Shloka 8
बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency
Mahābhārata 12.217
उभौ नित्यावविचलौ महदृभ्यश्न महत्तरौ । सामान्यमेतदुभयोरेवं हान्यद्विशेषणम्
ubhāv nityāv avicalau mahadṛbhyaś ca mahattarau | sāmānyam etad ubhayor evaṁ hy anyad viśeṣaṇam ||
Bhīṣma dit : Tous deux (Prakṛti et Puruṣa) sont éternels et immobiles, et chacun est plus grand que le grand. Ces qualités leur sont communes ; mais la différence qui les distingue est autre, et elle sera ensuite expliquée.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma states that Prakriti (nature) and Purusha (conscious self) share several exalted attributes—eternality, immovability, and greatness—so one should not mistake these shared traits as the true basis of distinction; the real differentiating feature lies elsewhere and must be understood to discern their roles in bondage and liberation.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and higher knowledge, Bhishma continues his philosophical teaching, setting up a comparison between Prakriti and Purusha: first listing what is common to both, and then preparing the listener for the crucial point of difference that will be explained in the subsequent discussion.