PLATE ONE
One day the demoness Pūtanā came down from outer space into Gokula, the home of Nanda Mahārāja. Having been sent by the cruel King Kaṁsa to kill all the babies in the Vṛndāvana area, Pūtanā displayed her mystic power and assumed the disguise of a very beautiful woman. Taking courage, she immediately entered Kṛṣṇa's bedroom without permission, but everyone was so overwhelmed by her beauty that they did not protest. The baby Kṛṣṇa, who resembled a fire covered by ashes, looked upon Pūtanā and thought that He would have to kill her. Pūtanā could understand the great potency of Kṛṣṇa, but, enchanted by the influence of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy, she took Kṛṣṇa upon her lap anyway and offered Him her poison-smeared breast to suck. Suddenly, baby Kṛṣṇa became very angry at Pūtanā, and taking hold of her breast, He squeezed it very hard with both hands and began to suck out both the poison and her life. In unbearable agony, Pūtanā perspired heavily, flailed her arms and legs wildly, and cried out, "Please leave me, leave me! Suck my breast no longer!" But Kṛṣṇa persisted, and as the demoness lost her life she assumed her original, huge form. Then, before the amazed  gopīs , Kṛṣṇa began fearlessly playing on the breast of Pūtanā's twelve-mile-long corpse. ( pp. 1–16 )