Kapila

The Birth and Early Life

Once, Brahmā created Kardama Prajāpati and ordered him to populate the world with living beings. Kardama went to the banks of the Sarasvatī river and began performing penance. For ten thousand years, he meditated upon Viṣṇu. One day, Viṣṇu appeared before him and said, “By your wife Devahūti, you will beget nine daughters. After that, I myself shall be born as your son.”

As prophesied, Devahūti gave birth to nine daughters. Their names were Kalā, Anasūyā, Śraddhā, Havirbhū, Gati, Kriyā, Khyāti, Arundhatī, and Śānti. These names represent qualities connected to knowledge and noble attributes. Arundhatī and Śānti were also among the daughters of Kardama. After the nine daughters, Devahūti conceived again. Kardama told her, “Bhagavān himself told me that nine daughters would be born, and now they have. In your womb now is a son, an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa himself. Worship him; he will show the path.”

Thus was born Kapila. The devas rejoiced at his birth. Divine drums resounded. Gandharvas, Kinnaras, and Kimpuruṣas sang. Apsaras danced. Brahmā himself came and blessed the child.

Later, Kardama invited sages and arranged the marriages of his nine daughters. He gave Anasūyā to Atri Mahārṣi, Śraddhā to Aṅgiras, Havirbhū to Pulastya, Gati to Pulaha, Kriyā to Kratu, Khyāti to Bhṛgu, Arundhatī to Vasiṣṭha, Śānti to Dharma (also referred to as Atharva), and Kalā to Marīci. After these marriages, he sent them to their husbands’ homes.

Even though Kapila was still a child, Kardama took him privately aside, bowed before him, and said, “According to the boon granted to me, you have incarnated in my house. I am blessed. Now I shall enter yogic meditation and leave worldly life. Please grant me permission.”

Kapila replied, “O great sage! I have taken birth to show the yogic path to the sages and the world. I did not incarnate only to fulfill your desire but out of compassion for the world. I will guide humanity through tattva-bodha. Renounce actions, worship me with devotion, and you shall attain mokṣa.”

Here, the word “me” refers to Nārāyaṇa in the form of his son Kapila. Kardama had already worshiped and meditated upon Nārāyaṇa. Kapila himself declared that worshiping him leads to liberation. Kardama accepted this path and, becoming detached, entered the forest. He meditated upon Kapila as the manifestation of Parabrahman, realizing that the entire world is pervaded by Vāsudeva, filled with the presence of Viṣṇu. Thus, Kardama attained mokṣa.

Kapila’s Instruction to His Mother Devahūti

Devahūti, Kapila’s mother, requested her son to show her the path. Kapila taught her ātmā-bodha, explaining that bondage arises due to the mind being trapped in the three guṇas of saṃsāra. He taught that if the mind is trained to depend solely on Nārāyaṇa, liberation is attained even without the need for abstract nirguṇa contemplation.

He instructed her in the path of bhakti and also taught Sāṅkhya-yoga. Following Kapila’s teaching, Devahūti transcended the earth, attained a higher state, and merged into Śrī Hari. In her name, a sacred place called Siddhi-prada came to be on earth.

Kapila Maharshi’s teachings to Syūmarāśmi

Many siddhas, sādhya-devas, and other divine beings worshiped Kapila. The ocean god himself came and offered hymns. After this, Kapila traveled north, teaching Sāṅkhya-yoga in a peaceful state.

One day, at Kapila Maharshi’s āśrama, a divine cow appeared. Kapila had always declared that the cow is the embodiment of the Veda. Yet, when the cow appeared, he did not immediately rise to salute it. A sage named Syūmarāśmi observed this. He thought, “Kapila always says the cow is the form of the Veda, but now when the cow appears, he does not honor it. What is his real view of the Vedas?”

Using his yogic power, Syūmarāśmi entered the body of the cow and spoke to Kapila, “O Maharṣi! Some say the Vedas lead to arrogance through ritualistic pride. That is why ascetics abandon karma and pursue tapas for self-realization. What is your opinion?”

Kapila replied, “I neither reject nor cling to the Vedas. Those living in society must perform Vedic rites and enjoy the results prescribed by the Vedas. But the yogic state is different. The organs of action—speech, hands, feet, and others—are inactive in the yogi. Such a yogi neither accepts nor rejects anything. The senses no longer disturb him. Therefore, there is neither pleasure nor pain from performing or neglecting Vedic rituals. One who has closed the nine bodily gates needs neither tapas, dāna, vrata, nor even the authority of the Vedas.”

