26 THE PROTECTOR [I as Krishna had many friends: Mandalibhadra, Bhadravardhana, Subhadra, Gobhata, Yaksendra, Bhata, Virabhadra, and Bhadranga who were older than me thus, they try to protect me from any danger. My parents love me very dearly. For them, I was many millions of times more important than their own life. My parents were frightened that Kansa would kill me; they engaged these friends to protect me. A boy named Vijayksha, son of Ambika-Devi who was my nurse was the leader of these friends. Ambika-Devi had got boon from Parvati as that strong and powerful son only to protect