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

Ipinaliwanag ni Bhishma na ang Sarili (puruṣa) ang saksi sa mga pagbabago ng kalikasan (prakṛti), samantalang nananatili itong lampas sa mga guṇa. Ang prakṛti at puruṣa ay hindi mga bagay na mahahawakan ng pandama; sila’y walang anyo, banayad, at magkahiwalay na magkaiba. Ang aral na dapat kunin: linangin ang malinaw na paghiwalay sa pagitan ng nagbabagong larangan ng kalikasan at ng hindi nagbabagong saksi, upang lumuwag ang pagkapit at umusad tungo sa panloob na kalayaan.

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.