After hearing this, Syūmarāśmi emerged from the cow’s body and bowed to Kapila. He said, “O Maharṣi! Forgive me. I questioned you only to understand your view on the Vedas. Please tell me clearly—what is the necessity of the Vedas for worldly life? How are they useful?”

Kapila replied, “The Vedas are the authority for all worlds. Through śabda-brahma, the transcendental Parabrahman is approached. The Śruti declares:

यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते अप्राप्य मनसा सह
yato vāco nivartante aprāpya manasā saha
– Taittirīya Upaniṣad (2.9.1)

The mind and speech return without grasping Parabrahman.

Language cannot reach it, yet language fulfills worldly life. The unmanifest Brahman has descended into sound as the Veda.”

By studying and trusting the Vedas, one indirectly trusts Brahman. This is the way of the path. Viewing the Veda as śabda-brahma leads to the understanding of Oṃ as the symbol of Brahman. Oṃ is the one syllable of Brahman. When Oṃ is pronounced with the correct bhāva, realization comes. Otherwise, mere recitation does not yield knowledge. Realization happens through the mind, through the gate of citta. When the citta is pierced, the jīva touches the essence of Brahman and attains knowledge.

The Role of the Vedas in Mokṣa

There are countless methods. Brāhmaṇas, by following Vedic karma properly, can attain liberation. In the purāṇas, wherever the word brāhmaṇa is mentioned, it refers to ṛṣis. The term brāhmaṇa applies to those ṛṣis. Ordinary men using the term for themselves are not the same. In the Purusha Sūkta, it is said, ब्राह्मणोऽस्य मुखमासीद् (brāhmaṇo’sya mukhamāsīt) — the brāhmaṇas reside in the face of the cosmic form. The term āsīt is used, not ajāyata. For other beings, the word ajāyata (were born) is used, but for brāhmaṇas, it is said they existed beforehand. This refers to the saptarṣis.

True Brāhmaṇas and the Purpose of the Vedas

Thus, those who possess brahma-jñāna are called brāhmaṇas. By studying the Vedas, one earns the right of dvija-hood. By practicing the correct usage of the Vedas, he becomes a vipra. A vipra is one who uses the Vedas properly, becomes detached, walks the path of knowledge, performs all duties without attachment, and keeps Paramātman as the focus. He is called vipra, viprotta, or brāhmaṇa. This is not based on birth.

Those who understand the meaning of the Vedas and search for the truth are called vedajñās. Those who merely recite are called vedapāṭhakas. Kapila said, “This entire world is in the Veda. All existence is in the Veda. Therefore, I too bow to brāhmaṇas who follow this Vedic path.”

From this dialogue, Kapila’s philosophy becomes clear.

This conversation is found in the Anuśāsanika Parva of the Mahābhārata.

Kapila’s Teachings to Puṇḍarīka Maharāja

Once, a king named Puṇḍarīka went to the forest for hunting. He reached near the āśrama of Kapila Maharshi. There, he saw a clear pond with cool water and drank from it, resting for a while. Since he had come for sport and hunting, he saw a cow calf running past him. Without much thought, while still seated, he casually shot an arrow at it. The calf ran towards the feet of Kapila Maharshi and died there. Kings generally knew that it was forbidden to kill innocent animals, especially those raised in āśramas or that dwelt near sages. But in this case, the king had mistakenly killed the calf.

Fearfully, trembling, the king approached Kapila Maharshi and said, “O Maharshi! I am the one who committed this mistake. Please forgive me. I am Puṇḍarīka, the king.” He revealed his lineage and begged for forgiveness. Kapila Maharshi responded calmly, “O King! Human life is as momentary as a water bubble. Though man is endowed with greater intelligence and knowledge than animals, he still knows that his own life is not eternal. Even then, he kills a being that is weaker, voiceless, and has done him no harm. Why do you commit such a terrible deed? You are an educated man, a ruler of this land! Do you not know dharma?”

