lakṣmī holding a lotus flower in her hand, had come to see her husband, Kṛṣṇa.

The Purāṇa at this point concentrates on two main themes: one - on Kṛṣṇa's infancy in Gokula, celebrating his baby pranks, his capacity for mischief, the love he arouses in the hearts of his foster-mother, Yaśodhā, and of all the Gopis and, the second theme, about his supernatural powers and his skill in destroying troublesome demons.  

In this episode we have a look at the structure of the Tenth Canto or Daśama Skaṃdha of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa.

Bhāgavata Purāṇa has a total of 12 Cantos/Books or Skaṃdha.  In the Tenth Canto of Bhāgavata Purāṇa there are Ninety chapters - these describe all the līlās  or divine past times of Krishna. Krishna has threefold pastimes — the Braja-līlā, that took place in Braj, Māthura-līlā and Dvārakā-līlā.