The killing of the Rakshasi Putana

(Revised version – 13.7.08)

CAST LIST
NARRATOR: Janaki KAMSA: Anup GUARD: Nayan ??? PUTANA: Chandni GOPI:
YASHODA: Radhika GOPIS: Little Radhika GOPA: Chirag KRSNA:

NARRATOR: Many of you will know the story of the miraculous birth and
appearance of Lord Shri Krishna. How he was taken by his birth father,
Vasudev to live under the protection of his foster father and mother, Nanda
Maharaj and Yashoda in Vraja, to keep Him safe from the cruel hands of King
Kamsa.
Kamsa had killed all of his sister Devaki’s babies, one after another, after
he had heard the prophetic voice from the sky, telling him that the 8th
child of Devaki would be the one to kill him. But try as he might, he had
been unable to kill Krishna, who was now living safely and happily amongst
the cowherd men and women of Gokul.
Kamsa was troubled. He had no peace of mind – despite his wealth, strength,
fame and opulence. All he could think about, night and day, was that little
baby, born from his sister Devaki.
SCENE 1
KAMSA’S PALACE
(enter Kamsa, striding in, sword in hand, looking angry. Goes over to
throne and sits down. Looks pensive. Then claps 3 times. Guard appears,
bringing him goblet of wine. He snatches off guard and downs the contents
in one. Guard takes off him and backs off, looking cautiously at Kamsa)

KAMSA: Well, is it done? Are all the babies and young children in the
land dead? I sent an order out for every child under the age of two to
be killed. Has my order been obeyed?

GUARD: Yes Maharaj! We’ve done everything you asked.

KAMSA: Send out the guards again and make sure that the task is done. No
child should remain alive!

GUARD: No problem Maharaj, we will do it!

(Guard leaves, then returns and waits side and back stage for Kamsa’s order)

KAMSA: But something inside tells me that Devaki’s child still lives. I
feel it!
I can take no chances, my life is at stake.
Call the Rakshasi Putana – tell her I want to see her!
(Guard exits – then returns with Putana following)

GUARD: Maharaj! The Rakshasi Putana!

KAMSA: Ah, Putana – come in, come in.

PUTANA: Maharaj, maharaj, I’m so happy! You wanted to see me!

KAMSA: You have a reputation for killing young children and babies. I
have heard about your deeds and now I have a very special task for you.
I need you to make sure that EVERY child below the age of two be killed.
None should remain alive. Spare no-one. Can you do that? Can you promise
me it will be done?

PUTANA: Maharaj, maharaj, don’t worry! I will do everything! Killing

children is easy for me! It is what I like to do! Don’t worry, don’t worry
– everything will be fine!

KAMSA: If you do this for me Putana, I will make sure you are well rewarded
– jewellery, palaces, land - you name it, it will be yours. Just make sure
ALL the children are destroyed. Especially the son of my sister Devaki,
they call Him Krishna – he has escaped and is being hidden somewhere. Find
him – kill him – show no mercy!

PUTANA: Don’t worry Maharaj! I will see to it myself!

KAMSA: Hhhmm! Make sure you do! He walks off

PUTANA: OH! What a great day for me – a special instruction from the great
King Kamsa himself – I will get on with my new task straight away. Are
there any children around here I wonder? Haa Haa Haa Haa. Make way, make
way, here’s Putana out to play! Haa Haa Haa Haa.

SCENE 2
GOKUL HOUSE OF YASODA
NARRATION: Meanwhile, Krishna was blissfully living in Gokul with his
devoted mother Yashoda, father Nanda Maharaj and the community of cowherd
men and women. Everyone loved Krishna dearly and would visit the house
of mother Yashoda to see His sweet smiling face and hear the stories about
Him as He grew day by day.
(enter Yashoda, carrying baby Krishna plus 2 or three ladies of Vrindavan)
(Sweet music plays and song about baby Krishna as they enter – sounds of
peacock and birds, maybe water babbling)

GOPI: Yashoda, how is baby Krishna today?

YASHODA: Oh he’s doing really well! He smiles and reaches out to me

whenever I come near him.

GOPI: He is so cute.

YASHODA: Yes, he is – I just feel like cuddling him all the time.

GOPI: Can I hold him?

YASHODA: Yes of course you can. (hands baby over to her)

Could you look after him for a little while for me. I need to finish
churning butter.

GOPI: Oh yes, I would love to.

