अहो बकी यं स्तनकालकूटं
जिघांसयापाययदप्यसाध्वी ।
लेभे गतिं धात्र्युचितां ततोऽन्यं
कं वा दयालुं शरणं व्रजेम ॥
aho bakī yaṁ stana-kāla-kūṭaṁ
jighāṁsayāpāyayad apy asādhvī |
lebhe gatiṁ dhātry-ucitāṁ tato’nyaṁ
kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.2.23; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.679; Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.5.29, 2.5.106; Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 103; Bhakti Sandarbha: 337; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.98)
“Aho! In what compassionate person could we possibly take shelter other than he whom Bakī [i.e., Pūtanā] fed lethal poison on her breast with the intent to kill [him] and [yet still], although she was wicked, attained a position appropriate for a nurse?”
Commentary
evam anuvṛttiḥ kṛpayaiveti sūcayann apakāriṣv api tasya kṛpālutāṁ darśayann āha—aho āścaryaṁ dayālutāyāḥ | hantum icchayāpi stanayoḥ sambhṛtaṁ kāla-kūṭaṁ viṣaṁ yam apāyayat, bakī pūtanā asādhvī duṣṭāpi dhātryā yaśodāyā ucitāṁ gatiṁ lebhe | bhakta-veṣa-mātreṇa yaḥ sad-gatiṁ dattavān ity arthaḥ | tato’nyaṁ kaṁ vā bhajema |
(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā)
“Having indicated that [Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] acting in this way [i.e., as a servant of King Ugrasena as described in the previous verse] is [purely] out of grace, and [now] showing his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s] graciousness towards even those who cause harm, he [i.e., the speaker, Uddhava] says, ‘Aho! The astonishment of [his] compassionateness! Bakī, that is, Pūtanā, fed whom [i.e., him, Śrī Kṛṣṇa] ‘lethal poison’ (kāla-kūṭam) smeared on her breasts even with the intent to kill [him], and although [she was thus] ‘wicked’ (asādhvī), [she] attained a position (gatim) appropriate (ucitām) for a nurse (dhātrī), that is, for Yaśodā. He bestowed an excellent destiny (sat-gati) [upon her] just for [wearing] the dress of a bhakta. This is the meaning. [Therefore,] Who could we possibly worship other than him?”
idānīṁ parama-duṣṭeṣv api parama-kṛpāṁ darśayan tasyaivaikasya śaraṇyatāṁ nirdhārayan nija-bandhu-vargeṇa saha svayam api taṁ śaraṇaṁ gacchann upasaṁharati—aho iti āścaryam | hantum icchayāpi stanayoḥ sambhūtaṁ kāla-kūṭaṁ mahādurviṣaṁ yam apāyayat, bakī pūtanā asādhvī duṣṭāpi dhātryāḥ yaśodāyāḥ śrī-yaśodā-dhātrītvena prasiddhāyāḥ śrī-mukharāyā vā devakī-dhātryā vā kasyāścit ucitāṁ gatiṁ tasmād eva lebhe | bhakta-veṣa-mātreṇa yaḥ sad-gatiṁ dadāv ity arthaḥ | yad vā, maraṇa-samaye tasyā ārta-nādam ākarṇya gātrāsphālanādi-duḥkham avalokya ca kevalaṁ para-duḥkhāsahiṣṇutayā yas tādṛśīṁ gatim adād ity arthaḥ | tatra ca dhātrī-gati-dāne stanya-dāna-kapaṭenāpi mātṛ-bhāvānukaraṇaṁ ca kāraṇaṁ ūhyam | tac ca ‘tāṁ tīkṣṇa-cittām ativāma-ceṣṭitām’ iti ślokoktyā mātṛ-val lālanādi-parama-ramya-ceṣṭayā vyañjitam evāsti | vyākhyātaṁ ca śrī-svāmi-pādaiḥ | aham asya jananī, iyaṁ veti mohite satyāv iti | tasmāt śrī-kṛṣṇād anyaṁ kaṁ dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema? sambhāvanāyāṁ saptamī | vā-śabdaḥ kaṭākṣe | ato’nyaṁ ko’pi dayālur nāsti, atas tam eva vayaṁ dīnāḥ śaraṇaṁ gacchāma ity arthaḥ | yadyapi śaraṇāpatti-likhanaṁ kādācitka-kṛtya-likhanānantaram evopapadyate, ‘sakṛd eva prapanno yaḥ’ ity-ādi-vacanataḥ sakṛt-pravṛttyaiva śaraṇāgatatva-siddheḥ, tathāpi śaraṇāgatatvasya nitya-bhagavat-sthānaśrayaṇādi-lakṣaṇatvena nityam ānukūlya-saṅkalpādi-lakṣaṇatvena ca nitya-kṛtyāntar eva paryavasānād atraiva likhitam iti dik |
(Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā on Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.679)
