the facts, console Krishna’s aunt, Kunti, and then return and report.  Akrura reaches the Kauravas’ capital and discovers that the rumours are only too correct.  Relations between the two families are strained to breaking point.  The blind king is at the mercy of his son, Duryodhana, and it is the latter who is ceaselessly harrying Kunti and her sons.  A little later, as we have already seen, a final attempt on their lives will be made, they will be induced to sleep in a new house, the house will be fired and only by a fortunate chance will the Pandavas escape to the forest and dwell in safety.  This, however, is in the future and for the moment Kunti and her sons are still at court.  Akrura assures Kunti of Krishna’s abiding concern and returns to Mathura.  Krishna and Balarama are perturbed to hear his news, deliberate on whether to intervene, but decide for the moment to do nothing.

The second adjustment which Krishna has now to make is to reconcile the cowherds to his permanent departure from them and to wean them from their passionate adherence to his presence.  This is much more difficult.  We have seen how on the journey to Mathura, Krishna has been accompanied by Nanda and the cowherds and how during the closing struggle with the tyrant they also have been present.  When the fight is finally over, they prepare to depart, taking it for granted that Krishna and Balarama will come with them.  Krishna has therefore to disillusion Nanda.  He breaks the news to him that it is not he and Yasoda who are actually his parents but Vasudeva and Devaki.  He loads Nanda with jewels and costly dresses and thanks him again and again for all his loving care.  He then explains that he has now to stay in Mathura for a time to meet his castemen, the Yadavas.  Nanda is greatly saddened by the news.  The cowherds strive to dissuade him but Krishna is adamant.  He retains a few cowherds with him, but the rest return to Brindaban, Krishna promising that after a time he will visit them.  On arrival Nanda strives in vain to console Yasoda and is forced to tell her that Krishna has now acknowledged Vasudeva as his true father, that he has probably left Brindaban for good and that his own early intuition that Krishna was God is correct.  Yasoda, as she thinks of her lost ‘son,’ is overwhelmed with grief, but recovers when she realizes that actually he is God.  As to the cowgirls, their grief is endless as they recall Krishna’s heart-ensnaring charms.

Such a step is obviously only the first move in what must necessarily be a long and arduous operation.  Finding it impossible to say outright that he will never see them again, Krishna has committed himself to paying the cowherds a visit.  Yet he realizes that nothing can be gained by such a step since, if his future lies with the princely Yadavas, any mingling with the cowherds will merely disrupt this final role.  Yet clearly he cannot just abandon his former associates without any regard at all for their proper feelings.