Source: Putana Killed
When the gopīs saw little Kṛṣṇa fearlessly playing on Putana’s lap, they very quickly came and picked Him up. Mother Yasoda, Rohiṇī and other elder gopīs immediately performed the auspicious rituals by taking the tail of a cow and circumambulating His body. The child was completely washed with the urine of a cow, and the dust created by the hooves of the cows was thrown all over His body. This was all just to save little Kṛṣṇa from future inauspicious accidents.
After this purificatory process, the gopīs, headed by Mother Yasoda and Rohiṇī, chanted the names of Viṣṇu to give Kṛṣṇa’s body full protection from all evil influences.
Mother Yasoda was firmly convinced that she should protect her child from different kinds of evil spirits and ghosts….Mother Yasoda was firmly convinced of the Vedic injunctions about the importance of cows and the holy name of Viṣṇu; therefore she took all shelter in the cows and the name of Viṣṇu just to protect her child Kṛṣṇa. She recited all the holy names of Viṣṇu so that He might save the child.
The elder gopīs of Vṛndāvana were so absorbed in affection for Kṛṣṇa that they wanted to save Him, although there was no need to, for He had already protected Himself. They could not understand that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead playing as a child. After performing the formalities to protect the child, Mother Yasoda took Kṛṣṇa and let Him suck her breast. When the child was protected by viṣṇu-mantra, Mother Yasoda felt that He was safe.
