Shloka 10

बलीन्द्रसंवादः — Kāla, Anityatā, and the Limits of Agency

Mahābhārata 12.217

Devanagari script

प्रकृतेश्न विकाराणां द्रष्टारमगुणान्वितम्‌ । अग्राह्मौ पुरुषावेतावलिड्रत्वादसंहतौ,वह स्वयं गुणोंसे रहित तथा प्रकृतिके विकारों (कार्यों) का द्रष्टा है। ये दोनों प्रकृति और पुरुष सम्पूर्णत: इन्द्रियोंके विषय नहीं हैं। दोनों ही आकाररहित तथा एक-दूसरेसे विलक्षण हैं

Transliteration

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

Translation

प्रकृतेर्विकाराणां द्रष्टारमगुणान्वितम् । अग्राह्यौ प्रकृतिपुरुषावेताविन्द्रियगोचरौ न हि । निराकारौ सूक्ष्मौ च परस्परविलक्षणौ ॥

Word by Word

प्रकृतेःof Prakriti (nature)

विकाराणाम्of modifications/effects

द्रष्टारम्the seer/observer

अगुणान्वितम्endowed with absence of qualities (free from guṇas)

अग्राह्यौnot graspable (by senses)

पुरुषौthe two puruṣas / (here) the two principles

एतौthese two

अलिङ्गत्वात्because of being without mark/form (liṅga)

असंहतौuncombined, not conjoined

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Prakriti

Purusha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.