Kapila continued, “Just as you have a body with flesh and blood, hunger and thirst, so does this animal. It too has hunger, sleep, procreation, affection towards its offspring—just like you. Knowing this well, how could you kill it? How did you become capable of such an act?” Kapila Maharshi further asked, “If you say you did it for pleasure or entertainment, what joy is there in causing pain? When another creature suffers, when it writhes in agony and gives up its life, how can that be your sport? How can the sorrow of another become your delight? Are you not a wise king? Yet, I will not punish you. Why will I not punish you? Because the very words I am telling you now also apply to me. If it is sinful to kill that calf, then it would also be sinful for me to kill you. Therefore, I will not harm you. I have given you the path of knowledge. Live carefully, wisely. Do not set your heart upon this petty body, these fleeting pleasures, and transient enjoyments.”

Hearing this, the king underwent an inner transformation. Great sorrow gripped him. Kapila’s words pierced his heart like arrows. He could not forgive himself for the crime he had committed. There was no need for him to ask for forgiveness again, for Kapila himself had said, “I release you.” In fact, punishment might have been easier to accept. But Kapila, like Buddha, was a great teacher of non-violence, filled with boundless compassion.

The king immediately drew his sword from his belt and prepared to kill himself at Kapila’s feet. Kapila stopped him, saying, “By committing suicide, you would be committing another sin. Just as you try to protect your own life, the calf too ran for its life and died at my feet. Taking your own life is also violence. How will you attain wisdom or liberation through such an act?”

Then the king requested Kapila to teach him the path of knowledge.

Kapila explained: “In a previous life, one may perform some puṇya karma, and as a result, attain wealth, family, happiness. During such times, one must enjoy with sāttvika disposition, meaning with detachment and humility, not with pride. Do not think all this wealth is your own achievement. Do not insult others or become arrogant because of your fortune. Remember always that these are temporary. While you are still alive, your merits may run out and all wealth may vanish. Even if wealth remains, if life ends, you will have to leave it all. In both ways, the experience of wealth is temporary. One may have enough wealth for seven generations, but individual enjoyment is momentary.”

“Therefore, seek the guidance of a guru. Understand that life is transient. Even if all pleasures are available, they are not the purpose of life. Neither you nor they will last. Approach a guru with the heartfelt plea: ‘Please show me the way.'” Kapila then explained that seekers of mokṣa are of three kinds: aṅkurita (those with budding desire for liberation), puṣpita (those who practice sādhana), and phalita (those who attain the fruit of mokṣa). Those who attain the final goal of liberation are called phalita.

“Even if one only has a desire for liberation, even if it is just budding, it is enough to begin the path. ‘Perhaps someday my desire will be fulfilled. Perhaps a guru will come. Perhaps I will someday escape from saṁsāra.’ These thoughts belong to the aṅkurita, the ones in whom the seed has sprouted.”

“Those who enter into tapas and practice are called puṣpita. Finally, those who attain mokṣa are phalita. All these obtain liberation through the knowledge taught by a guru. Once the guru shows the path, the goal, and the duty, there is nothing more to do. Do not look back. This saṁsāra holds nothing further for you. Do not think that there are other dharmas left to be done. For one walking the path of mokṣa, thoughts of other duties should not arise, or else there will be a fall from the path.”

Kapila further said, “O King! Abandon all worldly dharmas. Begin as an aṅkurita, tread the path as a puṣpita, and attain the siddhi of a phalita. These are the three types of seekers.”

Later, the king left his kingdom and his wealth, came to Kapila’s āśrama, and requested to become his disciple. Kapila did not even look at him, did not speak to him, nor ask why he had come. One might wonder if the sage was lacking in simple courtesy, but this is the way of great beings. They know when to welcome, when to test, and when to accept.

In truth, Kapila was testing the king. He wondered, “Has this king come with temporary renunciation? Is his resolve true? Does he really desire liberation?”

For thirteen days and nights, the king stood silently at the entrance of Kapila’s āśrama. Even though Kapila did not acknowledge him, the king did not move. Each day, he would drink just a palmful of water from the pond and continued to stand without wavering.

After thirteen days, Kapila realized that the king’s determination was firm. On the fourteenth day, Kapila finally spoke: “Oh, so you have come! Why did you come here? You have a kingdom. Your father gave you the responsibility of ruling. You must govern and uphold dharma. You are a kṣatriya! You must arrange marriages for your children. Leaving your wife and household—doesn’t that violate dharma? That is what the dharma śāstra says, isn’t it?” These words were part of a test—a trial of worldly dharma. But because the king’s renunciation was real and deep, he was not moved. He did not answer. He stood there with folded hands.

