j ee i
6/ Putana Killed

While Nanda Maharaja was returning home, he considered Vasudeva’s
warning that there might be some disturbance in Gokula. Certainly the
advice was friendly and not false. So Nanda thought, “There is some truth
in it.” Therefore, out of fear, he began to take shelter of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. It is quite natural for a devotee in danger to think
of Krsna because he has no other shelter. When a child is in danger, he takes
shelter of his mother or father. Similarly, a devotee is always under the
shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when he specifically
sees some danger, he remembers the Lord very rapidly.

After consulting with his demonic ministers, Kamsa instructed a witch
named Piitana, who knew the black art of killing small children by ghastly
sinful methods, to kill all kinds of children in the cities, villages and
pasturing grounds. Such witches can play their black art only where there
is no chanting or hearing of the holy name of Krsna. It is said that wherever
the chanting of the holy name of Krsna is done, even negligently, all bad
elements—witches, ghosts, and dangerous calamaties—immediately dis-
appear. And this is certainly true of the place where the chanting of the
holy name of Krsna is done seriously—especially in Vrndavana when the
Supreme Lord was personally present. Therefore, the doubts of Nanda
Maharaja were certainly based on affection for Krsna. Actually there was
no danger from the activities of Pitana, despite her powers. Such witches
are called khecari, which means they can fly in the sky. This black art of
witchcraft is still practiced by some women in the remote northwestern
side of India. They can transfer themselves from one place to another on
the branch of an uprooted tree. Piitana knew this witchcraft, and therefore
she is described in the Bhagavatam as khecari.

Piitana entered the county of Gokula, the residential quarter of Nanda
Maharaja, without permission. Dressing herself just like a beautiful woman,

43
