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.'
रुदता दृष्टम् अस्माभिः पादविक्षेपताडितम् शकटं परिवृत्तं वै नैतद् अन्यस्य चेष्टितम्
'We saw him crying, striking with his foot; the cart was overturned. No one else did this.'
ततः पुनर् अतीवासन् गोपा विस्मितचेतसः नन्दगोपो ऽपि जग्राह बालम् अत्यन्तविस्मितः
Then again, the cowherds, their minds astonished, sat down; and Nanda, utterly amazed, took up the child.
यशोदा विस्मयारूढा भग्नभाण्डकपालकम् शकटं चार्चयाम् आस दधिपुष्पफलाक्षतैः
Yaśodā, filled with wonder, worshipped the broken potsherds and the overturned cart with curds, flowers, fruits, and grains of rice.
गर्गश् च गोकुले तत्र वसुदेवप्रचोदितः प्रच्छन्न एव गोपानां संस्कारम् अकरोत् तयोः
There in Gokula, Garga, prompted by Vasudeva, performed the rites for the two boys in secret from the cowherds.
ज्येष्ठं च रामम् इत्य् आह कृष्णं चैव तथापरम् गर्गो मतिमतां श्रेष्ठो नाम कुर्वन् महामतिः
He named the elder one Rāma, and the other Kṛṣṇa, thus did Garga, foremost among the wise, bestow their names with great discernment.
अल्पेनैव हि कालेन विज्ञातौ तौ महाबलौ घृष्टजानुकरौ विप्रा बभूवतुर् उभाव् अपि
In a short time, both boys, mighty in strength and with knees rubbed raw from play, became well-known to the brāhmaṇas.
करीषभस्मदिग्धाङ्गौ भ्रममाणाव् इतस् ततः न निवारयितुं शक्ता यशोदा तौ न रोहिणी
Smeared with cow-dung ash, wandering here and there, neither Yaśodā nor Rohiṇī was able to restrain them.
गोवाटमध्ये क्रीडन्तौ वत्सवाटगतौ पुनः तदहर्जातगोवत्सपुच्छाकर्षणतत्परौ
Playing in the middle of the cow-pen, they went again to the calves’ enclosure, and that very day became intent on pulling the tails of the newborn calves.
यदा यशोदा तौ बालाव् एकस्थानचराव् उभौ शशाक नो वारयितुं क्रीडन्ताव् अतिचञ्चलौ
Whenever Yaśodā saw the two boys playing together in one place, she was unable to stop their restless games.
दाम्ना बद्ध्वा तदा मध्ये निबबन्ध उलूखले कृष्णम् अक्लिष्टकर्माणम् आह चेदम् अमर्षिता
Then, out of impatience, she bound Kṛṣṇa, who was blameless in his actions, to the mortar in the middle with a rope, and spoke these words.