Who Putana is
Putana was a rakshasi sent by King Kamsa to kill the newborn children of the land, and above all the infant Krishna in Gokula. Taking the form of a beautiful woman, she entered the house of Nanda and took the child to nurse him with her poisoned breast. Krishna drew out her very life as he nursed, and she fell dead in her true, monstrous form. Because she had given him milk, even as a poisoner, the Bhagavata says she attained the place of a mother.
“Come, little one, nothing here will hurt you.”
How Putana plays chess
Sweet poison: friendly-looking positions with a hidden sting in every exchange.
The Classicist: Sound, balanced chess: develops, castles and takes what the position offers.
Opening repertoire: Ruy Lopez, Bird Defence · Blackburne Shilling Gambit · Lolli Attack
Defeat Putana in a full game from the normal starting position to earn the achievement The Poison Drawn and open the way to the next guardian.
Sources
- Bhagavata Purana, Book 10, Chapter 6
Placement on the path reflects chess difficulty only — a game-design choice, not a ranking of anyone's spiritual standing.