“Now, showing the tremendous grace [which Śrī Kṛṣṇa bestowed] upon even the tremendously wicked, determining the capability to afford shelter (śaraṇyatā) verily of him [i.e., of Śrī Kṛṣṇa] alone, and also taking shelter in him personally along with his own relations, the author concludes [this section on śaraṇāpatti by citing this verse: aho …]. Aho! Astonishing! Bakī, that is, Pūtanā, fed whom [i.e., him, Śrī Kṛṣṇa] ‘lethal poison’ (kāla-kūṭam), that is, extremely malignant poison, smeared on her breasts even with the intent to kill [him], and although [she was thus] ‘wicked’ (asādhvī), [she] attained a position (gatim) appropriate (ucitām) for a nurse (dhātrī) [alt., for a mother], that is, for Yaśodā, or, for the well-known Śrī Mukharā on account of [her] having been the nurse of Śrī Yaśodā, or, for whomever was the nurse of Devakī. He bestowed an excellent destiny (sat-gati) [upon her] just for [wearing] the dress of a bhakta. This is the meaning. Alternately, after hearing her [i.e., Pūtanā] crying in distress at the time of death and seeing her flailing her body and suffering in various other ways, he gave her such a position purely because of [his] being intolerant of the suffering of others [i.e., purely out of compassion (dayā) for her]. This is the meaning. Therein, furthermore, in regard to [his] bestowing the position of a nurse [upon her], [her] imitating the manner (bhāva) of a mother even by means of her deceit of nursing [him with the intent of killing him] is also to be inferred as a cause [of him granting her a position in his eternal līlā befitting a nurse]. That [act of imitating his mother and nursing him], furthermore, was characterized by most lovely gestures of caressing [him] and so forth like a mother as per the statement in the verse [i.e., SB 10.6.9], ‘Seeing her inside [the room], a most beautiful woman of cruel heart but very charming behavior like a sword within a soft sheath, and overcome by her luster, the mothers [i.e., Yaśodā and Rohiṇī] stood by watching.’ This has been explained by the revered Śrī Svāmīpāda as well, ‘They [i.e., Yaśodā and Rohiṇī] become perplexed, [wondering,] ‘I am his [i.e., Kṛṣṇa’s] mother, or is she?’ Therefore, of what compassionate person could we take shelter of other than Śrī Kṛṣṇa? The [usage of the] seventh case is in the sense of possibility. The word ‘possibly’ (vā) is [said] with a sidelong glance [i.e., it is said with a look askance]. Thus, ‘No one else is compassionate [to the extent that he is], and therefore, we, who are wretched (dīnāḥ) [i.e., most in need of receiving compassion], can take shelter only in him’ is the meaning.
“Although this description of śaraṇāpatti [as has been given in this now concluding section of this text (i.e., HBV 11.646–679)] is suited to have been [placed] after the [forthcoming] description of occasional activities [spanning vilāsas 12–16 of this text] on account of the accomplishment of being a śaraṇāgata (śaraṇāgatatva) by performance [of the act of śaraṇāgati] only once, as per the statement [cited earlier in HBV 11.653 from Rāmāyaṇa], ‘Upon one who takes shelter [in me] and even once prays, “I am Yours,” I bestow fearlessness forever …,’ still it has been described here specifically [i.e., at the end of the section on daily activities prior to the forthcoming section on occasional activities] because of being a śaraṇāgata’s (śaraṇāgatatva’s) verily culminating in daily activity on account of [its] being characterized by daily taking shelter in Bhagavān’s abode and so on, and [its] being characterized by a daily [alt., perpetual] resolve of favorability (ānukūlya-saṅkalpa) and so forth. This is the direction.”
