Shloka 11
धर्मलक्षण-प्रश्नः (Marks and Sources of Dharma) | Chapter 251: Inquiry into the Definition of Dharma
एकादशस्त्वनन्तात्मा स सर्व: पर उच्यते | व्यवसायात्तमिका बुद्धिर्मनो व्याकरणात्मकम् | कर्मानुमानादू विज्ञेय: स जीव: क्षेत्रसंज़्क:
ekādaśas tv anantātmā sa sarvaḥ para ucyate | vyavasāyātmikā buddhir mano vyākaraṇātmakam | karmānumānād u vijñeyaḥ sa jīvaḥ kṣetrajña-saṃjñakaḥ avināśī ātmā ||
毗耶娑说：“第十一原理是无量之我（无尽自性）；它被宣说为遍一切的实在与至上者。觉知之智（buddhi）其性为决断；而意（manas）被说为分析之原理，故而在疑惑中摇摆。由行为而作推知——因为诸业必有知者与作者——应当了悟有一不坏之我：名为‘知田者’（kṣetrajña）的有情自我。”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse distinguishes buddhi (decisive intellect) from manas (analytical, doubt-prone mind) and argues that action implies a conscious knower and agent; therefore an imperishable Self exists, called the kṣetrajña (knower of the field/body).
In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, Vyāsa continues a philosophical exposition on principles (tattvas), identifying the supreme eleventh principle as the infinite Self and explaining how reasoning from karma supports recognition of the kṣetrajña.