Then Kapila taught him: “In the life of a human being, there are five stages of evolution—karma (action), bhakti (devotion), vairāgya (detachment), jñāna (knowledge), and yoga (union with the Self).” He then initiated the king into the path of liberation.

Kapila taught him the following mahāmantra:

पराय पररूपाय परमात्मन् परात्मने
नमः परमतत्त्वाय परानन्दाय धीमहि

parāya pararūpāya paramātman parātmane
namaḥ paramatattvāya parānandāya dhīmahi

Salutations to the Supreme beyond all, to the Supreme Self, to the ultimate truth, and to the source of boundless bliss. We meditate upon that Supreme Being.

Kapila explained: “This Brahman is supreme beyond all. There is no object in between. The joys of this world are limited and have an end. But the bliss of realizing the Self is limitless, eternal, and without boundaries. It cannot be measured. The proximity of the Supreme brings eternal bliss, unlike any worldly happiness, which always has an end.”

Kapila taught this mantra to King Puṇḍarīka. The king meditated as instructed, considering Kapila not only as his guru but as Īśvara Himself. Through his unwavering tapas and meditation, Bhagavān Viṣṇu appeared before Puṇḍarīka and granted him mokṣa.

This teaching is recorded in the Matsya Purāṇa.

King Sagara, Kapila Maharshi, and Bhagiratha

King Sagara performed many yajñas. Once, he conducted an Ashvamedha Yajña. As part of this great ritual, he released a consecrated horse to roam freely across all realms. The horse wandered as per the ritual’s custom. Indra, aware of the Sagara’s sons’ aggressiveness intended to teach them a lesson. Indra secretly took the horse to the Pātāla-loka and left it near the hermitage of Kapila Maharshi.

Sagara’s sons searched for the horse across many regions and eventually learned that it had gone underground. This is also mentioned in the story of Udanka. The Sagara princes dug into the earth and reached the depths of the Pātāla. Finally, they arrived at Kapila Maharshi’s hermitage. There they saw the horse tied up near the sage, who was immersed in tapas.

The princes, however, did not have the wisdom to greet the sage or seek his blessings. As the saying goes, vināśakāle viparīta buddhiḥ—at the time of destruction, the mind turns perverse. They assumed Kapila had stolen the horse. They even prepared to attack him, thinking, “He sits here silently like a saint, but he must be the thief who took the horse!” As they rushed at Kapila Maharshi, he neither cursed nor scolded them. He merely opened his eyes and looked at them. That glance alone, emerging from his yogic fire, was enough to reduce the sixty thousand sons of Sagara to ashes. He did not utter a word of curse. Simply seeing them, the fire from his eyes consumed them instantly.

Sagara’s grandson, named Aṁśumanta, searched for the horse and for his relatives who had disappeared. He reached Kapila Maharshi’s hermitage and found mounds of ash and the sacrificial horse there. The sage himself was still seated in tapas. Aṁśumanta was wise. He immediately prostrated before Kapila and praised him with devotion. He prayed, “O sage, you are full of wisdom. Please allow me to take back the horse. My grandfather’s yajña is nearing completion. My unwise father and uncles rushed here and perished. If the sacred Ganga, descending from the heavens, is brought to flow over their ashes, they will attain liberation.”

Kapila Maharshi replied, “I did not curse them. They perished by their own offence. If Ganga’s waters flow over these ashes, they will attain mokṣa.” Aṁśumanta then took the horse back, and thus that part of the story ended.

Bhagīratha was Aṁśumanta’s son. After the yajña, King Sagara prayed to Bhagavān Viṣṇu, saying, “O Lord, I performed this yajña seeking merit, but my entire lineage has perished. What is my path now?”

Viṣṇu said, “From the merit of this yajña, I will give you a son.” Thus, Bhagīratha was born as a boon from Viṣṇu.

Bhagīratha was physically weak, like a premature child extracted in the fifth or sixth month. People wondered why this divine boon appeared so feeble. The brahmins explained, “This child was not born of human seed, nor from kṣatriya virility. He is the fruit of a yajña—one that has also caused the destruction of many sons. This is the nature of the yajña-phala.”

