Shloka 11
संयोगलक्षणोत्पत्ति: कर्मणा गृह्ते यथा । करणै: कर्मनिर्वृत्ति: कर्ता यद् यद् विचेष्टते । कीर्त्यते शब्दसंज्ञाभि: को5हमेषो5प्यसाविति,प्रकृति और पुरुषके संयोगसे चराचर जगत्की उत्पत्ति होती है, जो कर्मसे ही जानी जाती है। जीव मन-इन्द्रियोंद्वारा कर्म करता है। वह जिस-जिस कर्मको करता है, उस-उसका कर्ता कहलाता है। 'कौन' “मैं' “यह” और “वह'--इन शब्दों एवं संज्ञाओंद्वारा उसीका वर्णन किया जाता है
saṃyoga-lakṣaṇotpattiḥ karmaṇā gṛhyate yathā | karaṇaiḥ karma-nirvṛttiḥ kartā yad yad viceṣṭate | kīrtyate śabda-saṃjñābhiḥ ko’ham eṣo’py asāv iti ||
Bhishma said: The arising of the moving and unmoving world, marked by the conjunction of Prakriti and Purusha, is understood through action and its effects. Through the instruments—mind and senses—this embodied being carries out deeds; and whatever deed he undertakes, by that very deed he is spoken of as its agent. Thus, by conventional words and labels—“who?”, “I”, “this”, and “that”—people describe him, assigning identity and responsibility in the sphere of action.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Identity as “doer” is a conventional designation arising in the domain of karma: when consciousness (Puruṣa) is conjoined with nature (Prakṛti), actions occur through instruments like mind and senses, and on that basis one is labeled “I/this/that” and held to agency.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on liberation-oriented ethics and philosophy, Bhīṣma explains to the inquirer how the world-process and personal identity are understood through action, and how linguistic labels of selfhood track performed deeds rather than an ultimate, independent agent.