Shloka 16
सत्य–अनृत, प्रकाश–तमस्, स्वर्ग–नरक विवेचनम्
Truth and Untruth as Light and Darkness; Svarga and Naraka as Ethical Consequences
अहंकार इति ख्यात: सर्वभूतात्मभूतकृत् । ब्रह्मा वै स महातेजा य एते पञच धातव:
ahaṅkāra iti khyātaḥ sarvabhūtātma-bhūtakṛt | brahmā vai sa mahātejā ya ete pañca dhātavaḥ ||
毗湿摩说道：他名为“我执”（Ahaṅkāra）——是一切众生的内在之我，也是造作众生者。那光辉无量的梵天，正以这五种元素成分而显现；以五大（地、水、火、风、空）之形，宇宙本源显露并维系造化。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse identifies the cosmic ‘I’-principle (ahaṅkāra) as both the inner self of beings and the generative power behind them, and links it to Brahmā’s manifestation as the five elemental constituents—showing how individuality and the material cosmos arise from a single luminous source.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma continues his metaphysical exposition to Yudhiṣṭhira, explaining principles of creation and the emergence of the elements by describing how Brahmā/creative reality is spoken of as ahaṅkāra and appears as the five elemental bases.