आदि पर्व, अध्याय 67 — गान्धर्वविवाह-समयः
Duḥṣanta–Śakuntalā: Gandharva Marriage and Succession Condition
यस्तु नारायणो नाम देवदेव: सनातन: । तस्यांशो मानुषेष्वासीद् वासुदेव: प्रतापवान्,देवताओंके भी देवता जो सनातन पुरुष भगवान् नारायण हैं, उन्हींके अंशस्वरूप प्रतापी वसुदेवनन्दन श्रीकृष्ण मनुष्योंमें अवतीर्ण हुए थे
yastu nārāyaṇo nāma devadevaḥ sanātanaḥ | tasyāṁśo mānuṣeṣv āsīd vāsudevaḥ pratāpavān ||
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Si Nārāyaṇa—ang walang hanggan, ang Panginoon ng mga panginoon—mula sa Kanya ay nahayag sa mga tao ang isang bahagi bilang makapangyarihang Vāsudeva (Kṛṣṇa). Ang paglitaw na ito’y hindi karaniwang kapanganakan, kundi banal na paglusong upang itaguyod ang dharma at akayin ang mga nilalang sa pinakamataas na kabutihan.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse teaches that Kṛṣṇa (Vāsudeva) is not merely a heroic human figure but a partial manifestation (aṁśa) of the eternal Supreme, Nārāyaṇa. This grounds ethical life in devotion and trust that divine guidance enters history to protect and re-establish dharma.
Vaiśampāyana identifies the divine status of Vāsudeva by stating that the eternal Lord Nārāyaṇa manifested a portion of Himself among humans as the powerful Kṛṣṇa. It functions as a theological clarification within the genealogical and historical narration of the epic.