ow leaves him and he
gratifies the cowgirls with fresh passion. With this incident his visit
ends. He bids farewell to Nanda, Yasoda and the cowgirls and leaving the
forest returns to Dwarka.

Krishna's relations with the cowgirls are now completely ended, but on one
last occasion he happens to meet them. News has come that the sun will
soon be eclipsed and accordingly, Krishna and Balarama take the Yadavas on
pilgrimage. They choose a certain holy place, Kurukshetra, and assembling
all their queens and wives, make the slow journey to it. When they
arrive, a festival is in progress. They bathe and make offerings. While
they are still encamped, other kings come in, including the Pandavas and
Kauravas. With them are their wives and families and Kunti, the mother of
the Pandavas, is thus enabled to meet once more her brother, Vasudeva, the
father of Krishna. A little later, Nanda and Yasoda along with the
cowherds and cowgirls also arrive. They have come on the same pilgrimage
and finding Krishna there, at once throng to see him. Vasudeva greets his
old friend, Nanda, and recalls the now long-distant days when Krishna had
lived with him in his house. Krishna and Balarama greet Nanda and Yasoda
with loving respect, while the cowgirls are excited beyond description.
Krishna however refuses to regard them and faced with their ardent looks
and impassioned adoration, addresses to them the following sermon.
'Whoever believes in me shall be fearlessly carried across the sea of
life. You gave me your bodies, minds and wealth. You loved me with a love
that knew no limit. No one has been so fortunate as you--neither Brahma
nor Indra, neither any other god nor any man. For all along I have been
living in you, loving you with a love that has never faltered. I live in
everyone. What I say to you cannot easily be understood, but as light,
water, fire, earth and air abide in the body, so does my glory.' To the
cowgirls such words strike chill. But there is nothing they can say and
when the festival is over, Krishna and the Yadavas return to Dwarka, while
Nanda with the cowherds and cowgirls go back to Brindaban. This is the
last time Krishna sees them.

This dismissal reveals how final is Krishna's severance from his former
life, yet provided the cowherds are not involved, he is quick to honour
earlier relationships. One day in Dwarka his mother, Devaki, tells him
that she has a private grief--grief at the loss of the six elder brothers