||Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran||
||Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya||
Chapter – 33– Legend of
Kapila - Kapilopakhyanam
After Kardhama Prajapathi
left to woods, mother Devahoothi and Kapila lived in the hermitage near the
Saraswathi River. The purpose of the incarnation of Kapila was to establish the Sankhya philosophy, while Kardhama Prajapathi was alive,
Devahoothi was immersed in the duties of a chaste wife, after his death she felt
the need to attain the knowledge of self from her son Kapila. Sage Maitreya describes the knowledge of
Sankhya philosophies to Vidhura, later it was retold to Shaunakadhis by Sutha
Pauranika.
One day Devahoothi approached
Kapila, she considered him as her preceptor and prostrated before him “ Dear
child, I have been enjoying the sensual pleasures all these years, Oh! Prabho,
I have been wandering in the darkness of ignorance, it is filled with sorrows
and grief, I am not capable to get relieved from sorrows and fears, Oh! Dear child kindly liberates me from the
darkness of ignorance, sorrows, and fears. You are not an ordinary soul, you
are divine personified, whose brilliance resembles Sun that removes the
darkness, kindly remove the darkness of
ignorance with your brilliance, I shall
take refuge at your lotus feet which is the origin of supreme wisdom and
knowledge. Oh! Dear child, I shall
repeatedly prostrate before your lotus feet.”
Kapila advises his mother “ Oh! Mother, the realization of self and supreme Lord who is absolute Bhramam, elevates the
soul from the miseries and grief, the supreme Lord is all-pervading and witnesses
the deeds of souls, involvement in spiritual deeds elevates the soul from the
worldly bondage. The supreme Lord symbolizes
wisdom and knowledge, represents ‘Oneness in All’. It relieves the intellect
from the worldly bondage with the intense devotion and faith upon the supreme
Lord. It removes the miseries and
sorrows of worldly existence. Oh! Dear Mother, contemplate upon supreme Lord,
who resides as a soul in living beings, it is eternal and has supreme
radiance. Every individual is capable to meditate upon
the Supreme Lord with the Gnana/wisdom and knowledge, Vairagya/abandonment/control
over senses/renunciation and Bhakti/devotion. The
practice of Gnana, Vairagya, and Bhakti provides ‘Oneness-in-All’/serenity of
mind as well. Therefore, Oh! Mother,
kindly practice intense devotion and dedication upon supreme Lord, that would
relieve you from the sorrows and worldly bondage.
Whoever listens to the glorious myths of me and spread the glories of me
would be relieved from miseries and sorrows,
the body is perishable, the soul has no death and it is eternal, therefore
attachment to the body is meaningless, which is bounded to Jara /aging as well as
Maranam/death. Hence, Oh! Mother,
contemplate upon me, which could relieve you from the miseries and grief. Whoever surrenders to my lotus feet,
contemplates upon my glorious myths would be relieved from worldly bondage with
the Gnana, Vairagya, and Bhakti.”
Devahoothi requests Kapila to explain the nature of knowledge,
renunciation and devotion.
Kapila continues “ Oh!
Mother, Bhakti is the prime tool to attain Moksha, listening to the glorious
myths of supreme Lord and his pastimes, in this way utilize your senses
contemplates upon the supreme Lord. The practice of realization of the presence of the supreme Lord in every deed, and everything surrounded by you and envision the presence of the supreme Lord in
happiness and sorrows as well. It would
burn the miseries and sorrows of worldly existence, like the Agni/fire which
digest the food consumed. Finally, it
would take you to supreme bliss. Oh!
Mother, contemplate upon me and practice intense devotion and faith upon me. I shall remain
the preceptor, companion, son, relative, and will remain everything to them to whoever contemplates upon me with intense devotion and faith.”
