Kamsa, the tyrannical ruler of Mathura, was the brother of Devaki, the biological mother of Lord Krishna. Driven by ambition and influenced by his trusted ally, the demon Banasura, Kamsa dethroned his father, King Ugrasena, and seized the throne of the Vrishni kingdom. According to Hindu mythology, Kamsa was the rebirth of the demon Kalanemi, who had previously been slain by Lord Vishnu.
A divine prophecy foretold that Devaki's eighth child would one day be the cause of Kamsa's death. Terrified by this prediction, Kamsa imprisoned Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva. As each of their first six children was born, Kamsa mercilessly killed them. The seventh child, Balarama, was miraculously transferred to the womb of Rohini through divine intervention and thus escaped death.
When the eighth child, Krishna, was born, a series of miraculous events allowed Vasudeva to carry the infant safely across the Yamuna River to Gokula. There, Krishna was lovingly raised by the cowherd couple, Nanda and Yasoda, while another newborn child was brought back to the prison in his place.
Although Krishna had escaped, Kamsa remained determined to eliminate him. He repeatedly sent powerful demons to Gokula with the mission of killing the divine child. One of the most dangerous among them was Putana, a fearsome demoness known for murdering infants.
Using her magical powers, Putana transformed herself into a beautiful and graceful young woman and entered Gokula. Her extraordinary beauty captivated the Gopas and Gopikas, who believed she was none other than Goddess Lakshmi herself. Since no one suspected her true identity, she was welcomed into the village without hesitation.
Putana eventually reached the house of Yasoda. Trusting the charming woman, Yasoda allowed her to hold baby Krishna. Putana had coated her breasts with deadly poison, intending to kill Krishna while pretending to nurse him.
However, Krishna, who was the Supreme Lord in human form, recognized her evil intentions. Instead of being harmed by the poison, he began to suck not only the poisoned milk but also Putana's very life force. Unable to bear the unbearable pain, Putana screamed and begged Krishna to release her. Clutching the child, she fled from the village and soon collapsed.
As she died, Putana returned to her gigantic demonic form. Her enormous body crashed to the ground, uprooting trees and terrifying the people of Gokula. The villagers carefully removed Krishna from her body and later cut the demoness into pieces. Her remains were burned, while her bones and feet were buried according to custom.
Although Putana had come with the intention of murdering Krishna, the Lord accepted her act of breastfeeding as a form of motherly service. By His divine grace, all her sins were destroyed, and she attained liberation and a place in heaven.
Hindu tradition further states that Putana attained the same heavenly abode as Yasoda because both had offered Krishna the nourishment of a mother's breast. For this reason, Putana is sometimes regarded as one of Krishna's foster mothers, demonstrating the boundless compassion and mercy of Lord Krishna, who grants salvation even to those who approach Him with hostile intentions.
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