Bhagīratha is also mentioned in the story of Aṣṭāvakra. Aṣṭāvakra had a deformed body and walked crookedly. Bhagīratha too, as a delicate child, walked similarly. When Aṣṭāvakra saw Bhagīratha, he thought the prince was mocking him and cursed him. However, Aṣṭāvakra reflected, “If this child mocked me out of arrogance, he will perish. But if he is truly suffering from deformity, let my words become a blessing to him.” So he sprinkled śāpodaka (curse-water) on Bhagīratha, and by that grace, Bhagīratha’s body became strong and radiant.

Later, Bhagīratha performed great tapas and brought the celestial Ganga to earth and down to the netherworld. As the Ganga’s waters touched the ashes of the Sagara sons, they attained liberation. That is the immense power of the Ganga.

That is why we perform Ganga-snāna. Bathing in the Ganga not only removes sins but even if ashes of the deceased are touched by Ganga waters, the departed soul attains mokṣa—even in pretayoni. The contact of Ganga water with ashes grants the soul an auspicious path. Ganga is ever-pure—then, now, and always. Even today, in yajñas, we sprinkle Ganga water for purification. Our elders insist that every Bharatiya must bathe at least once in the Ganga. In the past, our ancestors would leave home and walk all the way to Kāśī for Ganga-snāna, even if it took years by bullock cart. Such was the devotion.

Bhagīratha not only liberated his ancestors by bringing Ganga to earth, but also did immense good for the world. That is why we are indebted to Bhagīratha. His fathers were foolish and perished in arrogance, but their deaths became the cause for world welfare.

If not for this understanding, someone might criticize Kapila: “What sort of sage is he? He speaks of ahimsa yet his tapas killed sixty thousand sons!” But the truth is—they perished by their own adharma. Kapila did not intend to kill them. Their death by his vision led to their ultimate mokṣa. Otherwise, they would have been reborn again into saṁsāra. Even the anger of a mahātma becomes a path to liberation.

King Aśvaśirās and the Teaching of Sāṅkhya and Yoga

Aśvaśirās was a great king who performed numerous yajñas and gave generous gifts to countless brāhmaṇas. He was renowned for his extensive practice of charity and dharma. Hearing of his virtuous fame, Kapila Maharshi felt compassion and decided to bless him. Accompanied by the sage Jaigīṣavya and his disciples, Kapila went to the king’s palace. King Aśvaśirās respectfully worshipped the feet of both sages. He bowed to Kapila Maharshi and said, “O Mahātma! I am blessed by your arrival. Please tell me what I must do to attain the grace of Bhagavān Viṣṇu.”

Merely reading the Sāṅkhya philosophy and claiming to be a Sāṅkhya does not suffice. The true yogis are those who accept the essence of Sāṅkhya but proceed further through practice. When asked what they are doing, they respond, “We are yogis. We awaken Kuṇḍalinī, turn inward, and attain the state of Turīya for the sake of ātma-jñāna.”

The foundation of yoga is prepared by the philosophical framework of Sāṅkhya. Since it is commonly believed that Sāṅkhya does not directly establish the concept of Īśvara, yoga compensates by introducing the idea of God. Whatever is not explicitly stated in Sāṅkhya is explained in yoga. Therefore, Sāṅkhya and yoga complement each other and achieve completeness together.

By merging with yoga, Sāṅkhya becomes useful and stable. Yoga provides the practice; Sāṅkhya provides the philosophy. One may consider Sāṅkhya as theory and yoga as practical application. There is no Sāṅkhya without yoga and no yoga without Sāṅkhya. For meaningful results, both should be studied and practiced together. No single scripture alone is sufficient; both philosophy and method are essential. In modern terms, theory and practice must go hand in hand.

Yoga includes the concept of Īśvara. Whether one calls it Paramātman, Jīvātman, Parāśakti, or Parama Puruṣa, the realization happens when the two—Śakti and Śiva, or prakṛti and puruṣa—merge into one in the sahasrāra chakra. Through the suṣumnā nāḍī, they unite beyond duality. After crossing the region of the bhrūkuṭi (the midpoint between the eyebrows), in the sahasrāra lotus, duality dissolves. Only the One remains. That is mokṣa.

