तस्माद् बालेषु परमो यत्नः कार्यो महीतले यत्रोद्रिक्तं बलं बाले स हन्तव्यः प्रयत्नतः
Therefore, utmost effort must be made concerning children on earth; wherever a child displays extraordinary strength, he must be killed with all care.
इत्य् आज्ञाप्यासुरान् कंसः प्रविश्यात्मगृहं ततः उवाच वसुदेवं च देवकीम् अविरोधतः
Having thus commanded the Asuras, Kaṃsa then entered his own house and spoke without opposition to Vasudeva and Devakī.
युवयोर् घातिता गर्भा वृथैवैते मयाधुना को ऽप्य् अन्य एव नाशाय बालो मम समुद्गतः
The embryos of you two have been slain by me in vain; now, some other child has arisen for my destruction.
तद् अलं परितापेन नूनं यद् भाविनो हि ते अर्भका युवयोः को वा आयुषो ऽन्ते न हन्यते
So enough of grief—surely, whatever is destined will happen; which child of yours is not slain at the destined end of life?
इत्य् आश्वास्य विमुच्यैव कंसस् तौ परितोष्य च अन्तर्गृहं द्विजश्रेष्ठाः प्रविवेश पुनः स्वकम्
Thus consoling and releasing them, and having satisfied them, Kaṃsa entered his inner chambers again, O best of twice-born.
विमुक्तो वसुदेवो ऽपि नन्दस्य शकटं गतः प्रहृष्टं दृष्टवान् नन्दं पुत्रो जातो ममेति वै
Freed, Vasudeva went to Nanda’s cart and saw Nanda rejoicing, saying, 'A son is born to me!'
वसुदेवो ऽपि तं प्राह दिष्ट्या दिष्ट्येति सादरम् वार्धके ऽपि समुत्पन्नस् तनयो ऽयं तवाधुना
Vasudeva also spoke to him respectfully, 'By good fortune, by good fortune, a son has now been born to you even in old age.'
दत्तो हि वार्षिकः सर्वो भवद्भिर् नृपतेः करः यदर्थम् आगतस् तस्मान् नात्र स्थेयं महात्मना
All the annual taxes due to the king have been paid by you; for that purpose you came, so there is no reason for the great-souled to remain here.
यदर्थम् आगतः कार्यं तन् निष्पन्नं किम् आस्यते भवद्भिर् गम्यतां नन्द तच् छीघ्रं निजगोकुलम्
The purpose for which you came has been accomplished; why stay longer? Go, Nanda, quickly to your own cowherd village.
ममापि बालकस् तत्र रोहिणीप्रसवो हि यः स रक्षणीयो भवता यथायं तनयो निजः
My own child is also there, born of Rohiṇī; he must be protected by you just as you protect your own son.
इत्य् उक्ताः प्रययुर् गोपा नन्दगोपपुरोगमाः शकटारोपितैर् भाण्डैः करं दत्त्वा महाबलाः
Thus addressed, the cowherds, led by Nanda, departed, having loaded their goods on carts, paid the tax, and being mighty.
वसतां गोकुले तेषां पूतना बालघातिनी सुप्तं कृष्णम् उपादाय रात्रौ च प्रददौ स्तनम्
While they dwelt in Gokula, Pūtanā, the child-killer, took the sleeping Kṛṣṇa at night and offered him her breast.
यस्मै यस्मै स्तनं रात्रौ पूतना संप्रयच्छति तस्य तस्य क्षणेनाङ्गं बालकस्योपहन्यते
To whichever child Pūtanā gave her breast at night, that child’s body would be harmed in a moment.
कृष्णस् तस्याः स्तनं गाढं कराभ्याम् अतिपीडितम् गृहीत्वा प्राणसहितं पपौ क्रोधसमन्वितः
Kṛṣṇa, seizing her breast tightly with his hands, drank along with her very life, filled with anger.
सा विमुक्तमहारावा विच्छिन्नस्नायुबन्धना पपात पूतना भूमौ म्रियमाणातिभीषणा
She, with her great roar ended, her sinews and joints severed, fell to the ground—Putana, terrifying in her death.
