After consulting with his demoniac ministers, Kamsa instructed a witch named Putana, 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 Krishna. It is said that wherever the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done, even negligently, all bad elements -- witches, ghosts and dangerous calamities -- immediately disappear. And this is certainly true of the place where the chanting of the holy name of Krishna is done seriously -- especially in Vrindavana when the Supreme Lord was personally present.
Putana entered Gokula, the residential quarter of Nanda Maharaja, without permission. Dressing herself just like a beautiful woman, she entered the house of mother Yasoda. She appeared very beautiful. She was glancing at everyone with very attractive looks and smiling face, and all the residents of Vrindavana were captivated. The innocent cowherd women thought that she was the goddess of fortune appearing in Vrindavana with a lotus flower in her hand. It seemed to them that she had personally come to see Krishna, who is her husband. Because of her exquisite beauty, no one checked her movement, and therefore she freely entered the house of Nanda Maharaja. Putana, the killer of many, many children, found baby Krishna lying on a small bed, and she could at once perceive that the baby was hiding His unparalleled potencies, which resembled fire covered by ashes. Putana thought, "This child is so powerful that He can destroy the whole universe immediately."
Putana took Him on her lap. She did not know that she was holding death personified. If a person mistakes a snake for a rope, he dies. Similarly, Putana had killed so many babies before meeting Krishna, and she mistook Him to be like them, but now she was accepting the snake that would kill her immediately.
When Putana was taking baby Krishna on her lap, both Yasoda and Rohini were present, but because she was so beautifully dressed and showed motherly affection toward Krishna, they did not forbid her. They could not understand that she was a sword within a decorated case. Putana had smeared a very powerful poison on her breasts, and immediately after taking the baby on her lap, she pushed her breastly nipple within His mouth. She was hoping that as soon as He would suck her breast, He would die. 
But baby Krishna very quickly took the nipple in anger. He sucked the milk-poison along with the life air of the demon. In other words, Krishna simultaneously sucked the milk from her breast and killed her by sucking out her life. Krishna is so merciful that because the demon Putana came to offer her breast milk to Him, He fulfilled her desire and accepted her activity as motherly. But to stop her from further nefarious activities, He immediately killed her. And because the demon was killed by Krishna, she got liberation. As Krishna pressed her breast extremely hard and sucked out her very breath, Putana fell down on the ground, spread her arms and legs and began to cry, "Oh, child, leave me, leave me!" She was crying loudly and perspiring, and her whole body became wet.
As she died screaming, there was a tremendous vibration on the earth and in the sky, on the upper and lower planets and in all directions, and people thought that thunderbolts were falling. Thus the nightmare of the Putana witch was over, and she assumed her real feature as a great demon. She opened her fierce mouth and spread her arms and legs all over. The long hair on her head was scattered all over her body. Her fallen body extended up to twelve miles and smashed all the trees to pieces, and everyone was struck with wonder upon seeing this gigantic body. Her teeth appeared just like plows, and her nostrils appeared just like mountain caves. Her breasts appeared like small hills, and her hair was a vast reddish bush. Her eye sockets appeared like blind wells, and her two thighs appeared like two banks of a river. Her two hands appeared like two strongly constructed bridges, and her abdomen seemed like a dried-up lake. All the cowherd men and women became struck with awe and wonder upon seeing this. And the tumultuous sound of her falling shocked their brains and ears and made their hearts beat strongly.
When the gopis saw little Krishna fearlessly playing on Putana's lap, they very quickly came and picked Him up. Mother Yasoda, Rohini and other elder gopis immediately performed the auspicious rituals. After this purificatory process, the gopis, headed by mother Yasoda and Rohini, chanted the names of Visnu to give Krishna's body full protection from all evil influences.
The elder gopis of Vrindavana were so absorbed in affection for Krishna that they wanted to save Him, although there was no need to, for He had already protected Himself. They could not understand that Krishna was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a child.
After this, all the residents of Vraja cut the gigantic body of Putana into pieces and piled it up with wood for burning. When all the limbs of Putana's body were burning, the smoke emanating from the fire created a good aroma of aguru. This aroma was due to her being killed by Krishna. This means that the demon Putana was washed of all her sinful activities and attained a celestial body. Here is an example of how the Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-good: Putana came to kill Krishna, but because He sucked her milk, she was immediately purified, and her dead body attained a transcendental quality. Her only business was to kill small children; she was only fond of blood. But in spite of being envious of Krishna, she attained salvation because she gave her milk to Him to drink. So what can be said of those who are affectionate to Krishna in the relationship of mother, who with great love and affection always serve Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the Supersoul of every living entity?
It is concluded, therefore, that even a little energy expended in the service of the Lord gives one immense transcendental profit. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita: sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is so sublime that even a little service rendered to Krishna, knowingly or unknowingly, gives one the greatest transcendental benefit.
Srila Sukadeva Gosvami has given a blessing to all persons who hear the narration of the killing of Putana by Krishna: they will surely attain the favor of Govinda.
