CHAPTER SIX

The Killing of the Demon Pitana

A summary of the Sixth Chapter is as follows: when Nanda Maharaja,
following the instructions of Vasudeva, was returning home, he saw a
great demoniac woman lying on the road, and then he heard about her
death.

While Nanda Maharaja, the King of Vraja, was thinking about
Vasudeva’s words concerning disturbances in Gokula, he was a little
afraid and sought shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Hari. Meanwhile, Karmsa
sent to the village of Gokula a Raksasi named Piitana, who was wander-
ing here and there killing small babies. Of course, wherever there is no
Krsna consciousness, there is the danger of such Raksasis, but since the
Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself was in Gokula, Pitana could
accept nothing there but her own death.

One day, Pitana arrived from outer space in Gokula, the home of
Nanda Maharaja, and by displaying her mystic power, she assumed the
disguise of a very beautiful woman. Taking courage, she immediately
entered Krsna’s bedroom without anyone’s permission; by the grace of
Krsna, no one forbade her to enter the house or the room, because that
was Krsna’s desire. The baby Krsna, who resembled a fire covered by
ashes, looked upon Pitana and thought that He would have to kill this
demon, the beautiful woman. Enchanted by the influence of yogamayda
and the Personality of Godhead, Pitand took Krsna upon her lap, and
neither Rohini nor Yasoda objected. The demon Pitana offered her
breast for Krsna to suck, but her breast was smeared with poison. The
child Krsna, therefore, squeezed Pitana’s breast so severely that in un-
bearable pain she had to assume her original body and fell to the ground.
Then Krsna began playing on her breast just like a small child. When
Krsna was playing, the gopis were pacified and took the child away to
their own laps. After this incident, the gopis took precautions because of
the attack of the Raksasi. Mother Yasoda gave the child her breast to suck
and then laid Him in bed.