To transcend the joys and sorrows of worldly life is to enter this transcendental state. In the sahasrāra lotus, it is said there is the dīkṣā of the guru’s sandals—pādukā dīkṣā. There, two guru-pādukās are envisioned—left and right feet. When one surrenders to these, the memory of the world vanishes. Joy and sorrow disappear. The yogi merges into the Absolute through those guru-pādukās. In dhyāna-śloka it is said:

यदङ्घिकमलद्वन्द्वं द्वन्द्वतापनिवारकम्

yad-aṅghi-kamala-dvandvam dvandva-tāpa-nivārakam

The two lotus feet of the guru remove the heat of dualities. Joy and sorrow arise from duality. When one surrenders to the feet of the guru, the notion of duality dissolves.

The yogi thus reaches the sahasrāra lotus and merges into the Absolute, becoming eternal, immutable, and beyond guṇas. Yoga reveals this state.

What is the nature of the self (ātman)? Upon what does it depend? The answer is: it is not the body, though it appears to reside in it. The body is subject to sixteen transformations (vikāras). The ātman, sitting within these sixteen modifications of prakṛti, is not the Supreme Self but the individual self—the jīvātman.

Though the jīvātman seems to be linked to prakṛti, in reality, it is beyond both prakṛti and its modifications. It is eternal, beyond change, beyond duality, and untouched by the transformations of the world.

Teaching Sāṅkhya to Rāvaṇa

Rāvaṇa once saw Kapila performing tapas near the southern ocean, Rāvaṇa approached him with pride. Kapila did not argue or engage in debate but simply revealed his viśvarūpa to subdue Rāvaṇa’s arrogance.

Rāvaṇa saw terrifying visions—flames of fire from Kapila’s eyes, countless weapons from his arms, Maruts and Rudras within his bones, Lakṣmī in his heart, the sun and moon in his eyes, and Brahmā and Rudra in his face. Still, Rāvaṇa thought this was some kind of māyā. He considered it an illusion meant to frighten him. He believed he could not be defeated and so persisted.

Ego, when present, only grows. Youth, beauty, and intelligence inflate the ego further. Even if Bhagavān appears before such a person, he tries to mock or belittle Him out of arrogance. For this reason, the sages call such ego durahaṅkāra—incorrigible pride.

Rāvaṇa unleashed all his weapons upon Kapila. Then Kapila withdrew his viśvarūpa, resumed his ordinary muni form, and calmly stood up. He struck Rāvaṇa once with his fist, causing him to faint. The other rakṣasa warriors fled upon hearing Kapila’s humkāra.

Later, when Rāvaṇa recovered, he went further into the cave where he saw many devas and siddhas with conch and discus, resembling Viṣṇu. Women were singing and dancing in service. Lakṣmī was seen massaging Kapila’s feet while Kapila lay in yoga-nidrā.

Seeing this, Rāvaṇa’s arrogance diminished. Doubt and amazement filled his heart. He asked, “O sage! Who are you? What is your true form?”

Kapila replied, “O Rāvaṇa, do you wish to know who I am? Understand this—I am the Viśvātmā. The Paramātmā whom you seek in every world, into whom you wish to merge, it is Me.” Then Kapila opened his mouth and showed his cosmic form—lokas, stars, all beings, devas, everything was seen in his mouth. Rāvaṇa realized that Kapila was the Paramātmā Himself.

With humility and devotion, Rāvaṇa said, “O Mahātma! You are the Viśvātmā, the Paramātmā, the Sarvāntaryāmin. To die at Your hands would be the highest fortune. I have been searching for You through all the worlds to find the one who will grant me union with the Absolute.”

However, by Viṣṇu Māyā, Kapila disappeared. The cave became empty. Rāvaṇa meditated for a while and departed, still unable to comprehend the full reality.

Philosophy and Teachings

Kapila Mahārṣi’s teaching of Sāṅkhya is a unique darśana, a distinct philosophical vision. If one studies it deeply with a refined and disciplined intellect, it takes at least a year to grasp it fully. The purpose here is not to elaborate the details of Kapila’s Sāṅkhya in depth, but rather to understand the life and contribution of the sage himself.

Kapila explained Sāṅkhya further by saying, “There is an entity called ātman residing within. It is nothing but the reflection of Paramātman. In truth, there is no real duḥkha. The sufferings of being in the womb, the pain of birth, ignorance and attachment in childhood, the distress of old age – all these should be recognized as forms of duḥkha. Every state of life is accompanied by suffering. To think that youth is good and old age is bad is ignorance.”