YASHODA: Oh thank you! We can all go into the courtyard of my house –
you can play with Krishna and I can get on with some of my household chores.
Come on!
(Again sweet song and sounds of Gokul, fading off as narration starts)

NARRATION: In this way they spent many happy days and nights enjoying the
childhood pastimes of Krishna.
SCENE 3
PUTANA IN FOREST
(Fade out nice music, increase evil sounds to portend the coming of Putana)
Meanwhile, the Rakshasi Putana had been roaming throughout the land,
mercilessly killing babies and children wherever she went, causing untold
misery and pain to families everywhere.
(change of music – enter Putana)

PUTANA: Oh, Hello there everyone! In case you didn’t know, my name is
Putana – and I know how to perform black magic – Oh yes I do, and very good
at it I am too! I am very proud of my knowledge and abilities. Even the
mighty King Kamsa has heard of me! He called me to see him at the palace,
offered me all kinds of praise and rewards and then asked me to perform
a very special task for him. He wants me to travel all over - and kill
all the babies and young children in the land. How fabulous – I just LOVE
Killing – especially young and tender children! (Laughs)
I wonder if there are any children around here?
(looks around at audience – sniffs the air)
Yes!!! I can smell them! (calls out) Children! where are you? Come to
Putana! Come on my little darlings – don’t be frightened – I won’t hurt
you!............... But I will kill you! HA HA HA!
(reaches out as though to grab children in the audience)
The mighty King Kamsa wants me to make sure that I kill that child known
as ............. Krishna! Do any of you know where I can find him?
I have heard a rumour that he is living as the son of Maharaj Nanda and
Yashoda in the land of Gokul. I will make my way there quickly, find that
child, and kill him! Kill him so he breathes no more.
I have a brilliant plan! I will smear my breast with poison and when he
drinks the milk he will die – like all the other babies I have killed!
(Laughs) What a delight it will be - seeing the life leave his tiny little
body! And King Kamsa will be sooo pleased with me! (Laughs again) (Runs
quickly up and down the stage.) Aaahhh, (fans himself cos he’s out of breath
and hot from running)
SCENE 4
OUTSKIRTS OF GOKULA
Here I am, on the outskirts of Gokul. This is where that baby Krishna
is to be found.
But I will have to be very cunning, if I try to enter the house where Krishna
is living, they will never let me get close to him - not looking like
this..............(stops and thinks for a moment, then gets a good idea)
So, by my mystic power, I will transform myself into a beautiful young
woman. And then no one will stop me! HA HA HA!
(she twirls around, as though reciting some magic incantation –
“ooma gooma maka geema
shooma dooma laka seema
eema keema ooja eela
fooma booma sala meela”
repeat, then louder, madder, crazier – maybe distort the sound – strobe,
light effects, smoke
( then disappears behind backdrop and simultaneously appears as transformed
into a most beautiful woman .)

TRANSFORMED PUTANA: How do I look now? What do you think? Don’t I look
wonderful – just like the Goddess of Fortune herself! No one will stop
me getting close to that child now!
(laughs in a cackling sort of way then starts to walk over to side stage
–
SCENE 5
YASODA’S HOUSE IN GOKUL
watching as Yashoda and gopis enter)

GOPIS ALL SINGING:

Nandadulala, madana gopala,
nandadulala madana gopala
Yashoda nandana madana gopala
Yashoda nandana madana gopala
Madana gopala mohana rupa
Madana gopala mohana rupa
Jaya jaya deva hare
Jaya jaya deva hare
(Yashoda carries baby Krishna in and puts him down to rest in a cradle,
side stage, all smiling at him and one another. Two hold fans (chamara
and peacock) either side of cradle.
Putana slowly makes her way forward)

TRANSFORMED PUTANA: Excuse me ladies, but could you tell me where I can
find the house of Nanda Maharaja and Yashoda?
(gopis, gopas and Yashoda look towards her and smile as she comes near,
whispering and talking amongst themselves)
YASHODA: Welcome, this is the house you are looking for, and I am Yashoda,
the wife of Nanda Maharaj, How can I help you?

PUTANA: Oh, very pleased to meet you, I am sure. (Reaches out her hand
towards Yashoda and does a little courtsey.) I have heard that you have
a most charming and lovely baby boy called Krishna. I wonder if I may be
able to see him?

YASHODA: Why, of course you may! He is indeed a very special and beautiful
baby! (She looks around at gopis, smiling, and they all nod and smile
back).
He is sleeping at the moment, but please come on over here and see him.

