pÅ«tanÄ loka-bÄla-ghnÄ«
rÄká¹£asÄ« rudhirÄÅ›anÄ
jighÄá¹sayÄpi haraye
stanaá¹ dattvÄpa sad-gatim
kiá¹ punaḥ Å›raddhayÄ bhaktyÄ
kṛṣṇÄya paramÄtmane
yacchan priyatamaá¹ kiá¹ nu
raktÄs tan-mÄtaro yathÄ

 pÅ«tanÄ - PÅ«tanÄ, the professional RÄká¹£asÄ«; loka-bÄla-ghnÄ« - who used to kill human children; rÄká¹£asÄ« - the she-demon; rudhira-aÅ›anÄ - simply hankering for blood; jighÄá¹sayÄ - with the desire to kill Kṛṣṇa (being envious of Kṛṣṇa and having been instructed by Kaá¹sa); api - still; haraye - unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead; stanam - her breast; dattvÄ - after offering; Äpa - obtained; sat-gatim - the most elevated position of spiritual existence; kim - what to speak of; punaḥ - again; Å›raddhayÄ - with faith; bhaktyÄ - by devotion; kṛṣṇÄya - unto Lord Kṛṣṇa; paramÄtmane - who is the Supreme Person; yacchan - offering; priya-tamam - the dearmost; kim - something; nu - indeed; raktÄḥ - those who have an affinity; tat-mÄtaraḥ - Kṛṣṇa's affectionate mothers (offering the beloved child their breasts); yathÄ - exactly like.


Text

PÅ«tanÄ was always hankering for the blood of human children, and with that desire she came to kill Kṛṣṇa; but because she offered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achievement. What then is to be said of those who had natural devotion and affection for Kṛṣṇa as mothers and who offered Him their breasts to suck or offered something very dear, as a mother offers something to a child?

Purport

PÅ«tanÄ had no affection for Kṛṣṇa; rather, she was envious and wanted to kill Him. Nonetheless, because with or without knowledge she offered her breast, she attained the highest achievement in life. But the offerings of devotees attracted to Kṛṣṇa in parental love are always sincere. A mother likes to offer something to her child with affection and love; there is no question of envy. So here we can make a comparative study. If PÅ«tanÄ could attain such an exalted position in spiritual life by neglectfully, enviously making an offering to Kṛṣṇa, what is to be said of mother YaÅ›odÄ and the other gopÄ«s, who served Kṛṣṇa with such great affection and love, offering everything for Kṛṣṇa’s satisfaction? The gopÄ«s automatically achieved the highest perfection. Therefore ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu recommended the affection of the gopÄ«s, either in maternal affection or in conjugal love, as the highest perfection in life (ramyÄ kÄcid upÄsanÄ vrajavadhÅ«-vargeṇa yÄ kalpitÄ).