In old age, when one is bedridden, unable to control one’s own limbs, depending on others to clean and care for the body, is this not similar to infancy? In childhood too, one is helpless, dependent on others for cleanliness and nourishment. In both stages, one cannot manage independently. The difference is only in perception. In childhood, people serve with affection. In old age, the same service is done reluctantly or may not even be available. Therefore, all stages of life are duḥkha-filled and rooted in dependency. Recognizing this, one must abandon saṅga-buddhi, attachment to worldly objects, and realize the true nature of the self—the ātman.

The world, with all its varieties, is nothing but a product of Viṣṇu Māyā. It is like foam, like bubbles—buddhuda-prāyaṁ, phena-sadṛśam. How long do bubbles last? They vanish quickly. Clay pots cannot remain permanent. In the same way, this world is impermanent. Therefore, one should not focus on the world but must cultivate a powerful mind, intellect, chitta, and ahaṅkāra toward the goal of mokṣa. That is the primary purpose of Sāṅkhya.

The Prajāpatis worshipped and respected this Sāṅkhya darśana. Even the disciplines of mathematics, Purāṇas, and other sciences at some point endorse Sāṅkhya. No śāstra or Vedic system has refuted Sāṅkhya nor disproved it. In fact, wherever one carries forward philosophical inquiry, Sāṅkhya is accepted by all systems at some point. It has universal acceptance across śāstras.

If one contemplates Brahmabhāva with intelligence, vigilance, and sense control, holding the pañcendriyas in one’s control, and treads carefully on the path of Sāṅkhya-Yoga, then the system has the power to lead the mind, intellect, and chitta toward the Brahman. This has been accepted by elders whenever discussion of its power has come up.

Sāṅkhya consists of six adhyāyas. It teaches how to overcome the three types of duḥkha—ādhyātmika, ādhibhautika, and ādhidaivika—and leads to nivṛtti-mārga, ultimately to the fourth puruṣārtha, mokṣa. The teaching of Kapila is called Kapila-smṛti. This is mentioned in the Śānti Parva of Mahābhārata.

Did Kapila neglect to teach bhakti? No. He taught bhakti too. To his mother Devahūti, Kapila instructed the bhakti mārga. He said, “By your past puṇya I have taken birth in your womb. I am a Nārāyaṇa-avatāra. You know this. Liberate yourself through Nārāyaṇa-bhakti.”

In bhakti also, there are three kinds—tāmasa bhakti, rājasa bhakti, and sāttvika bhakti. A person who is constantly violent, filled with pride and jealousy, but still worships Bhagavān out of personal need, is a tāmasa bhakta. One who enjoys sensory pleasures and wealth but does not abandon devotion is a rājasa bhakta. One who considers every hardship as karma-kṣaya, serves the world selflessly, dedicates all actions to Bhagavān, and continues karma with surrender is a sāttvika bhakta, said Kapila.

Kapila further explained that the supreme bhakta is one who continuously listens to and meditates upon the guṇas of Parameśvara, gradually becoming absorbed in Him with deep concentration. This is paramabhakti.

Why would a person engaged in cruel acts still worship Bhagavān? It is for the fruits of such worship. They might pray, “Today I am going for theft. Protect me from getting caught. Let those in the house fall into deep sleep. That is your mercy.” This is a prayer of a tāmasa bhakta. He seeks personal gain and does not think about the welfare of others.

Which category of bhakti did the Gopikas have for Kṛṣṇa? That is called madhura bhakti. It is a part of sāttvika bhakti. The Gopikas’ devotion was pure, filled with love, without any desire for personal gain. They wanted only Kṛṣṇa—nothing else.

Did any Gopika ever ask Kṛṣṇa for anything? Did any of them seek wealth or protection? No. Even during the Govardhana incident, when Kṛṣṇa took responsibility to protect them, they never asked for help. They never sought material boons from Him.

In his avatāra as Kapila, Bhagavān gifted the world Sāṅkhya-tattva. This Sāṅkhya gave importance to bhakti also. Thus, Kapila’s avatāra validated both Sāṅkhya and bhakti.

Another contribution of Kapila was his acceptance of smṛtis as valid sources of knowledge. By teaching Sāṅkhya-tattva and bhakti-mārga, Kapila as an avatāra of Īśvara brought legitimacy to these paths in the world.

Through his teaching to Syūmaraśmi and his guidance to his own father Kardama, Kapila showed his reverence for Vedic authority. Being an avatāra of Bhagavān himself in muni form, remembrance of Kapila leads to mokṣa.