Kṛṣṇa’s Departure, Auspicious Omens, and the Opening of the Uttaṅka Dialogue (कृष्णप्रयाण-निमित्त-उत्तङ्कसंवाद-प्रारम्भः)
सुदीर्घेणापि कालेन न ते शक््या गुणा मया । आत्मा च परमात्मा च नमस्ते नलिनेक्षण,“दीर्घकालतक गणना करनेपर भी आपके गुणोंका पार पाना असम्भव है। आप ही आत्मा और परमात्मा हैं। कमलनयन! आपको नमस्कार है
sudīrgheṇāpi kālena na te śakyā guṇā mayā | ātmā ca paramātmā ca namas te nalinekṣaṇa ||
“অতি দীঘলীয়া কাল গণনা কৰিলেও তোমাৰ গুণৰ অন্ত মই পাব নোৱাৰোঁ। তুমি আত্মা আৰু পৰমাত্মা। হে কমলনয়ন, তোমাক নমস্কাৰ।”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse expresses that the divine’s virtues are immeasurable and affirms a theological vision in which the addressed figure embodies both the individual self (ātmā) and the Supreme Self (paramātmā). Ethically, it models humility and reverence: recognizing limits of human appraisal and responding with respectful surrender.
Vaiśaṃpāyana, as narrator, voices a formal salutation to a lotus-eyed, exalted figure, declaring that even prolonged reflection cannot exhaust that being’s qualities and identifying the addressee with both ātmā and paramātmā. The moment functions as a devotional and doctrinal affirmation within the Ashvamedhika Parva’s unfolding discourse.