Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.63.20
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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koṭarā nāma
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named Koṭarā
Koṭarā — literally 'hollow of a tree'. Bāṇa's mother. The Bhāgavatam names her by a hollow because her stratagem is to create a hollow in Bhagavān's gaze, a momentary inattention through which her son can escape.
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nagnā
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naked
The desperate maternal weapon — Koṭarā weaponizes her own body's exposure to compel Kṛṣṇa's modesty. Gauḍīyas read this as proof that Bhagavān, having accepted nara-līlā, accepts also its proprieties; He could see through it but chooses to honor them.
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putra-prāṇa-rirakṣayā
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with the desire to protect her son's life
Compound: putra (son) + prāṇa (life) + rirakṣayā (with intent to protect). Maternal vātsalya in the asura register — even on this side of the line, a mother's wish to save her son moves the cosmos. The Lord will honor that wish in the larger frame by sparing Bāṇa entirely (v. 47).
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avatasthe
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she stood before
Perfect of ava-√sthā (to stand near, present oneself). The same root that gives sthāyī-bhāva — standing-emotion. Koṭarā's standing forces a counter-standing from Bhagavān: He averts His face. Bhakti's grammar acknowledges even an opponent's standing.
Bana's mother, named Kothara, sometimes called Kotari, is a form of Parvati worshipped by the demons. With a desire to protect her son (riraksaya), she appeared naked.
According to Hari-vaṁśa, Bāṇa became Śiva’ṣ son by great austerities. Because the mother was thus considered to be like Pārvatī she was called Koṭarā, another form of Pārvatī. In Hari-vaṁśa she is famous as Koṭarī. Śiva says, “Please save him, O Pārvatī. Go quickly to save Bāṇa without delay.” kṛṣṇasyaikasya tad rūpaṁ darśayat pārśvam āgatā antardhānam upāgamya tyaktvā sā vāsasī punaḥ / paritrāṇāya bāṇasya vijayādhiṣṭhitā tataḥ / pramukhe vāsudevasya digvāsāḥ koṭavī sthitā // She came close to Kṛṣṇa in her form. Giving up invisibility, she appeared before him while wearing clothing. In order to protect Bāṇa she then stood there facing Kṛṣṇa, without clothing. Koṭarī is another name of Bāṇa’s mother. According to Viṣṇu Purāṇa however Koṭarī is the name of devatā of the demons who possessed powerful mantras. Nāmnā daiteya-vidyābhūt koḍarī purato hareḥ: Koṭarī, who had demonic knowledge, appeared before Kṛṣṇa. She is also called Kotavī. Another version has rirakṣiṣayā instead of rīraakṣayā.
- Where in my life has someone humbled themselves to protect me, and have I honored it?
- What would I be willing to lay aside, including self-image, to advocate for a soul I love?
When all weapons fail, the asura mother throws the only weapon left — shame. Koṭarā appears naked before Kṛṣṇa to force His eyes away, knowing the Lord's own grace will use up His attention for one breath and give her son a chance to run.
My note
Source: vedabase.io