234 CRADLE TALES OF HINDUISM
The sound of the strife died away in silence,
for all the clansmen — save one who was sent to
call Arjuna from Hastinapura — had been de-
stroyed. Krishna, then, leaving the camp in
charge of servants and men-at-arms, and knowing
well that the time for His own death had come,
returned hastily to the city and called upon His
father to assume the direction of affairs, holding
the women of the Vrishnis under his protection
till the arrival of Arjuna at Dwarka. For Himself, He said, having witnessed again a scene as
terrible as the slaughter of the Kurus, and being
robbed of His kinsmen, the world had become
intolerable to Him, and He should retire to the
forest for the life of renunciation. Having so
spoken, Krishna touched with His head the feet
of Vasudeva, and turned quickly to leave his
presence. As he did so, however, a loud wail
of sorrow broke from the women and children
of His house. Hearing this, the merciful Lord
retraced His steps, and, smiling upon them all for
the last time, said gently, " Arjuna will come and
will be your protector. And all your need shall
be met by him." Then He departed from the
palace, and made His way to the forest, not to
return.
Never again was the Lord Krishna seen of the world He had left behind. Reaching the lowest depths of those wild places, He established Him-
