Shloka 10

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

Devanagari script

प्रकृतेश्न विकाराणां द्रष्टारमगुणान्वितम्‌ । अग्राह्मौ पुरुषावेतावलिड्रत्वादसंहतौ

Transliteration

prakṛteś ca vikārāṇāṁ draṣṭāram aguṇānvitam | agrāhyaṁ puruṣāv etāv aliṅgatvād asaṁhatau ||

Translation

Bhīṣma enseigne que le Soi (puruṣa) est le témoin des transformations de la nature (prakṛti), tout en demeurant au-delà des guṇa. Ni prakṛti ni puruṣa ne sont des objets saisissables par les sens : ils sont sans forme, subtils, et distincts l’un de l’autre. L’implication éthique est de cultiver le discernement entre le champ changeant de la nature et le témoin immuable, afin de desserrer l’attachement et de marcher vers la liberté intérieure.

Word by Word

• प्रकृतेः: of Prakriti (nature)
• प्रकृतेः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकृति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• विकाराणाम्: of modifications/effects
• विकाराणाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकार
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• द्रष्टारम्: the seer/observer
• द्रष्टारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रष्टृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अगुणान्वितम्: endowed with absence of qualities (free from guṇas)
• अगुणान्वितम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अगुणान्वित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अग्राह्यौ: not graspable (by senses)
• अग्राह्यौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्राह्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• पुरुषौ: the two puruṣas / (here) the two principles
• पुरुषौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• एतौ: these two
• एतौ: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• अलिङ्गत्वात्: because of being without mark/form (liṅga)
• अलिङ्गत्वात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलिङ्गत्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• असंहतौ: uncombined, not conjoined
• असंहतौ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असंहत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Prakriti
• Purusha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Discriminate between prakṛti (the changing field of guṇas and modifications) and puruṣa (the formless, partless witness). Realizing the witness as beyond guṇas supports detachment and liberation-oriented conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on peace and liberation, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira a Sāṅkhya-style analysis: nature undergoes transformations, while the conscious principle remains the non-sensory witness, distinct from nature.