aho bakīty ādau punar alaukika-līlāyāṁ kṛpāyā atyamaryādatvam āha—aho iti, anyatrāvatārādāv adarśanāt | tatra dhātrīṇāṁ ‘kim u gāvo’numātara’ ity anusāreṇa tasmai stanyāmṛta-dāyinīnāṁ kāsāñcid ucitāṁ gatim |
(Krama-sandarbha-ṭīkā)
“Aho bakī …: first he again describes the profound boundlessness of [Kṛṣṇa’s] grace in [his] extraordinary līlā. ‘Aho!’ [i.e., Astonishing!] is [stated] because of non-observance [of such grace] elsewhere in [any of Kṛṣṇa’s] avatāras or others [i.e., much less in anyone else]. Therein, [he bestowed] Upon her [i.e., Pūtanā] a position appropriate for someone among those nurses who bestow the nectar of breastmilk in accord with [the statement in SB 10.6.38], ‘[Even she [i.e., Pūtanā], a yātudhānī [i.e., an evil spirit who attacks children], whose body Bhagavān embraced and [whose] breast [he] suckled, attained Svarga [i.e., Goloka, or, the highest bliss] and the position of a mother [i.e., that of a nurse],] So what’s more of [i.e., so how much more grace did Kṛṣṇa show to] the mother-like cows [from whose udders he drank milk as they suckled him with love and affection during the year the he self-manifested himself as their replicas of their calves following Brahmā abduction of their own calves]?’”
Note: Some editions of Krama-sandarbha have laukika-līlāyām instead of alaukika-līlāyām. The meaning as per this variant is as follows: “He again describes the profound boundlessness of [Kṛṣṇa’s] grace in [his] worldly līlā [i.e., Uddhava seeks to stress that the grace Kṛṣṇa shows during his prakaṭa-līlā in the midst of the conditioned jīvas in the realm of prakṛti is especially astonishing].”
tasya sarvāvatārāvatāriṣv aprakaṭitaṁ parama-śubha-svabhāvatvaṁ ca smṛtvāha—aho bakī … |
(Bhakti Sandarbha: 337)
“Furthermore, remembering his [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa of Gokula’s] supremely auspicious nature, which is unmanifest in all [other] avatāras and avatārīs [i.e., forms of Bhagavān from whom avatāras descend, e.g., Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu], he [i.e., Uddhava] says: aho bakī … [i.e., he speaks this verse].”
avatārārambhata eva parāpakāriṣv api kṛpā-mādhuryaṁ smaraṇ vilapati—aho āścaryam | bakī pūtaneti mātṛ-bhāvasya kṛtrimatve’pi tatrāpi jighāṁsayāpi kāla-kūṭam api yam apāyayat | tataḥ sakāśāt dhātry-ucitāṁ—‘ambikā ca kilimbā ca dhātrike stanya-dātṛke’ iti dve kṛṣṇasya dhātryau tad-ucitāṁ goloke gatiṁ lebhe | bhakta-veśa-mātreṇāpi bhaktocitāṁ ratiṁ prāpnotīty atra bhagavatā dviṣaty api pūtanā dṛṣṭāntīkṛtā | evaṁ dviṣatām api muktir bhaktiś ca syād iti kṛṣṇāvatārasyāsādhāraṇo dharma uktaḥ |
(Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā)
“Remembering the sweetness (mādhurya) of [Kṛṣṇa‘s] grace right at the outset of his descent (avatāra) upon even those who harm others, he [i.e., Uddhava] laments: Aho! Astonishing! Bakī, that is, Pūtanā, who, even with [only] the factitiousness of the manner (bhāva) of a mother, and even therein, [who] even with the intent to kill [him] fed [him] even lethal poison, attained from him a position appropriate for a nurse, that is, a position in Goloka appropriate for Kṛṣṇa’s two nurses, as per [the statement in Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā (1.63)], ‘The nurses Ambikā and Kalimbā are [Kṛṣṇa’s] wet nurses.’ She [i.e., Pūtanā] attained rati [for Kṛṣṇa] as appropriate for a bhakta even just by means of [wearing] the dress of a bhakta. So, in this case, Pūtanā was made an example by Bhagavān even though she was inimical [towards him, i.e., she was given the destiny of a bhakta even though she was a non-bhakta who only imitated the manner and appearance of a bhakta]. Thus that mukti and bhakti can be attained even by the inimical is said to be an extraordinary characteristic of Kṛṣṇa’s descent (avatāra) [i.e., the grace that Śrī Kṛṣṇa showed to Pūtanā and other persons who were inimical to him is not shown by other avatāras].”