तन्नादश्रुतिसंत्रासाद् विबुद्धास् ते व्रजौकसः ददृशुः पूतनोत्सङ्गे कृष्णं तां च निपातिताम्
Hearing that dreadful cry, the people of Vraja, awakened and alarmed, saw Krishna on Putana’s breast and her body cast down.
आदाय कृष्णं संत्रस्ता यशोदा च ततो द्विजाः गोपुच्छभ्रामणाद्यैश् च बालदोषम् अपाकरोत्
Then Yashoda, trembling, took Krishna in her arms, and with cow-tail whisks and other rites, the brahmins dispelled any evil from the child.
गोपुरीषम् उपादाय नन्दगोपो ऽपि मस्तके कृष्णस्य प्रददौ रक्षां कुर्वन्न् इदम् उदैरयत्
Nanda, too, took cow-dung and placed it on Krishna’s head, offering protection, and uttered these words:
रक्षतु त्वाम् अशेषाणां भूतानां प्रभवो हरिः यस्य नाभिसमुद्भूतात् पङ्कजाद् अभवज् जगत्
May Hari, the source of all beings, protect you—he from whose navel the lotus arose and from which the world was born.
येन दंष्ट्राग्रविधृता धारयत्य् अवनी जगत् वराहरूपधृग् देवः स त्वां रक्षतु केशवः
May Keshava, the god who, in the form of the Boar, held up the earth on his tusk, protect you.
गुह्यं स जठरं विष्णुर् जङ्घापादौ जनार्दनः वामनो रक्षतु सदा भवन्तं यः क्षणाद् अभूत्
May Vishnu guard your secret parts, Janardana your thighs and feet; may Vamana, who appeared in a moment, always protect you.
त्रिविक्रमक्रमाक्रान्तत्रैलोक्यस्फुरदायुधः शिरस् ते पातु गोविन्दः कण्ठं रक्षतु केशवः
May Govinda, whose weapons shine as he strides the three worlds as Trivikrama, protect your head; may Keshava guard your neck.
मुखबाहू प्रबाहू च मनः सर्वेन्द्रियाणि च रक्षत्व् अव्याहतैश्वर्यस् तव नारायणो ऽव्ययः
May Narayana, the imperishable lord of undiminished power, protect your face, arms, mind, and all your senses.
त्वां दिक्षु पातु वैकुण्ठो विदिक्षु मधुसूदनः हृषीकेशो ऽम्बरे भूमौ रक्षतु त्वां महीधरः
May Vaikuntha protect you in all directions, Madhusudana in the intermediate quarters; may Hrishikesha guard you in the sky, and Mahidhara on the earth.
एवं कृतस्वस्त्ययनो नन्दगोपेन बालकः शायितः शकटस्याधो बालपर्यङ्किकातले
Thus, having performed the rite of protection, Nanda laid the child to rest beneath the cart, on a little bed for infants.
ते च गोपा महद् दृष्ट्वा पूतनायाः कलेवरम् मृतायाः परमं त्रासं विस्मयं च तदा ययुः
The cowherds, seeing the immense body of the dead Putana, were seized with great fear and wonder.
कदाचिच् छकटस्याधः शयानो मधुसूदनः चिक्षेप चरणाव् ऊर्ध्वं स्तनार्थी प्ररुरोद च
Once, as Madhusudana lay beneath the cart, desiring his mother’s milk, he raised his feet and began to cry.
तस्य पादप्रहारेण शकटं परिवर्तितम् विध्वस्तभाण्डकुम्भं तद् विपरीतं पपात वै
Struck by his foot, the cart was overturned; its pots and vessels shattered, and it fell in the opposite direction.
ततो हाहाकृतः सर्वो गोपगोपीजनो द्विजाः आजगाम तदा ज्ञात्वा बालम् उत्तानशायिनम्
Then all the cowherds and their wives, crying out in alarm, came running, seeing the child lying on his back.
गोपाः केनेति जगदुः शकटं परिवर्तितम् तत्रैव बालकाः प्रोचुर् बालेनानेन पातितम्
The cowherds asked, 'By whom was the cart overturned?' The children there replied, 'By this child it was thrown down.'