PUTANA: Thank you Yashoda, that is most kind of you!

(They move over to look at baby in the cradle)
Oh he really is as beautiful as they say he is, just completely perfect.
Look, he’s just starting to wake up. May I hold him?
YASHODA: Of course you may!

PUTANA: Oh you are a beautiful baby aren’t you! So gorgeous, I could just
eat you up!
(they all laugh and smile at each other and the young woman)

PUTANA: You are very fortunate to have such a wonderful baby, Yashoda.
And you have such a lovely home too. I bet Krishna just loves it here.
Haven’t you got a lovely home Krishna.
Oh look, he seems to be a little hungry. Yashoda, would you mind if I fed
him some milk? Please say yes.

YASHODA: Well, yes, I guess that would be alright (she looks a little
apprehensive, then looks to other gopis – they smile and nod)

GOPI: She seems to be such a nice lady. She appears to love Krishna, just
like we do! I’m sure it will be fine.

YASHODA: Yes, I’m sure it will be fine.

(to Putana ) I’ll leave you to it then, I’ll just be in the courtyard,
call me if you need anything, anything at all.
(The gopis take her hand and escort her away)
(Gopi’s and Yashoda quietly leave stage area, looking back towards Krishna
as they exit)

PUTANA: Your very hungry aren’t you baby, your tummy’s empty and you want
a nice long drink of milk. Come to momma Putana – there there, sweet baby!
(Putana covers baby Krishna’s face with her saree asthough feeding him
breast milk – then speaks to audience)

That was so easy – now I can get him to drink the poison! (Laughs)
(she slips behind the backdrop – then comes out the other side in
her original form,holding baby Krishna to her breast)
Drink child, drink deep of this poision and die! (Laughs)
(Pause, then -)
Aaaaahhhhh! What is happening? The pain is so intense! He is sucking so
hard! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! No!......... No!.............. Stop!...........
Leave me child!........... leave me!............ Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!
(she starts to spin around screaming in agony as baby Krishna sucks out
her life air – with a piercing scream she falls down dead with the baby
on her chest)
(Yashoda and the gopis rush over and pick up baby Krishna and hug him.

YASHODA: Oh Krishna! My darling baby! Are you safe? Are you well?

GOPI 1: Oh my goodness, what has happened here?

GOPI 2: (OR YASHODA) That woman must have been a demon in disguise.

GOPA: The baby killed her, it was the baby who did it!

GOPI: Don’t be ridiculous, how could a baby kill a big demon like that!
GOPA: But its true, I saw it with my own eyes! Baby Krishna killed the
demon!

GOPI 1: We shall have to take care of Krishna so carefully now! To protect

him from all kinds of danger.

YASHODA: Let us purify Him with items from the holy cow and chant the names
of Lord Vishnu to protect him.
(Yashoda places him in cradle, gopi brings in tray with auspicious items,
another brings table, puts tray on. Yashoda performs achaman, sprinkles
water on him and rubs his body with auspicious items. One gopi rings bell,
2 fan, then they all recite the Tilak prayers

YASHODA: My dear Krishna, for your protection we pray to the Lord:

Om keshavaya namah
Om narayanaya namah
Om madhavaya namah
Om govindaya namah
Om vishnave namah
Om madhusudanaya namah
Om trivikramaya namah
Om vamanaya namah
Om Shridharaya namah
Om hrshikeshaya namah
Om padmanabhaya namah
Om damodaraya namah
Om vasudevaya namah
May the Lord of Vaikuntha give you all protection. Om Tat Sat Hari Om Tat
Sat
(Fold hands and circumambulate 3 times around the baby in the cradle
reciting the following prayer)
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hey
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna He
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hey
Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna Hey
(All stand around the cradle, Mother Yashoda stroking Krishna, and the
gopis, and gopas looking on with love and devotion at their darling Krishna)

NARRATION:
Everyone was struck with wonder at seeing the gigantic dead body of Putana.
The people of Vraja cut Putana’s huge body into pieces and piled it up with
wood for burning. They were surprised that the wood produced such a good
aroma, like sandlewood being burned – this was because Putana the witch
had been killed by Krishna and was now completely purified of all her sins.
Even though Putana came to Krishna as an enemy, she received so much
benefit – she attained liberation in the spiritual realm as an eternal
mother of Krishna. Who then can begin to measure the benefit of worshiping
Krishna with pure love and affection!

Shri Krishna kanaya lala ki jai!