Shloka 11
बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency
Mahābhārata 12.217
संयोगलक्षणोत्पत्ति: कर्मणा गृह्ते यथा । करणै: कर्मनिर्वृत्ति: कर्ता यद् यद् विचेष्टते । कीर्त्यते शब्दसंज्ञाभि: को5हमेषो5प्यसाविति
saṃyoga-lakṣaṇotpattiḥ karmaṇā gṛhyate yathā | karaṇaiḥ karma-nirvṛttiḥ kartā yad yad viceṣṭate | kīrtyate śabda-saṃjñābhiḥ ko’ham eṣo’py asāv iti ||
Bhishma berkata: Kelahiran dunia yang bergerak dan yang tidak bergerak, yang ditandai oleh pertemuan Prakriti dan Purusha, difahami melalui perbuatan (karma) dan kesannya. Melalui alat—akal budi dan pancaindera—makhluk berjasad ini melakukan tindakan; dan apa jua tindakan yang dilakukannya, dengan tindakan itulah dia disebut sebagai pelakunya. Maka, melalui kata dan gelaran menurut kebiasaan—“siapa?”, “aku”, “ini”, dan “itu”—orang menggambarkannya, lalu menetapkan identiti serta tanggungjawab dalam ranah perbuatan.
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.